Jagapathi Review

All of us God-fearing people know that any day now, the Lord will resurrect himself and appear once again on earth in a final, terrifying avatar.

But who needs God when we have Jagapathi Babu?

Jagapathi Babu is, well, PATI – JAGAPATHI, our new-age Telugu James Bond, in a role replete with dhamakedaar slow-motion dialogues that promptly bring on catcalls galore. He is a sub-inspector in a small town, but for his bread and butter, he acts as the bodyguard of the local MLA / big goonda. (Yes, the police force is gravely underpaid.)

His job description entails him killing half a dozen people in as many days, but he still sleeps soundly at night. Until, that is, a woman walks into his life and changes everything. Even his clothes. (Before you get any ideas, he just starts wearing his police uniform instead of plain clothes).

This woman is Lavanya, a beautiful railway clerk who pretends to love him, but then turns around and does a Fida-esque dump. Turns out that Jagapathi had killed her real husband, so this was her way of seeking revenge.

In a single dhamakedaar dialogue of her own (this movie’s full of them), Lavanya reveals all this to our hero, and hey presto, Jagapathi goes from merciless hitman to saintly citizen, protector of the weak, and upholder of the law. Don’t blink here, or you’ll miss his troubled transformation process.

In the riveting climax, Jagapathi, though buried alive, makes his Houdini-like escape. Despite being beaten to pulp, he revives on hearing an innocent woman’s screams (those of the theater audience are drowned out), bursts out of his coffin, stops an illegal wedding, rescues his beloved, and all is well with the world.

Despite the lack of emphasis on the plot, characterization and other such blasé elements, the movie is definitely entertaining. Rakshita puts in a decent performance, although Navneet Kaur is no more than an excuse to show some skin in this otherwise all-out action flick.

If you’re a Jagapathi Babu fan, this movie reminds you of why you like the guy in the first place. And if you’re a mass movie kinda guy/gal, then this one has all the ingredients to keep you happy.

But if you’re one of those I-am-too-good-for-mass folk, watch Jagapathi just for a change from sensible cinema. You might actually enjoy the rollicking ride.