In recent years, many Ravi Teja films have promised to deliver an unapologetic ‘mass’ cinematic experience, aiming to recapture the star’s peak energy from the late 2000s. While some, like Krack and Dhamaka, partially succeeded, a significant number have fallen short, often feeling like unintentional parodies of his earlier work. ‘Mass Jathara’ unfortunately adds itself to this growing list of disappointing ventures.
Bhanu Bhogavarapu, known for writing light-hearted Telugu films such as ‘Vivaha Bhojanambu’ and ‘Samajavaragamana,’ makes his directorial debut with ‘Mass Jathara.’ As a self-proclaimed fan of Ravi Teja, he attempts to craft a vibrant celebration of the star. However, his approach relies on a flimsy plot, hoping that the actor’s trademark mannerisms and periodic self-referential callbacks will compensate for a lack of substance.
Mass Jathara (Telugu)
Once again, Ravi Teja takes on the role of a cop. His character, Lakshman Bheri, presents an initial intriguing premise: he’s a railway officer whose heroics are strictly confined to the Adavivaram station premises. Despite this limitation, he’s a righteous and headstrong officer determined to eradicate drug trafficking in the area, often finding himself at odds with his superiors and local politicians.
Lakshman is portrayed as having little to lose. Raised by his grandfather (Rajendra Prasad), he is supposedly middle-aged and unmarried. He develops an attraction to Tulasi (Sreeleela), a school teacher who commutes on the same train. His primary antagonist is Sivudu (Naveen Chandra), a cannabis-smoking drug peddler.
The first half of ‘Mass Jathara’ leans into softer, more indulgent aspects. Lakshman’s unlucky romantic life and his love-hate dynamic with his grandfather (whose characterization can sometimes verge on senility) provide occasional comic relief. There are subtle nods to Ravi Teja’s past hits like Naa Autograph and Venky. Frequent confrontations with Sivudu’s henchmen lead to a predictable yet high-voltage intermission sequence.
The stakes escalate in the latter half, and for a few moments, the film manages to deliver flashes of the explosive action it aspires to be. Similar to the memorable wolf pack sequence in Krack, Ravi Teja confronts a group of ruthless contract killers in a particularly well-executed action scene.
Despite a more engaging second half, ‘Mass Jathara’ ultimately falls back into a tired, formulaic rhythm of action, sentiment, comedy, and songs. The overall execution feels lazy and takes the audience’s patience for granted. A promising twist involving Sreeleela’s character, Tulasi, which ties into the film’s central conflict, is regrettably reduced to a clichéd damsel-in-distress scenario.
Another significant issue lies with Sivudu’s villainy. His character feels anachronistic, appearing too primitive for modern times. With unkempt hair, a lungi, a reliance on reptiles to trap victims, and a tendency to chain women who refuse him, his impulsive reactions make him difficult to take seriously. Yet, Naveen Chandra portrays the role with earnestness, refraining from over-the-top theatrics.
‘Mass Jathara’ is moderately entertaining when Ravi Teja shares the screen with Praveen, Hyper Aadi, Ajay Ghosh (providing some amusing platform ticket humor), and Sreeleela, though her track loses its way. Naresh and VTV Ganesh also contribute a few laughs with their comedic timing.
Ravi Teja showcases strikingly good form as a dancer, almost reminiscent of Govinda from 1990s Hindi cinema. Rajendra Prasad gets a crowd-pleasing sequence towards the end, which might have been his primary motivation for accepting the role. However, formidable actors like Samuthirakani and Murali Sharma are given underdeveloped parts.
While some songs by Bheems Ceciroleo have a catchy vibe, the constant high-decibel background score can be quite testing. Visually, the railway station setting becomes repetitive after a while.
Ultimately, ‘Mass Jathara’ is another futile attempt to revitalize Ravi Teja’s career by leaning on past glories. The message is clear: audiences are yearning for something fresh and innovative.
The official trailer for ‘Mass Jathara’ is embedded in the original article.