Rangasthalam

Rangasthalam is a 2018 Indian Telugu-language period action drama film written and directed by Sukumar. Produced by Y. Naveen, Y. Ravi Shankar and C. V. Mohan for the company Mythri Movie Makers, the film stars Ram Charan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu with Aadhi Pinisetty, Jagapathi Babu, Prakash Raj, Naresh, and Anasuya Bharadwaj in key supporting roles. Rangasthalam is set in the eponymous fictional village in the 1980s. It narrates the story of two brothers, Chittibabu (Charan) and Kumar Babu (Pinisetty) who oppose the village's local government and the corrupt co-operative society led by its president Phanindra Bhupathi (Babu).

Sukumar started working on the film's script after completing Nannaku Prematho (2016), and collaborated with R. Rathnavelu, who served as the director of photography. Devi Sri Prasad composed the film's soundtrack and score; Naveen Nooli edited the film. One of the first few Indian films to be entirely shot using Red Helium 8K cameras, Rangasthalam principal photography began in April 2017 with the working title RC11 and lasted until March 2018. Majorly filmed in a village set worth ₹5 crore erected in Hyderabad, ten percent of the film's footage was shot in and around Rajahmundry.

The film was made on a budget of ₹60 crore, and was released globally on 30 March 2018. Rangasthalam received positive reviews from the critics who were particularly appreciative of Sukumar's writing and the performances of the ensemble cast, especially of Ram Charan and Jagapathi Babu although they criticized the length. The film was commercially successful, grossing a total of ₹216 crore, and is among the highest-grossing Telugu films. It also won the National Film Award for Best Audiography. A Kannada-dubbed version of the film titled Rangasthala was released on 12 July 2019. The film is considered one of the "25 Greatest Telugu Films Of The Decade" by Film Companion.

Plot
In 1980s, Chittibabu, a grumpy resident of Rangasthalam with partial deafness, irrigates agricultural fields with an electric motor of Kolli Rangamma, his close confidant. Phanindra Bhupathi, President of Rangasthalam's Panchayat, is dreaded and treated with high regard. The village's Cooperative society alias the society seizes maize crops of Erra Srinu in response to his delay in repaying the loan despite the family's contrasting claims. Stressed, he apparently drowns himself in the river to death. Chittibabu gladly receives his elder brother Kumar Babu, who has gone for employment to Persian Gulf a long time ago. Chittbabu often escorts his brother to Rajahmundry for Kumar Babu to meet his love interest Padma. Chittibabu encounters Ramalakshmi and passionately falls in love with her while concealing his secret of being hard of hearing. Kumar Babu is disdained by the society's deeds of charging high-interests on loans and annexing their properties under pretext of unpaid loans, taking advantage of the villagers' illiteracy.

Chittibabu conflicts with Kashi's brothers for misbehaving with Ramalakshmi, who proposes marriage; he pretends to hear and leaves immediately. Later, Chittibabu realizes that she popped the question and sneaks into her home at midnight but ends up alerting her family of his existence in the house due to his impairment. Lacking courage to admit her feelings for him, Ramalakshmi denies loving Chittibabu to the family and villagers, prompting everyone to misinterpret his intentions and Chittibabu to break ties with her. Eventually, after he protects a villager from committing suicide, Ramalakshmi discerns his disability and offers to reconcile but he doesn't relent. Educated enough to grasp the society's deception in her father's case too, Ramalakshmi protests with Kumar Babu, who inadvertently assaults one of the employees and a Panchayat is summoned to look into it. Intimidated to lie, Ramalakshmi's father drags her away and Bhupathi charges Kumar Babu a massive fine. Sheshu Naidu, the society's president, humiliates Koteswara Rao, Chittibabu and Kumar Babu's father but everyone chooses to repress it from Chittibabu. Discovering it nevertheless, an outraged Chittibabu smacks Naidu and is consequently apprehended by the Police, not before he reconciles with Ramalakshmi. As Bhupathi refuses to help, Kumar Babu consults Dakshina Murthy, the MLA of their constituency, nominates himself as Rangasthalam's President candidate and plans to contest in the Panchayat elections against Bhupathi, who has been winning unanimously for thirty years, unopposed every election.

Kumar Babu uncovers the society's fraudulent deeds, exposing it to the villagers, manages to acquire their support and persuades them to nominate themselves as the ward members (Kashi and his brothers inclusive) but Rangamma mysteriously denies support, upsetting Chittibabu. Upon being mocked and confronted, Rangamma furiously discloses to him that several villagers, including her husband Ramprasad and Erra Srinu, were brutally murdered for attempting to oppose Bhupathi and that she is apprehensive of the same fate for Kumar Babu. Concerned for his brother, Chittibabu accepts a bribe from Bhupathi, intending to eject the villagers' support for Kumar Babu but as the latter contemplates suicide, he repents and returns the bribe, intimidating Bhupathi. Erra Srinu's father, who is a loyal servant to Bhupathi despite his family being exploited by the Society, realizes that his son was murdered by him, having eavesdropped on the latter's conversation with Sheshu Naidu, who is violently struck and killed with a pot by an insane Bhupathi after advising him to step down before he loses the election. While returning home alone after his meeting with Padma, Kumar Babu is ruthlessly hacked by Bhupathi’s men while Chittibabu uncovers the conspiracy and rushes to protect him. Chittibabu subdues the assassins and takes Kumar Babu, who has sustained himself and a few wounds, to a roadside shop and goes to procure first-aid but returns to find that a veiled man has absconded after slitting Kumar Babu's throat. Before dying, he tries to name the perpetrator but Chittibabu fails to hear it. Dejected by his demise, the villagers led by Chittibabu barge into Bhupathi's house but comprehend that he has decamped. Chitti Babu, now with a hearing aid, along with a gang of men including Kashi, hunts far and wide for Bhupathi following the directions of a soothsayer, while broken internally as a result of Kumar Babu’s death. After Kumar Babu's cremation, Rangamma is unanimously elected as Rangasthalam's President of Panchayat and she assumes authority. Chitti Babu sees dancers chanting the name of "Srimannarayana"; deducing that his brother was trying to say the same before his death, Chittibabu races to meet Dakshina Murthy but witnesses him being hit by a truck and hospitalizes him (the opening scene).

He tends to a comatose Dakshina Murthy for 2 whole years, volunteering to care for him despite doctors and family giving up on Murthy’s chances of survival, and lives at the hospital taking care of Murthy’s every need. One day he finally recuperates and after he has fully convalesced 2 months later, Chitti Babu goes to meet him at his residence, where celebrations are aroar regarding Murthy’s upcoming minister position. Upon being inquired about Bhupathi, Chittibabu confesses to murdering him after locating him but divulges that Kumar Babu's culprit was someone else: Dakshina Murthy himself, who instructed his henchman Srimannarayana to kill Kumar Babu, detesting his love affair with his youngest daughter Padma. Dakshina Murthy eventually admits that Chittibabu's accusation is true and expresses his contempt for the relationship as Kumar Babu belonged to a lower caste, viciously splashing his water into Chitti Babu’s face as a symbol of inferiority. Ultimately, Chittibabu reveals that he has spared him all these days to murder him when he has aspirations to survive, quietly eliminates him in his men's absence and leaves his house with Ramalakshmi, his wife, while they spot Padma and her husband approaching.

Cast

 * Ram Charan as Chelluboina Chitti Babu
 * Samantha Akkineni as Ramalakshmi (Voice dubbed by Jyothi Varma)
 * Aadhi Pinisetty as Chelluboina Kumar Babu
 * Jagapathi Babu as President Phanindra Bhupathi
 * Prakash Raj as MLA Dakshina Murthy
 * Anasuya Bharadwaj as Kolli Rangamma attha (Aunt), Later becomes President.
 * Naresh as Koteswara Rao
 * Rohini as Kantham, mother of Chittibabu, Kumar Babu and Chinni
 * Pujita Ponnada as Padma, Kumar Babu's love interest (Cameo Appearance).
 * Baby Annie as Chinni, sister of Chittibabu and Kumar Babu
 * Brahmaji as Tehsildar
 * Banerjee as Dr. Sitaram, Dakshina Murthy's doctor
 * Satya as Veera Babu, a grey-shaded villager
 * Ajay Ghosh as Sheshu Naidu
 * Mahesh Achanta as Mahesh
 * Shatru as Kashi, well-wisher of Kumar Babu and Chittibabu
 * Amit Sharma as Srimannarayana, Dakshina Murthy's Close confident.
 * Naga Mahesh as Ramalakshmi's father
 * Chatrapathi Sekhar as Ganapathi, a saint who warns Chittibabu about Bhupathi
 * Noel Sean as Erra Srinu
 * Rajeev Kanakala as Ramprasad, Rangamma's late husband
 * Pooja Hegde in a special appearance in the song "Jigelu Rani"

Development
Writer and filmmaker Sukumar discussed the possibility of directing a rural drama with his regular collaborator, cinematographer R. Rathnavelu before the production of the former's directorial 1: Nenokkadine (2014). After completing Nannaku Prematho (2016), Sukumar narrated two story lines to Rathnavelu: a contemporary film with an Indian green revolution backdrop, and a rural drama. Rathnavelu chose the latter and suggested to make it a period drama as it would give them an opportunity to showcase the local culture more effectively. He felt more like a member of the direction team than being a cinematographer during the film's production: "You’ve to think like him [Sukumar] while working with him, and getting into the psychology of the characters helps a lot."

Sukumar approached Mythri Movie Makers in October 2016, and the latter agreed to bankroll the film. The production team wanted to shoot the film in Araku Valley, but Rathnavelu was opposed to the idea. He opined that Rangasthalam is a film which "drew a lot from the locations that it was going to be shot in". The film's crew scouted to locations near Rajahmundry and the Godavari region, and found areas near Kolleru Lake apt for the film's periodic setting. Rathanavelu found acres of grasslands by the riverside. They made it the entrance of the village, a "killing field" where people are murdered, to create an "eerie" mood in the film. Rathnavelu opted for a "muted and earthy" colour palette with no bright shades of yellow, red and blue.

Naveen Nooli, who earlier collaborated with Sukumar for Nannaku Prematho, was signed as the editor. Impressed with their work in Jyo Achyutananda (2016), Sukumar chose Ramakrishna and Mounika to handle both art direction and production design. The film's production formally commenced on 26 February 2017 with the working title RC11. Sukumar fine tuned the script until April 2017. Though the film was initially named Rangasthalam 1985, it was later rechristened to Rangasthalam. The film was produced on a budget of inr 600000000.

Casting
Sukumar met Ram Charan through a common friend Ranga during the filming of Nannaku Prematho and got his approval for the script. Charan played Chittibabu, a "partially hearing impaired innocent guy" whose disorder was used to convey all the emotions the character goes through. He sported a bearded look in the film and underplayed the character to make it feel real. Charan also had to master the accent spoken in the Godavari regions, and struggled to match the villagers' speed. Charan was styled by his sister Sushmita Konidela, who had to source fabrics with typical prints that were used in the 1980s. She also had to refer the looks sported by their father, actor Chiranjeevi in his earlier films.

A screen test was conducted on Anupama in January 2017 before selecting her as the female lead, though Samantha Akkineni was finalised later for the same. She played Ramalakshmi, a "typical village belle", and her lines were dubbed by Jyothi Varma. Most of Samantha's portions were filmed during the early mornings and late hours, as she did not like to work in the noon. In an interview with Firstpost, she said that everything about her role in the film was on a different tangent, and that she initially struggled to adjust with the rural environment, as she grew up in the urban areas of Chennai. To prepare for her role, she observed and spent some time with the women in the villages near Rajahmundry, and took inputs from Sukumar who wanted her portrayal of Ramalakshmi seem unrestrained.

Jagapathi Babu was cast as the antagonist; his inclusion was confirmed by the film's crew in January 2017. He played the role of the village head who speaks less and conveys more through his eyes, gestures and body language. Aadhi Pinisetty was cast as the protagonist's brother Kumar Babu, whom Sukumar described as the "personification of the innocence of the [1980s]". Sukumar approached Pinisetty during the shoot of Ninnu Kori (2017) to cast him for the character, which the latter termed as one of his easiest portrayals. Pujita Ponnada, who made her debut with Sukumar's production Darsakudu (2017), was cast as Pinisetty's love interest in the film.

Television presenter Anasuya Bharadwaj was cast as Rangammatha, a 28-year-old woman with a mindset of the 1990s. Sukumar cast her after she successfully auditioned for the role, adding that she had a "divine face". For the role, she sported no makeup and instead opted for a turmeric-smeared look. Prakash Raj and Brahmaji were cast in supporting roles; the latter played the role of a Tehsildar. Some of Brahmaji's portions in the film were edited out due to excessive length. In October 2017, Pooja Hegde was signed to perform an item number song "Jigelu Rani" in the film.

Filming
Rangasthalam was majorly filmed in a village set worth inr 50000000 erected in Hyderabad, with only ten percent of the footage shot in real locations. 400 people worked on the village set for two months. The props were procured from a few antique shops in Rajahmundry and from the old buildings in the nearby villages. Sukumar and Rathnavelu wanted to shoot the film in harsh sunlight, planning to complete by July 2017: "In April and May, the river appears dry and sand looks burnt. People haven't seen Godavari in this angle, in an angry mood. The same river looks different, romantic if the treatment is different." Rangasthalam is one of the first few Indian films to be entirely shot using Red Helium 8K cameras; it was chosen for its "great dynamic range" and for filming sequences under extremely low light conditions. A gimbal was used to support 90% of the film's shoot as the script was conversation-based and involved multiple actors. Rathnavelu also opted to shoot longer takes to capture sequences in real time without being "intrusive".

Principal photography commenced in April 2017; Charan and Samantha joined the film's sets at Rajahmundry where a song on the duo was filmed. The first schedule was wrapped on 27 April 2017, in which scenes featuring Charan, Samantha and Pinisetty were filmed. Unable to bear the heat, Samantha fainted on the sets, which resulted in the first schedule being wrapped up a day in advance. Filming was postponed further by a month, concerned with the rising temperatures in the Godavari belt. The film's crew left for Hyderabad in mid-May 2017, where Prakash Raj joined the sets. By the end of June 2017, two major schedules were wrapped up and filming continued near the Papikonda National Park. Some filming locations, scheduled to be submerged under the Polavaram Project, were either deserted or had limited inhabitation. Due to lack of proper communication and facilities, the equipment and the crew traveled in boats to Rajahmundry everyday post wrapping the day's shoot.

In mid-July 2017, the construction of the village set was completed and principal photography resumed at Hyderabad. Key scenes on the film's principal cast were filmed in a 35-day schedule. Due to the rains, M90 Lights were used to bring the harsh burnt-out look. As the grass turned green, Ramakrishna replaced the soil and planted dry grass to maintain the initially planned colour palette. A song on Charan and majority of the supporting cast was filmed in October 2017, which was choreographed by Shobhi. In November 2017, a key action sequence featuring Charan and other supporting actors was shot in a village fair set. By then, majority of the principal photography was wrapped up.

The final schedule commenced in mid-January 2018 near Rajahmundry. A song, choreographed by Prem Rakshith, was filmed on Charan and Samantha on the banks of the Godavari river in the beginning of the schedule. Samantha completed filming for her portions in February 2018. The item number "Jigelu Rani" featuring Pooja Hegde and choreographed by Jani Master was filmed in a set erected at a private studio in Hyderabad. In March 2018, Charan completed filming for his portions, and the principal photography was wrapped.

Themes and influence
Sukumar drew inspiration from the lives of people he knew personally, and incorporated the themes of a corrupt co-operative society controlled by few influential men in the village, and that of young men leaving for the Persian Gulf region to secure employment. Phanindra Bhupathi, being the most powerful man in the village, is shown at least 4–5 feet above everyone else. His house is built on a pedestal, signifying his authority over others. Priyanka Sundar, writing for Hindustan Times, noted that the film focuses on the theme of good versus evil, by making the antagonist display signs of god complex.

Film critic Baradwaj Rangan noted that Rangasthalam exists in the feudal realm of Shyam Benegal Ankur (1974) and Nishant (1975), and Bapu Mana Voori Pandavulu (1978). He added that the film is both political and personal drama, with a "morally uplifting social uprising" and "carefully nurtured vigilante justice". Sankeertana Varma, writing for Film Companion, called Rangasthalam an upgraded version of Mana Voori Pandavulu set in a "village where caste is everywhere".

Film critic Karthik Keramalu noted that Rangasthalam explores the themes of caste-based honour killings and so called brahminical patriarchy through Dakshina Murthy's character, a soft-spoken politician. Sukumar added that he was also inspired from the ethics followed while implementing capital punishment, where the officials would wait until the person recovers from illness and is healthy.

Music
Devi Sri Prasad composed the film's soundtrack and score. The former consists of six songs, all written by Chandrabose. Chandrabose wrote the lyrics at Puducherry after holding discussions with Sukumar and Prasad. He completed writing five songs out of six in four days, with each one taking half an hour to complete. The tunes were composed after Chandrabose completed writing the lyrics.

The first single "Yentha Sakkagunnave", sung by Prasad himself, was released by Lahari Music on 13 February 2018. Two other tracks, "Ranga Ranga Rangasthalana" and "Rangamma Mangamma", were released on 2 and 8 March 2018 respectively. "Jigelu Rani" was released on 15 March 2018 and Lahari Music released the soundtrack on 15 March 2018 in YouTube and all other digital platforms. The initial release contained only five tracks; the sixth one was excluded as it contained spoilers about the film's plot.

The sixth track, titled "Orayyo", was a song used in the score for the scenes depicting Kumar Babu's funeral in the film. Sung by Chandrabose himself, "Orayyo" was released on 3 April 2018. The soundtrack received positive reviews from the critics, who were appreciative of the lyrics and Prasad's instrumentation in tune with the film's periodic setting.

Theatrical
In December 2017, the makers announced that Rangasthalam would release globally on 30 March 2018. The global theatrical rights were sold for inr 800000000, and the film was scheduled to release in 1200 screens. Rangasthalam was released across 600 screens in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, 200 screens in the rest of India, and 350 screens in the overseas markets. In April 2018, the makers announced that the film would be dubbed into Tamil, Malayalam, Bhojpuri and Hindi languages with the same name. In March 2019, a Kannada-dubbed version of the film titled Rangasthala was announced, making Rangasthalam the second Telugu film after Mayabazar (1957) to have a dubbed release in Karnataka. It was released in 150 screens on 12 July 2019. The film's Tamil dubbed version was later released on 30 April 2021. The film's Hindi dubbed version was expected to release in theatres by Goldmines Telefilms along with AA Films in February 2022. However, the Hindi release was delayed.

Home media
Star Maa purchased the satellite rights. The film registered a TRP rating of 19.5 on its television premiere. Amazon Prime Video acquired the film's digital rights, made it available online on 12 May 2018, much before the 50th day of theatrical release.

Box office
Rangasthalam opened to a 100% occupancy in some areas of India, including districts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, earning inr 438000000 globally. At the United States box office, the film debuted with earnings of US$640,000 from its premieres in 160 locations, and of US$1,204,578 in two days. The film benefited from the then ongoing strike in Tamil Nadu against digital service providers, and earned inr 10100000 in its first weekend at Chennai. Rangasthalam grossed inr 905000000 globally, with a distributor share of inr 569600000 in its first weekend. Rangasthalam earnings exceeded US$2 million on its third day of theatrical release in the US, becoming the ninth Indian Telugu-language film to do so.

By the end of its first week, the film grossed inr 1271000000 and a distributor share of inr 798900000, achieving break-even. After earning more than US$3 million in 9 days in the US, Rangasthalam became the all-time third highest grossing Telugu film in that country. In 31 days, it had grossed a worldwide total of inr 2000000000 and a distributor share of inr 1170000000, becoming the third-highest grossing Telugu film of all time. In 33 days, the film crossed US$3.5 million mark in the US. In its complete global theatrical run, Rangasthalam grossed a total of inr 2160000000 and earned a distributor share of inr 1236000000, becoming the highest grossing Telugu film of that year.

Critical response
Rangasthalam received positive reviews from the critics who were particularly appreciative of Sukumar's writing and the performances of the ensemble cast; they were critical of the film's slow pace and runtime nearing three hours.

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a score of based on  reviews, with an average rating of.

Baradwaj Rangan called Rangasthalam an "unusual masala movie" whose punch moments "arise organically from the screenplay" which aren't just "a shot or a line set up simply to get the pulse pounding at regular intervals". Rangan added that Sukumar "works with a larger vision", and "leaves behind his fingerprints" in what he called the "most hodgepodge of genres". Subhash K. Jha, in his review for the Indo-Asian News Service, called Rangasthalam a film "from the heart" and wrote that it "plays itself out with a karmic velocity giving the main characters a chance to grow without revelling in their dazzle [sic]". Jha praised the performances of Charan and Babu, in particular, adding that the former "remains almost flawlessly in character," which was "diffident and disarmingly disingenuous, valiant but not fearless".

Sangeetha Devi Dundoo, in her review for The Hindu, likened Rangasthalam to a novel: "In its first few pages, this fictitious dusty village of the [1980s] reveals itself gradually. The dialect is rooted, not a generic one that mainstream films present in a broad brushstroke for instant appeal." Dundoo opined that it was the most defining film for both Sukumar and Charan, adding that it marked the latter's rise as an actor. Neeshita Nyayapati of The Times of India called Charan's performance "stupendous"; she wrote, "Be it in the scenes where he oozes childishness or the ones when you see a broken man that no one can heal, you can see it all in the way his eyes emote." Manoj Kumar R, reviewing for The Indian Express, called Rangasthalam a "well-crafted canvas" which was made with "honesty and high regard for the audience". He found Babu's portrayal of the village's president "convincing".

Hemanth Kumar was particularly appreciative of Sukumar's writing in his review for Firstpost. He wrote, "To narrate a political drama is one thing, but to create such an universe within the parameters of a revenge drama is sheer brilliance. The more you dig into Rangasthalam, the more rewarding it is." Kumar called the climax "explosive" and remarked, "Adjectives don’t do enough justice to what [the film] manages to achieve in the end." Murali Krishna CH of The New Indian Express too praised the climax, stating that Sukumar "weaves his magic wand" towards the end with an "interesting" twist. However, he was critical of the film's narrative, opining that it "lingers too long" in certain sequences, which made them look staged. Calling the film a "well designed mass entertainer" with a "clearly and adamantly rural" narrative, K Naresh Kumar of The Hans India wrote, "As the disunited denizens slowly unite under the saviour, the story takes its interesting twists and turns with a very gripping climax to elevate the film altogether." In contrast, Nagarjuna Rao, in his review for Gulf News, found Rangasthalam a "gripping" tale with a "predictable" end. He called Babu's performance "domineering" and added that the film "could well be" Charan's career best. Similarly, Latha Srinivasan opined that the climax was "a bit of a let-down". In her review for NewsX, she felt that the ending "could have been better written" to "pack a punch rather than just add a twist".

Krishna Sripada was critical of the climax as well. Reviewing the film for The News Minute, he wrote, "Rangasthalam gives you likable characters in a screenplay that aims to touch dizzying heights without packing enough fuel. A story that makes you wait and wait should offer more when it eventually comes to a close." Priyanka Sundar called Prakash Raj the film's game changer towards the end. Sunder wrote that Raj stuns the viewers in the scene "because of the way all of it is presented". Sify, in its review, noted that the film holds the viewers' attention till the end despite the lengthy runtime and slow pace. It praised the performances of the ensemble cast, the cinematography, and the music but was critical of the film's plot for lacking novelty. Suresh Kavirayani of Deccan Chronicle too opined that Rangasthalam had a regular storyline but was presented by Sukumar in a unique way. Film Companion while compiling the 25 Greatest Telugu Films of the Decade, called this movie as an updated version of Mana Voori Pandavulu (1978). Nagarjuna Rao of Gulf News gave the film 3.5 stars out of 5 and stated, "There comes a career best for all actors at some point of time. Rangasthalam could well be Ram Charan’s, though he’s not been in the showbiz for too long, and there’s still a long innings ahead of him. Rangasthalam may not set the cash registers ring like some of Charan’s successful movies — and he’s had a few failures, too — but the film will remain as one of his best."

Accolades
At the 66th National Film Awards, the film won the Best Audiography. It won ten awards at Zee Cine Awards Telugu. The film won many awards at Filmfare Awards South and South Indian International Movie Awards.