Cinegola rating: ***__ Good (3 stars)
Cinegola points: 3 out of 5
Tagline: Trust no one…..Kill anyone….Be only one
Strengths: Prabhas, screenplay, direction and cinematography
Weaknesses: Namitha
My analysis:
Billa movie is a neat and stylish remake of Amithab Bachchan Don and Ajit Billa. Director Meher Ramesh took atmost care in making the movie so that the audience cannot remember any of the original versions while watching the movie. There are no twists or surprises in the movie because the story is already known to each and everyone but the director could hold everyone’s attention with his screenplay and direction.
Billa is a complete entertainer and will reach to the expectations of the audience of all classes. The movie has all the necessary elements to entertain A, B and C center audience. Though there are small directional faults here and there, the movie is never boring as both the 1st half and the 2nd half are filled with Prabhas style, Anushka body and Meher Ramesh direction skills.
Performances:
Prabhas as Billa has entered the league of stylish actors in telugu cinema. Billa movie will change Prabhas from an entirely mass actor to a class actor with mass touch. His height and his gait are the main plus points for Billa role. Prabhas as Billa has created such an impact that the auidience cannot imagine any other telugu hero in Billa role after watching Prabhas. His acting in the second role as Ranga is also good and is totally different from Billa role. Prabhas could show clear difference in both the roles.
After watching Anushka in Arundathi, it is a treat for the audience to watch her as Maya with scantily clad dressing. Her moto and motive in Billa movie is only to show her body. With this performance and exposing, Anushka is sending a message to all the film makers that she is ready for any kind of role.
The biggest let down of the movie is Namitha. She is 100% fat and 0% sexy. One cannot understand why Meher Ramesh selected her for the role of Billa lady love. One can also never understand why Billa has such a bad taste in girls (fat Namitha as girl friend) who is stylish in every other thing. Namitha is fat in the movie even after reducing 6 to 7 kilos. Her dressing is also equally bad. No dress of hers either suited her or her body.
Hansika did a guest role in Billa movie. She did a song which was not that hot when compared to the talk and hype it got while shooting.
Krishnam Raju did the role of a police officer. It is nice to see Krishnam Raju and Prabhas acting together in one movie. His performance in Billa movie was decent.
Supreet and Rehaman are adequate as bad men.
Subbaraju, Jayasudha and Kelly Dorje did guest roles in the movie.
Music by Mani Sharma is another plus point to the movie. His background score added the necessary punch to the movie.
Cinematography by Sounder Rajan is excellent. He shot the movie in very exotic locations of Malaysia. His technique of shooting and colour grading are exceptinally well and added grace to this stylish film.
Screenplay and direction are by Meher Ramesh and he should be praised for his directional talent. Though the movie is a remake of a superhit hindi movie, he showed it to the audience in a new and stylish way. The way Meher narrated the story on screen is good and the way he made it gripping and intresting is great.
Story:
Billa (Prabhas) with his gang Ranjith (Supreet), Ramesh (Subbaraju), Lisa (Namitha) etc is an international smuggler with base in Malaysia who is wanted by 11 counties. ACP Krishna Murthy (Krishnam Raju) from India is incharge of catching Billa. In one Police Billa chase, Billa gets killed and this is known only to Krishna Murthy. He trains Ranga (Prabhas) from Vizag and replaces him in place of Billa to know all the gang secrects and also catch Billa boss Devil (Rehaman). How Ranga enters the gang, wins the love of Maya (Anushka) and how he hands over Devil to Police forms the remaining part of the story.
Cast: Prabhas, Anushka, Namitha, Krishnam Raju, Rehaman, Supreet, Kelly Dorje, Ali, Jayasudha, Hansika Motwani(guest role), Subbaraju (guest role) and many more.
Banner: Gopi Krishna Movies Pvt Ltd
Cinematography: Sounder Rajan
Fights: Stun Siva
Editing: Marthand K Venkatesh
Art: AS Prakash
Music: Mani Sharma
Producer: Narendra and Prabodh
Dialogues, Screenplay and Direction: Meher Ramesh
Final Judgement: Hit
