Raju Gari Gadhi 3 - Movie Review

'Raju Gari Gadhi 3' is out in the theatres. A horror-comedy, it has been directed by Ohmkar. Let's analyze what works and what doesn't in the film.

Story:

Ashwin (Ashwin Babu) is an auto-driver and orphan who is known for his drunken and wayward ways. He falls for a doctor named Maya (Avika Gor). Now, this Maya comes with a terrifying story. Whenever anyone tries to woo her and says the magical words (I Love You), a spirit enters the scene and beats him black and blue.

Her father is a trantrik named Garuda Pillai (Ajay Ghosh) and the audience is made to believe that he is doing all this. But when Ashwin travels to Kerala to meet Garuda, the story takes a different turn. There is a short flashback that unravels the mystery.

Analysis

The film is a remake of the Tamil comedy 'Dhilluku Dhuddu 2'. The film hinges more on comedy part than the horror elements. It is masala movie. A lion's share of the second half goes into depicting the travails of the film's main characters inside a haunted bungalow. Here and there, Ali, Ajay Ghosh and Urvasi tickle the funny bone. Dhanraj, the hero and others don't add much value even here.  

However, director Ohmkar does two terrible mistakes in narrating the story.

1.  The narration fails to give the audience a villain (be it ghost or human) who can be hated.  So many spirits are seen in the bungalow.  They are there as though it's a Jabardasth skit.  The ghosts are portrayed as comedy pieces.

2.  Another major minus is that Avika Gor's character doesn't connect with the audience. She hardly gets to speak in the film. The romantic track is lackluster. In the entire second half, she is reduced to a mute character. Just because some creepy fellow (played by Brahmaji) tells her she might be having feelings for Ashwin, she starts believing so!

The above two flaws make this film a difficult experience to go through. 

The flashback is so short that even the film's most unnecessary song is longer!  How can the audience feel for the ghosts or the heroine or anyone for that matter in such a scenario?

A blessing is that the run-time is just about 124 minutes. The climax just comes and goes. It's so hurried and half-baked.

On the positive fronts, the director-producer has to be appreciated for the largely good production values. Chota K Naidu's cinematography is superb. Sahi Suresh's art direction is smart. Even debutant Shabir's background music works.  

As for the performances, Ashwin Babu is okay. He has done mass role. Ali is at his vintage self here and there. Avika Gor and almost everyone else is just a caricature. 

Bottomline: 'Raju Gari Gadhi 3' is aimed at mass audiences, the jokes and the scenes are for B and C-center oriented. But for some gags, expect nothing new.