Balakrishna Shines in This Banal, Pathetic Chinese Biowar Story
Cast: Nandamuri Balakrishna, Samyuktha, Aadhi Pinisetty, Harshaali Malhotra, Saswata Chatterjee, Ronson Vincent, Achyuth Kumar, Sangay Tsheltrim, Ravi Mariya, Shamna Kasim, Murali Mohan and others
Director: Boyapati Sreenu
First, Nandamuri Balakrishna impresses once again as the sultry Aghora, both in her looks and emotional performance. But China’s fictional biological warfare plan is too far-fetched to digest.
In the first episode, Balakrishna battled mining mafia and villains trying to destroy temples; this was a conflict that audiences could relate to. But in this sequel, director Boyapati Sreenu goes overboard and hires Chinese generals who terrorize Tibetans, launch biological warfare against India, and try to destroy people’s faith in God. While these ideas seem dramatic on paper, they fail to provide the emotional depth needed to capture viewers’ attention.
There is also another Balakrishna – an MLA who punishes wrongdoers – but this piece is brief as the film shifts to the Himalayas. The aim seems to be to give Balakrishna’s version of Aghora space to showcase his invincible fighting skills and chant the glories of Lord Shiva. Meanwhile, Aadhi Pinisetty appears as a dark wizard who performs dark rituals and adds more chaos to the narrative.
Boyapati brings together many genres and creates a chaotic mass entertainer with political touches. Reacting to the biological warfare situation and waiting for a savior to cure the epidemic, the Indian Prime Minister feels forced and out of place. Balakrishna is also used to preach Sanatana Dharma, possibly targeting North Indian audiences.
The story begins with a brutal Chinese general who kills Tibetans and vows revenge after losing his son in the Galwan Valley conflict. He teams up with another officer (Saswata Chatterjee) to launch a biological warfare in India and create doubt about the existence of God. However, they soon encounter the very powerful Aghora (Balakrishna) who lives in the Himalayas. Will he save humanity and restore people’s faith? That’s what the movie tries to answer.
After the success of Akhanda, Balakrishna is back with another Aghora-based drama, but the idea of him defeating enemy armies is difficult to accept. While he passionately preaches the tenets of Sanatana Dharma and encourages people to live righteous lives, the film offers nothing of significance beyond that.
Samyuktha Menon was wasted in a limited role. Debutant Harshaali Malhotra has a few good moments as the scientist who develops a bio-shield to protect the soldiers. Aadhi Pinisetty convincingly portrays the menacing dark wizard. Others like Poorna and Murali Mohan appear briefly.
After a misfire like Skanda, Boyapati Sreenu seems to have lost its narrative balance. It tries to elevate heroism by mixing multiple genres, but the result falls flat. He seems to believe that preaching Sanatana Dharma and glorifying divine existence is enough to hook viewers, but instead leaves them squirming with unbelievable scenes, over-the-top action, and an implausible story.
