'Robinhood' Movie Review: Nithiin and Sreeleela Buckle Under This Wandering Action-Comedy

Director: Venky Kudumula
Writer: Venky Kudumula
Cast: Nithiin, Sreeleela, Vennela Kishore, Rajendra Prasad, Shine Tom Chacko
Language: Telugu

Venky Kudumula’s latest film is a curious being. It starts off on a grand note as a story of a master thief who, as the title suggests, operates as a modern-day gallant, looting the rich and distributing that wealth among the needy (orphanages, in this case). Ram, the said hero, is a human chameleon who can switch identities with the same ease as he hacks into complex security systems or slithers through gaps to evade the police. Top cop Victor Varghese (Shine Tom Chacko) has sworn to not rest until he has caught him, but would he be able to recognise the guy even if he stands right in front of him?

Also Read | 'Veera Dheera Sooran: Part 2' Movie Review: Vikram and Co. Run a Frantic Riot

The reason I use the word ‘curious’ is that if anyone expected the film to be a slick cat-and-mouse game between cops and robbers, then they are in for a huge surprise. The film isn’t about a righteous outlaw or how he readjusts the wealth disparity around him. Neither is it about how orphanages are run, nor about how lonely children are used as pawns by the elite for some brownie points. Turns out it is actually about cannabis farming and the drug lords that come associated with it.

A still from 'Robinhood'

Now, how the film makes this bold transition is anybody’s guess; perhaps yours is better than mine. Just as you look forward to Ram and Victor facing off, a new angle is introduced into the narrative and the story is completely whisked off to a fictional place named Rudrakonda, where a ruthless crime lord named Swami (Devadatta Nage) has assumed all control. Ram is posing as a security officer for an uber-rich young NRI woman named Neera (Sreeleela), but the reasons behind his career switch are best left undisclosed. A majority of this portion — from the sudden change in the story’s intent to the complete elimination of Victor from the story — doesn’t add up, but one trusts Venky Kudumula to bring it all together.

Read More | 'L2: Empuraan' Movie Review: Mohanlal's Spectacular Mass Moments Lift Up This Otherwise Hollow Sequel  

All these threads converge after all, but not before the film wanders off completely and risks losing the viewer’s attention. A series of gags featuring some top comics like Rajendra Prasad and Vennela Kishore take over the narrative before a romantic angle between Ram and Neera starts to unfold. In the meantime, Ram’s layered plan of confusing everyone and achieving a hidden objective takes shape of its own, and he finally comes face to face with his new nemesis — the pothead giant of a man who can kill with his snarls if not his bear hugs. All this is acceptable as long as the new set of moves work, but when the jokes don’t land, the romance doesn’t impress, and the hero-villain interplay doesn’t make any sense, the film is sure to turn turgid.

And Robinhood, despite an ambition to try something new, only grows wayward. Nithiin puts his best foot forward and he gets a few exciting sequences (the one where he forcefully gets high, in particular) to play with. But the lack of clarity in the writing doesn’t help his cause, and he (along with the rest of the principal cast) is left largely to go through the motions for the rest of the film. Sreeleela finds something to work with at first glance but her character is etched out quite poorly, and the chief baddie Devadatta Nage is just the staple Telugu villain and nothing more. The worst end of the deal, though, is lent to Rajendra Prasad and it hurts to see the veteran’s potential being grossly wasted.

Also Read | 'Mad Square' Movie Review: Vishnu Oi, Sangeeth Sobhan Work Their Charm in This Adequate Sequel

One does preempt the climactic portion to feature many twists and turns (because the film is about a mastermind thief) and they do arise on cue, offering some respite. However, their inclusion feels like damage control when the rest of the narrative doesn’t engage much. The execution, especially in writing, is off right from the word go and none of the emotional constructs in the film work. Not to forget the unremarkable selection of songs, including the popular special number featuring Ketaki Sharma, that simply urge you to scroll through Instagram for a bit.

Running at two hours and 34 minutes, Robinhood is overstretched and underwhelming. It has a few sparing bright moments and one of them occurs at the very end; if for nothing else, watch the entire movie for the cameo of a certain Aussie named David Warner.