Telugu cinema has come a long way in narrating grand fantasy stories, from the olden-day folklore movies like Pathala Bhairavi to modern-day epics like Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari, Bhairava Dweepam, and Bahubali. Bimbisara, a new addition to this genre, tries to tell an epic tale in a grand manner, with all the elements of a commercial blockbuster coming together seamlessly.
The story is set in 500 BC, where Bimbisara, the powerful king of the Trikarthala kingdom, is shown to be ruthless, merciless, and relentless in his pursuit of power. He is depicted as an evil king who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. However, his arrogance and desire to conquer everything in his path lead him to destroy an entire village and kill its head, including a young girl. This cruel act comes back to haunt him later in the film.
The first half of the film sets up the king and his kingdom, with stunning visuals, background score, and special effects that appeal to the senses. The grand sets, luxurious throne room, and alluring songs featuring Warina Hussain elevate the film’s commercial appeal. The cinematography by Chota K Naidu and music composition by MM Keeravani are top-notch. Nandamuri Kalyan Ram’s performance is commendable, as he portrays all the emotions required for the role.
However, the second half of the film could have been better, with some gaps in the screenplay, timeline, and limited screen time for the other actors. Nonetheless, Catherine Tresa, Samyuktha Menon, Prakash Raj, Warina Hussain, Vennela Kishore, Srinivas Reddy, Brahmaji, Sai Kiran, Ayyappa P. Sharma, and others have all done a great job within their limitations.
The technical team behind the film, including director of photography Chota K Naidu, director of music MM Keeravani, editor Tammi Raju, VFX producer Anil Paduri, song composer Chirrantan Bhatt, art director Kiran Kumar Manne, stunt directors Venkat and Ram Krishan, dialogue writer Vasudev Muneppagari, script associates Sreedhar Ganta and Nimmagadda Srikanth, lyricist MM Keeravani, Ramajogayya Sastri, Sreemani, Varikuppala Yadagiri, choreographers Shobi, Ravhu, Vijay, Yashwath, and colourist Shiva Kumar BVR deserve a word of appreciation for their contributions.
Overall, Bimbisara surprises the audience with its grandeur, power-packed performances, epic background score, and fantastic visuals. Although the second half of the film could have been better, Kalyan Ram’s portrayal of Bimbisara is brilliant and perhaps his best performance to date.
