Violence, corruption, cartels, kidnappings and drug runners. These are the negative stereotypes one thinks of when they think of the worst aspects of Mexico City. But for drug lord, Juan “Manitas” Del Monte (Karla Sofia Gascón) they are a way of life. Hell, he is the one responsible for it and profiting from it all. But it is time for a change of sorts.

Rita Mora Castro (Zoe Saldaña) is a brilliant yet unappreciated lawyer disillusioned with her career. After successfully defending yet another scumbag criminal, she is offered work from a new client, Manitas. Manitas has an odd request (well a demand) one which comes from having always felt like they were born into the wrong body. They want Rita to facilitate gender affirming surgery in secret so that they can begin a new life as a woman. With a huge payday in store, Rita throws her scruples to the wind and helps Manitas fake his death and find a doctor. Manitas is no more and so ‘Senora Emilia Perez‘ is born.

Four years later, Rita finally has the life and respect she always wanted, until Emilia comes back with another request, wishing to be reunited with Juan‘s wife Jessi (Selena Gomez) and children under the guise of being Manitas‘ wealthy cousin. While this farce works at first, it isn’t long before the past catches up to Emilia as they attempt to turn over a new leaf and right the wrongs of Mexico. But remember, Manitas was a violent drug lord after all…

One of the most lauded and awarded films of 2024 finally sees its Australian release in 2025. The second most nominated film in Golden Globe history went home with 4 wins including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and a Best Supporting Actress award for Saldaña. However, visionary filmmaker Jacques Audiard‘s genre bending story of redemption and crime has proven to be not without controversy at the same time.

Emilia Perez is a story with a lot of heart, a lot to say and honestly a lot of moralising. This has been called into question with a French filmmaker and a cast of foreigners telling a story with themes and subjects so important to Mexican people. Lack of local talent and Audiard’s admitted lack of research into context has been criticised. The Spanish dialogue which to an outsider simply reading subtitles might seem acceptable, may also seem off to those who can speak it fluently.

But looking past that, I can appreciate Audiard‘s originality and refusal to tell this story in any sort of conventional way. Often even if something doesn’t work, it’s still admirable for a filmmaker to take a chance. While praise has been heaped on Emilia Perez, I still believe that there’s many ways the film just doesn’t quite come together.

It seems ironic that a film entirely about finding your true self can be so lost in grasping an identity of its own. Is this a pop musical? A violent crime thriller? A family drama? A story of redemption or of being unable to truly change who you are deep down? It’s a little bit of everything, and so none of it really feels like it takes centre stage. 

The story of a violent drug lord trying to literally become a completely different person is a fascinating one. Gascón switches between the two personas impressively yet is never given a chance to play it as anything more than a bipolar transperson. Saldaña as well earns the acclaim which has come her way but ‘Rita‘ becomes lost amongst endless twists. The sanctimoniousness of her character looking down on the corruption of the elite as she wilfully takes money to whitewash and reinvent a drug kingpin feels unexplored.

This is all despite Emilia Perez‘ lengthy runtime and much of it is due to the film failing as a musical. Giving ‘Joker Folie à deux‘ a run for its money, Emilia Perez just seems to want to be a musical without figuring out how to make it work. While some musical scenes feature stunning choreography from Damien Jalet, others just have the cast reciting run on dialogue that’s set to a beat. Every time this occurs; it detracts from the film rather than enhancing it.

Imagine having a normal conversation which changes into a strangely structured and forced song and dance before suddenly going back to regular speech patterns. Sounds incredibly obnoxious and irritating, right? Well congratulations, you’ve grasped Jacques Audiard‘s approach to the musical genre!

Emilia Perez is considered by some to be one of the greatest films of the year. However, I found it to be an incredibly unlikable and grating experience. A hodgepodge of ideas rolled up into a mess of film genres and styles, one which is bold and not afraid to take chances, but not one which is successfully executed in any meaningful way.

Emilia Perez is in cinemas from January 16th.

Balakrishna in ‘Daaku Maharaaj’
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Balakrishna’s resurgence in recent films such as Akhanda and Bhagawant Kesari can be attributed to filmmakers Boyapati Sreenu and Anil Ravipudi making the star more relatable to the masses beyond his larger-than-life quirks. While the ethos of a typical Balakrishna film has not changed drastically, the fresh narrative styles have breathed a new lease of life into time-tested templates.

In Daaku Maharaaj, it is evident that director Bobby Kolli was keen on a new visual aesthetic to a star-led vehicle. The action is stylised and slick; there is a genuine effort at charismatic world-building and the ‘punch lines’ are minimal (going by the standards of popular Telugu masala potboilers). Hero worship is woven into the narrative rather than appearing forced.

Despite these merits the film falls short, owing to its lack of conviction in the execution. It neither plays to the galleries nor embraces the new dictum wholeheartedly. A handful of sequences draw attention and can be termed paisa vasool, but the film on the whole is not satisfying.

Set in a hill station near Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, the film takes its time to establish the context for the messiah’s arrival. A girl named Vaishnavi, the granddaughter of an influential man, is under threat from a local gangster duo. A convict on the run — ‘Daaku’ Maharaaj — assumes the identity of a driver, Nanaji, to guard the family. What connects Maharaaj’s violent past to the goons and the girl?

The film impressively does away with an ego-boosting intro song to announce the hero’s entry. S Thaman’s over-enthusiastic music score and the crisp dialogues between the action sequences do the job of offering a glimpse into the hero’s aura. Much like in Balakrishna’s earlier films (Jai Simha, Narasimha Naidu and Bhagawant Kesari), a young girl serves as the emotional link for the star to unleash his fury. 

When the proceedings get too heavy, there is silliness in the garb of humour for some comic relief (Satya is wasted) and romance, where Urvashi Rautela gets spanked by Balakrishna in a song named after his trademark phrase ‘Dabidi Dibidi.’ In between all the gore and insipid lighter moments, the child’s character brings some innocence (though caricaturish at times) to the mix.

However, the masala-laden proceedings soon become superficial. There are too many inconsequential characters that do not threaten the protagonist; the villainy lacks meat and the narrative beats around the bush for too long. The restlessness partly subsides with the flashback episode, in which a government officer transforms into a dacoit. 

Some of the tropes are reminiscent of films of the 90s and 2000s. A lion-hearted hero stands up for people of an arid land insulated from development and builds dams for them; every second girl in the region calls him ‘maamayya’ or ‘annayya’. Within this predictable framework, the equation between Maharaaj and the collector, Nandini (Shraddha Srinath), is a silver lining. 

The entire subplot woven around water supply to a village and the link between marble quarries and a drug racket is rushed and devoid of authenticity. Once the film returns to the present-day timeline, the rest is pretty much a formality. Surprisingly, Balakrishna’s restraint holds the weaker stretches together, helped by the racy action choreography and the raw visuals.

Cinematographer Vijay Kartik Kannan’s penchant for visuals comes to the fore in the flashback segments set in Chambal, transporting viewers into an anarchic world devoid of hope. In particular, the imagery of a dacoit leader’s headless statue merging with Balakrishna’s face stays with you long after the film. The gore is never vulgar or indulgent and the technical finesse adds to the experience.

The film also has its share of references to animals in the jungle. Maharaaj’s towering presence is visually compared to an injured snow leopard in the interval episode. The dialogues add some vigour too — ‘When you shout, you bark… when I shout… (referring to roar)..,’ ‘I hold a masters in murders,’ ‘When a lion and a deer confront, it is not a fight… it is a hunt’.

There is a noticeable gap between what Daaku Maharaaj aims to be and its final result. The craftiness of the visuals and the myth-making are often overpowered by the director’s conventional choices. Beyond Balakrishna and Shraddha Srinath’s Nandini, other characters (including the antagonist — Balwant Singh Thakur played by Bobby Deol) do not make a strong impression. 

It is disappointing to see capable actors such as Ravi Kishan, Shine Tom Chacko, Rishi, Chandini Chowdary and Sachin Khedekar wasted in insignificant parts. Shraddha Srinath is elegant in her portrayal of a vulnerable government official while Bobby Deol is reduced to a typical Mumbai-import villain who gives bombastic warnings to the hero without doing much. Pragya Jaiswal and Urvashi Rautela lack agency in their roles and merely serve as glam dolls. Sandeep Raj’s role begins well but adds little value to the film.

Bobby Kolli’s attempt to dish out a ‘different-looking’ Balakrishna film is a mixed bag. Apart from Balakrishna and Shraddha Srinath’s performances, the action choreography, cinematography and the music salvages it to an extent.

Akhanda, Veera Simha Reddy & Bhagavanth Kesari, after delivering three back-to-back successful films, Nandamuri Balakrishna teamed up with Bobby Kolli, who delivered a blockbuster hit with his previous film, Waltair Veerayya and the production house, Sithara Entertainments. After grabbing the attention of the audience with its slick and stylish visuals in the teaser and trailer, the film was released in theatres today. Did Balakrishna deliver his fourth consecutive successful film? Did Bobby deliver another blockbuster after Waltair Veerayya? Did Sithara Entertainments continue its success streak after a memorable film like Lucky Baskhar? More importantly, did the slick and stylish visuals have the substance? Let’s find out with a detailed analysis.

What is it about?

Govind Gujjar(Makarand Deshpande) requests Nanaji to protect a little girl, Baby Vaishnavi and her family from the local MLA, Thrimurthulu Naidu and his brother(Sandeep Raj). Nanaji, while doing his job as the caretaker to the family, comes across a gang of Thakurs from Madhya Pradesh who runs Cocaine cultivation in the name of Tea Estate. During their first confrontation with the Thakurs gang, one of the gang members reveals that Nanaji’s real name is Daaku Maharaj. Who is Daaku Maharaj? What is Daaku Maharaj’s relationship with Baby Vaishnavi? What is the enmity between the Daaku Maharaj and Thakur brothers? Forms the rest of the story.

Performances:

Nandamuri Balakrishna delivered a subtle and impactful performance yet again right after ‘Bhagavanth Kesari’. His energy during the confrontation sequences with multiple antagonist characters & his energy during action sequences deserve appreciation. He looked good in the role of Nanaji and civil engineer Seetharam as well as ‘Daaku Maharaj’.

Pragya Jaiswal & Shraddha Srinath got limited but crucial roles. Both the actresses made their presence felt. The little girl who played the role of ‘Baby Vaishnavi’ delivered a good & confident performance. Ravi Kishan as Thrimurthulu Naidu did his role well and looked menacing.

Bobby Deol as the main antagonist and the younger brother in deadly Thakur’s family got a very good entry sequence. He did his part well in a not-so-well-written role. Shine Tom Chacko, Makarand Deshpande, VTV Ganesh, etc., the film had many notable actors. All of them made their presence felt but most of these characters were not written well.

Technicalities:

The cinematography by Vijay Kartik Kannan is undoubtedly the best thing that happened to the film. His visuals throughout the film are slick, stylish and very refreshing. Daaku Maharaaj is without a doubt one of the best Balakrishna film to date in terms of visuals. Especially, the visuals during the pre-interval sequence are top-notch. After the cinematography, the second-best thing that happened in the film was Thaman’s background score. His background score elevated and enhanced many sequences to the next level in the film. The ‘Chinni Chinni’ song is pleasant to hear and looks very good on screen. There are three other songs in the film including a mass number & two montage songs but none of these three songs leave any lasting impact.

Dialogues by Nandu Savirigana & Bhanu Bogavarapu are largely written keeping Balakrishna’s image in mind and are aimed to please the fans of Balakrishna & mass audience. There are quite a few dialogues in the film which are likely to draw whistles & cheers from the fans in theatres. Editing by Ruben & Niranjan Devaramane is a mixed bag. Their work is slick at places and would have been better at places. Especially, the editing during pre-climax and climax episodes would have been better.

Production values by Sithara Entertainments are very good as usual. Producer, Naga Vamsi and team spent enough money to give the film a very stylish and grand look. Kudos to the producers for hiring notable actors across multiple film industries even for small & not so significant roles. Bobby, the director took a routine script and mixed enough commercial elements to make the film a decent commercial entertainer. Let’s talk more about his work in the analysis section.

Positives:

1. Balakrishna’s Subtle & Yet Impactful Performance
2. Excellent Visuals
3. Superb Background Score
4. A Couple of Action Sequences
5. Fans & Mass Audience Friendly Dialogues
6. Pre-Interval Sequence

Negatives:

1. Routine Storyline
2. Predictable Screenplay
3. Dragged Out Pre-Climax & Climax
4. ‘Dabidi Dibidi’ Song Choreography

Analysis:

Kamal Hassan’s Vikram & Rajinikanth’s Jailer are now textbook references for any filmmaker who wants to make a film with a senior star hero in India across the film industry. The one thing that filmmakers have to keep in mind is that both Vikram and Jailer became a phenomenon for their innovative screenplay but not ‘Just’ because of their stylish presentation. The slick and stylish visuals along with terrific music only enhanced the impact of those films to another level but are not the ‘Only’ reasons for their phenomenal success.

For Daaku Maharaj, the director, Bobby, selected a very routine story and wrote a predictable screenplay around it but made sure to include enough adrenaline-pumping moments at regular intervals. The pre-interval sequence and transformation sequence of Seetharam into Daaku Maharaaj stands out. Both these sequences along with the dialogues used for the lead character will be liked immensely by the fans and mass audience.

The cinematography by Vijay Kartik Kannan & background score by Thaman are undoubtedly the major highlights of the film. However, the impact of cinematography and background score was brought down by routine execution. Barring an interesting twist related to the character, Baby Vaishnavi, right from the opening sequence to the climax, the film runs on a very predictable note. Especially, the last thirty minutes of the film would have been better with better writing for Bobby Deol’s character. Also, the choreography in the ‘Dabidi Dibidi’ song should have been better.

Overall, Daaku Maharaaj is a decent commercial entertainer and it can be watched easily once in theatres for Balakrishna’s subtle & yet impactful performance, slick & stylish visuals, Thaman’s background score and a few very well-executed sequences. With a bit of extra care in writing, this film would have become a memorable film in Nandamuri Balakrishna’s career.

Daaku Maharaaj – Stylish Maharaaj

Rating: 2.75/5

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