Credits
Banner: Sri Bharati Enterprises
Cast: Nitin, Genelia, Pradeep Rawat, Nassar, Sashank, Rajiv Kanakala, Tanikella Bharani, Indu, Venu Madhav, Ajay, Chatrapathi Sekhar, Sameer, Supreeth, Madhunandhan, Ping Pong Surya, SS Rajamouli, SS Kanchi, Shravan,
Story: Vijayendra Prasad
Dialogues: M Ratnam
Music: MM Keeravani
Cinematography: KK Senthil Kumar
Stunts: Ram-Lakshman, Vijay
Costumes: Rama Rajamouli
Editing: Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao
Art: Anand Sai
Screenplay - Direction: SS Rajamouli
Producer: A Bharati
Theatrical release date: 23rd September 2004
Writing/Direction: Writing is thop raa babu. Simply its a tale of good vs evil and its extremely well written and even better executed.
Story goes on two conflict points much like any Rajamouli movie. Entire 1st half is dedicated to fight between the students and then literally at the perfect time at the interval BIkshu Yadav character is brought in and the two parallel stories combine into it. In screenwriting, there’s something called when all hope is lost for the protagonists. Generally it happens in 2nd act of a movie, here it happens at interval so its like now what, how are they going to win? 2nd half is packed with a cat and mouse game and then it reminds of Lagaan in terms of the final challenge given by Pradeep Rawat.
Ironically Lagaan has cricket, this has rugby and Pradeep Rawat is part of both iconic films.
But more than that to blend a foreign sport that literally nobody knew about in Rugby with mass elements and revenge in it is just brilliant and actually mind blowing to be honest. Nevause nobody would even think of that.The most important character is actually a cheerleader next to Indu at 29:19 she explains the entire rugby game to the audience so they understand it.
It also perfectly captures the college life, trends, and the lifestyle of youth back then so if you notice there’s a lot of youth elements combined with mass moments in the entire movie, so it appeals to all sections of audience.
So in a way it was ahead of its time and could say its pathbreaking movie because nobly had made a youth film like this so far. Despite whole Uday Kiran and Tarun dmination, dont believe they made something like this.
It also has a love track to create romance, comedy track with the students, Venu Madhav and SS Kanchi, and then so much action with he rugby scenes.
Themes of the movie are human belief/sprit the will to win for the eagles, good vs evil in the team vs Bikshu Yadav and then revenge, Generally revenge is done for main characters in Rajamoulo movies but this entire movie if you think about is Rajeev Kanakala;s revenge on Bikshu Yadav for taking his land and killing his father.
Direction by Rajamouli is perfect and proves why he’s the master story teller. Entire 1st half is extremely trendy and well done with the student fights and romantic track with Bikshu Yadav in between, but the way he established all the characters and in creating drama and emotion was too good.
Especially Nassar death scene that’s the highlight scene of the movie purely due to the raw emotion it invokes. You hate the villains so much and want to go into the screen and kill them. Theres always one scene like that in every Rajamouli movie which makes you hate the villain and want to see them die asap.
Also symbolically he showed wings and claws. Because claws destroy wings if they touch them both the student groups are always fighting with each other, but what happens when a bull crushes the claws and wings? Then an Eagle forms and the eagle somehow kills the bull. Climax scene is goosebumps stuff.
The taking, emotions, and pure adrenaline it gives the audience you have so many mass moments in a 40 minute climax episode. End shot is unlimited goosebumps. And you see the stamp. Even in 2004 he was it his peak story telling abilities.
