What Is the Story About?
Krishna (Naresh Agastya) is the only honest cop in Dabeerpura Police Station. While chasing a criminal, he loses his service gun. It finds its way into the crime network and then to a common man leading to a Bank robbery and a series of murders. What happens finally and what is the motive of the murders? forms the rest of the story.
Performances?
Rajendra Prasad is one actor who shines maximum when he falls into the right story. It has happened with Senapathi. The story has RP playing a retired man who is full of problems in his life but is focused on the task at hand to lead that contended one day life. The character has three different shades – a ruthless man on a mission, a soft-hearted man, and a help-less family man. He excelled in all the shades and pulled them off with conviction.
Analysis
Senapathi is the official remake of the Tamil film, 8 Thottakal (2017). One of the major flaws of the Original is the romantic track and forced songs. The makers of the Telugu version edited out the unnecessary songs but there is another flaw in the same spot. The love track looks half-baked and unfinished. The initial portions bore due to that reason.
The movie picks pace once the gun is lost. There are three subplots with RP and his gang. They are not established well. The series of murders the gun commits are interestingly narrated. Whenever a clue is found, it is immediately negated with a murder piquing the interest in the film. The first half thus is largely interesting. The audience is left guessing the motive of the robbery and murders.
In the second half, the director takes sweet time in establishing the backstory of Krishnamurthy. This is very crucial to give a nice closure to the story. We do not connect so much with the track except for the wife’s story narrated in the cafe. There is a corruption and cheating angle involved in the motive but they are not convincingly narrated.
Probably, the director thought to avoid melodrama. However, in that process lost the necessary impact. As a result, we can not have a satisfying ending. Having said that all, Senapathi is largely good. There are certain issues that ensure that the movie does not cross the line. But that should not stop the film from being a one-time watch, especially on the OTT.
Other Artists?
Naresh Agasthya does a bland job as an honest cop with a bad childhood. He could not emote with intensity at many important places. Gnaneswari Kandregula is impressive but her character is more of a cameo. Harshavardhan sleepwalks in the role of the investigating officer. Josh Ravi and Rakendu Mouli shine in the little characters. Pavani Reddy is just confined to a couple of scenes. Jeevan Kumar is fine as a don with a comical side. The rest of the characters are fine.
Music and Other Departments?
The movie is technically good. Shravan Bharadwaj does a good job with the background which is crucial for a thriller. Pavan Sadineni does a great job with the screenplay. He should have been more careful with the later portions of the film. Senapathi is a total departure from his previous works and is appreciable. The color tone is apt but is effective only at places and the editing is crisp.
Highlights?
Rajendra Prasad
Murder Sequences
BGM
Drawbacks?
Initial Portions
Motive is not convincingly established.
Narration goes flat.
Did I Enjoy It?
Largely Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes But…
Senapathi Telugu Movie Review by Binged Bureau
We’re hiring!
We are hiring two full-time junior to mid-level writers with the option to work remotely. You need to work a 5-hour shift and be available to write. Interested candidates should email their sample articles to [email protected]. Applications without a sample article will not be considered.
