“Aranya” Movie Review

Title: Aranya

CBFC Rating : UA

Run-Time: 2 Hrs 06 Min

Release Date: 26-03-2021

Banner: Eros International

Cast: Rana Daggubati, Vishnu Vishal, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Zoya Hussain

Music: Shantanu Moitra

Cinematography: R. Ashok Kumar

Editing: Buvan

Producer: Eros Motion Pictures

Written and Directed by Prabhu Solomon

Story:

Aranya is a forest keeper with a great ancestry. He has donated his everything to safeguard wildlife and protect the animals. Aranya has a great bond with elephants. What happens when a corrupt minister plans a real estate venture right in the middle of a natural forest reservoir? How Aranya stops is the basic plot of the film.

Performances:

Rana Daggubati lives in the role of Aranya. There are no shades of his previous act in any single scene. All we see is an actor living a part called Aranya. The body language, walk, shoulders, and dialogue delivery are new and never seen before from Rana. The way he interacts with animals and elephants is exceptionally portrayed.

Many scenes are stuck in the viewer’s mind due to the terrific acting of Rana. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get such a part, and Rana makes it a lifetime memory.

Besides Rana, the movie is filled with character roles. Vishnu Vishal plays a significant role in it and leaves a mark. It is a simple part that comes with a heartbreaking moment, and he does the best during those sequences.

Zoya Hussain, Anant Mahadevan, Ravi Kale, and Shriya Pilgaonkar play unique supporting roles. They are all fine. Raghu Babu appears in a brief part, but he is superb and makes one emotional in the end. The rest of the cast is adequate and does their short roles well.

Highlights:

Rana’s Superlative Performance
Sound Mixing & BGM
Cinematography
Climax Message

Drawbacks:

Some Threads End Abruptly

Analysis:

Prabhu Solomon of Myna and Gajaraju fame directs Aranya. He is a talented director known to pick unique and exciting themes. Aranya is no different. It focuses on the forest, environmental issues related to it, and ministers and corporates’ greed in destroying the ecosystem.

The subject is powerful, and it provides ample scope for drama. Prabhu Solomon milks the situation to the hilt to generate emotions that are sure to tug the hearts and also make one ponder about the environment at the same time.

The first half is a smooth ride with different subplots and tracks being introduced. They are all set around the forest and provide freshness to the proceedings. The narrative keeps chugging along with interesting sequences until the interval.

Post-interval, the proceedings slow down a bit, especially with some repetitive police brutality sequences. Once they are done and get to the core point during the pre-climax, things are back on track.

The pre-climax and climax are excellently drawn out to give the right high emotions and message. It gives the people a satisfying feeling while coming out and also a sense of enlightenment.

The music by Shantanu Moitra is fine. However, what stands out is the extraordinary sound mixing and background score. One gets a feeling of being in a jungle with the sounds. The cinematography by AR Ashok Kumar is excellent. The forest greenery and the magical atmosphere is wonderfully captured. The editing is neat. The producers deserve lots of appreciation for backing content like Aranya.

Rating: 3/5
Bottom-line: Rana’s One Man Show