Ravi Teja in “Mr. Bachchan” | Photo credit: Special arrangement

Mr Bachchan is an adaptation of Ajay Devgn’s 2018 Hindi film RaidDirected by Rajkumar Gupta. Anyone who knows the Telugu adaptations of director Harish Shankar knows that the source material and his masala-heavy adaptations are very different. Sometimes it is great entertainment. The Dabangg New edition Gabba Singh is a typical example. Sometimes the result is mediocre, as in the case of Ganesh statue (Adaptation of Jigarthanda). This time, however, he could have picked up any story, since the idea of Raid — to show what an honest tax official could do — gets lost in a scuffle. Set in the 1980s, the Hindi film was inspired by true events and presents a dramatized version of one of India’s longest IT raids. Starring Ravi Teja and Bhagyashri Borse, this 163-minute adaptation feels like one of the longest endurance tests and gets more and more excruciating as it progresses.

The film begins with an episode that shows what Mr. Bachchan (Ravi Teja) is capable of. He is so named because his father (Tanikella Bharani) is an ardent fan of Amitabh Bachchan. This episode, in which Jhansi makes a cameo appearance and several others, is over the top but it manages to provide some fun.

Much time is spent appreciating Amitabh Bachchan’s work and fame, with Ravi Teja reciting dialogues from Sholay, Deewar, Shahenshah And Agneepath. When he is not working as an IT employee, Mr Bachchan is part of an orchestra. This gives the film enough scope to show that the hero can sing chart-toppers, from the Kishore Kumar era (‘Yeh raaten ye mausam’) to the Kumar Sanu era (Aashiqui). He may still wear the rose-tinted glasses of the 80s and occasionally insert ‘naam toh suna hoga’ into his conversations, but he can also impress the youth of the 90s with numbers from Hum Aapke Hain Kaun. He also manages to bridge the generation gap by easing the anxieties of the lead actress Jikki (Bhagyashri Borse, so named because her father is also an avid music fan) by singing songs to Kumar Sanu that are likable to her father (Sachin Khadekar). Much later in the film, Mr. Bachchan also lips move and dances to Akkineni Nageswara Rao’s Telugu hits.

But wait, why do I keep talking about Mr Bachchan Retro tribute? Because not much happens until the break. Of course he sings a serenade to the glamorous Jikki. Mr Bachchan is so focused on nostalgic music and emphasising the glamour factor of its leading lady that the plot falls by the wayside. It would be unfair to judge Bhagyashri’s skills on the basis of this film which only aims to be a visual feast. The age difference between the lead pair is just one of the film’s many problems. For a brief moment, he apologises and backs off from his courting of her when she says she is uncomfortable and that is a pleasant surprise. However, this happiness is short-lived. A romance brews and Jikki is described as sweet and nothing more.

When the actual story begins halfway, there is a small break from the romance. But soon the narrative turns into an ordeal. A battalion of forgettable characters are introduced. Jagapathi Babu as the antagonist has to scream and then some. His character is more of a caricature than a threat.

Mr Bachchan breaks up the long IT raid with a few more romantic numbers. Perhaps this film is meant to be seen as a showreel for Bhagyashri Borse or to show how Ravi Teja can dance – to retro music and dance numbers by Mickey J Meyer. The composer also plays the mood of the 80s and 90s in his background music. A star cameo towards the end of the cigarette break briefly livens things up.

There are several references to ‘Side A’ and ‘Side B’ in the film. Perhaps it is better to listen to old Hindi and Telugu hits than to watch this senseless narrative.

Mr. Bachchan is currently in cinemas