Most of the films which are set on the banks of Godavari follow a template which is too blatant to be missed. There’s a hero with his bunch of friends, a girl who has the crazy about the hero, hero’s father or grandfather is the village’s most-respected gentleman and there has to be a marriage. It all ends with the hero solving all the problems and also marrying the girl of his dreams. They call this a family entertainer and quite a few times this genre works however predictable it might be. The latest film ‘Rama Rama Krishna Krishna’ starring Ram, Priya Anand and Arjun falls in this genre. Directed by Srivas, the film was produced by Dil Raju. The film narrates the story of Rama Krishna, a village lad who has the traits of both Lord Rama and Lord Krishna.

What’s the Story? Arjun stars as Arjun Deva, a gangster in Mumbai who decides to leave his past behind and shift to Gandhipuram on the banks of the river Godavari. Chakrapani (Nazar) is the head of this village. His elder son is a medical student while the younger son Rama Krishna (Ram) has the dubious reputation of being notorious most of the times. Rama Krishna frequently gets into a fight with Priya (Priya Anand), who’s the sister of Arjun. One day, Rama Krishna comes to know that his elder brother has fallen in love with Priya’s elder sister. How does Rama Krishna react to this? Will Arjun’s past continue to haunt him? That forms the rest of this story.

What is Good: Ram continues to surprise us with his energy, both in terms of acting and dances. His characterization is pretty interesting in the sense that he leaves most of the decisions to the Gods he trusts. There’s a locket which he uses as a decision maker and this aspect is embedded well in the story. His spontaneity in the film is perhaps the only surprise element in the film. Priya Anand plays the love interest of the hero in the film and she delivers a credible performance in her limited role. She has a meatier role in this film compared to her debut film Leader and shares a good onscreen chemistry with Ram. Nazar, Pragathi, Srinivas Reddy and Sekhar are apt in their roles. Brahmanandam’s role as LSR is hilarious. Arjun deserves a special mention. His usual flamboyance has been underplayed in the film and he’s elegant in his role in this film. There’s an uneasy calmness in his actions which brings out the dilemma of a man who’s trying to forget his past.

What is bad: After an interesting first half which brings out the underlying family relations to the surface, the film gets into an auto-cruise mode in the second half. Since almost all films set in a Godavari backdrop have the same template, it leaves a sense of déjà vu. The film’s second half is a tad too predictable. Bindhu Madhavi is wasted in the film.

Technical Departments: Rama Rama Krishna Krishna is the 200th film in Keeravani’s career and the veteran music director has composed some good tunes for the film. Editing by Gowtham Raju is adequate. The visual effects and CGI used in the film especially in the action sequences look flimsy. The film’s story, screenplay and direction were handled by Srivas. The film’s first half had an interesting premise which fiddles with marriage and the trust which the parents have on their kids; however the second half is convincingly predictable. In a way, Srivas has not left any loose threads behind, yet it’s the same old concept whose durability has been time-tested.

Bottomline: Rama Rama Krishna Krishna doesn’t try to offer anything; neither does it reinvent the wheel. The film sticks to its formula and the cast, crew did a neat job in making a commercial potboiler. There’s a scene in the film where Ram rotates the locket to see if stops at Rama or Krishna to decide its course of action. The locket stops midway which prompts Ram to take the matter into his own hands instead of relying on the Gods. Perhaps, that’s how the film is too. It has a bit of everything what you expect from an entertainer. On the whole, it’s a breezy entertainer which isn’t overwhelming.

P.S: I would rest my thumbs for this film and leave the decision to you to flip the locket.