The father-son duo of EVV Satyanarayana and 'Allari' Naresh has come up with a signature Telugu film Bendu Appa Rao RMP -- with their stamp of direction and action. An entertainer most of the way! The film has a bit of everything thrown in -- romance, comedy, sentiment and songs shot in breath-taking locales abroad.
Bendu Appa Rao RMP (as is evident from the name) (Allari Naresh) is a doctor who wants to earn as much as possible as he has to pay his harassing brother-in-law a handsome dowry.
He runs into Padma (Kamna Jethmalani) as she is about to commit suicide. But the two fall in love. She is the daughter of the rich zamindar (played by Ahuti Prasad) who loves feeding anyone who comes home.
One night while returning with his friends, Appa Rao sees an injured man on the road.
When he goes to help him, he is told to hand over a bag containing Rs 15 lakh to his parents. The man dies and the story is all about what Appa Rao does with the money.
There's nothing new in the story. It follows the normal route. But the director manages to keep the audience glued.
EVV Satyanarayana sets the film in a rural setting and the whole bucolic imagery is well captured. The life of the zamindar, the obsession of one person (LB Sriram) with his cock, the friends of Appa Rao wasting their time playing cards, their desire to go to Dubai and being duped in the process is fairly realistic.
By having a village backdrop, the director has ensured that a large section of the audience, particularly in the rural areas will be able to identify with the film. On the whole, the comedy does tickle your funny bone though it is a bit loud in some parts.
'Allari' Naresh is the soul of the movie. He has this uncanny comic timing, which is necessary for such kind of films. He just glides through this role effortlessly.
Kamna Jethmalani looks svelte having trimmed down quite a bit. She has managed to balance the acting and glamour quotient fairly well.
Ahuti Prasad comes up with a good performance as the heroine's father. The other men who provide the entertainment like Raghu Babu, Srinivas Reddy, Uttej, Dharmavarapu, LB Sriram and Ali are able to induce the fun with the help of some hilarious lines from Veligonda Srinivas (dialogue writer).
Koti's music is just about fine. Bendu Appa Rao is a laugh riot despite a routine storyline.
