A few minutes into Gangs of Godavari, the Telugu gangster drama written and directed by Krishna Chaitanya, the protagonist Ratna (Vishwak Sen) states that he does not know if he is good or bad, and does not want to give a false impression of being a good man. As the film progresses, it is evident that it is not a throwaway statement. The story revolves around his character who is dark, messy and on the wrong side of the moral compass. The film takes a massy tone and ends up celebrating some of the antics of the protagonist but also shows him the mirror. Gangs of Godavari is ambitious and tips its hat to films such as Nayakan, Vada Chennai and Gangs of Wasseypur. Though its writing and execution do not always match up to the ambition, there is enough to explore and engage with. Also, this gangster drama does not treat its women as pushovers.
The narrative quickly establishes the milieu and its people with all their complexities. In a village on the banks of the mighty Godavari, we are introduced to a purported practice of ‘kaththi kattadam’ or people placing a trident to avenge a character. The belief is that no one who has had a trident in his or her name has been able to escape death. The one who has evaded this, so far, is Ratna, but the odds are piling up against him.
Moving back to a period when ballot boxes were in use and there were no smartphones, the film narrates the journey of Ratna, a shrewd opportunist who swiftly rises from being a small-time trader to having his say in sand mining and politics. The sun-kissed warm tones of Anith Madadi’s cinematography accentuate the brooding narrative.
Gangs of Godavari (Telugu)
His story unravels with a generous mix of humour as he crosses paths with arch rivals Doraswami Raju (Goparaju Ramana) and Nanaji (Nasser). Integral to Ratna’s story are the parts played by sex worker Ratnamala (Anjali) and Bujji (Neha Shetty), whose lineage, when revealed, doesn’t come as a surprise.
The first hour proceeds briskly, never relenting in exploring facets of the gangster drama and the common people who mostly appear gullible. Ratna takes everyone and everything in his sweep, and his rise sometimes plays out like a satire on politics and people. Watch out for a kidnap and ransom episode laced with fun moments.
At one point, Ratna gives himself the title Tiger and implies that what might sound odd initially will be accepted by people if repeated many times. Such small things work as sharp observations of society. There is a lot to unpack and soak in and it looks like the film is on safe turf.
In the later portions, however, as we know more about the ‘monster’ that Ratnakar is, the narrative wobbles. As expected, he has a backstory. Thankfully it does not overtly justify his actions; he is still made accountable. Vishwak Sen sheds his urban demeanour and portrays Ratna’s swag, rage and vulnerability with conviction. This is one of his noteworthy performances, especially when the chinks in his armour are exposed and he realises his vulnerability and comes face to face with fear. What would have worked further in these portions is the presence of a stronger antagonist.
As usual, Anjali is dependable and enacts her part without a false note. She fits the character of a woman who has roughed it out. Neha comes into her own by and by; what seems to be a decorative role at first paves the way for a slightly stronger character and she is effective.
Gangs of Godavari is an interesting attempt. With more focus on its writing, it might have been a solid gangster drama.
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