Sri Raghupati review: Ravi Sarma's homegrown thriller all set to mark a new era for Assamese cinema

With a riveting plot, and high-octane action, supported by gripping cinematography, VFX effects, and soundtrack, Shri Raghupati is lauded for ushering in a new era for Assamese cinema as the movie is fine wine which gets better and better.

Anguish by his sister's unexpected rape and murder, Raghupati Raj Baruah, an ACS officer noted for his integrity and diligence embarks on a rash trip to find the missing women. During the investigation, he uncovers a women trafficking racket.

Directed and edited by Suvrat Kakoti - aka SUV, the film also stars Preety Kongana, Priyam Pallavi, Sidhartha Sarma, Arun Nath, Arun Hazarika, Rina Bora, Raj Sharma, Bornali Pujari, Seema Baruah, Sanjiv Burhagohain, Kukil Saikia, Manjit Sharma, and Sumki Kachari in significant roles. 

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Sri Raghupati is a taut thriller with a superb performance by Ravi Sarma who got into the skin of the character. He brings tremendous swag, charm, and humour into his character which sets him apart from the rest. He shines in both action and emotional scenes.

"I have to live up to a lot of people's expectations. I always work with responsibility and I have always tried to input that to my team. When the whole team is responsible, we have a product like this. It's a humbling experience for me as people are admiring our work and if we can produce work like this quality, the day is not very far where we will stand hand in hand with the world cinema", said Ravi Sarma.

The directorial magic can be seen in every scene. Suvrat Kakoti's tale of the gripping reality of rural Assam is hardly flawless, but it glues you. He has given justice to all the characters, especially with their performances which makes it a solid and satisfying watch.

"We have been working on this project for five years.  The most tricky part as a director in this movie was maintaining the continuity. As we have been shooting for five years, it was really challenging. I and Ravi Sarma sat together and he brought in the story and the dialogues and I wrote the screenplay.  We had a team from the south and the action director is Abinash from Hyderabad. All the fighters have worked in KGF and RRR and they have planned the scene and done it in seven days".

Also read: Dr. Bezbaruah 2 review: A gripping sequel with plenty of twists, turns, and drama

Everything about the movie is breathtaking but the one who grabbed all the attraction is Arun Nath. His powerful entry scenes and pulse-rising actions maintained a proper balance between the drama and healthy manipulative emotion. 

From the very beginning, I knew that movie will mark a good impression on the audience. After I read the script, the director explained the character to me. Then I imagined the ultimate prediction of my character. I was mentally prepared for that and Ravi Sarma helped me a lot in most of the scenes. 

The portrayal of women in the film is the one thing that could be improved. The writers may have given the female leads more prominence given that the plot centres on women. Talking about the women's representation in the movie Preety Kongona shared, "It is all about the message of respecting women. Throughout the whole world, the presence and respect of the women, it defines the whole status of the civilization. It is reflected in the movie".

The movie is produced by Sailen Sharma and the makeup and costume are by Bijeyata Patgiri and Juri Kalita. The choreography was done by Sachin Baruah and the associate director and cinematographers are Hemanta Gogoi and Uttam Kalita.

The chief AD and script supervisor is Jyotishman Chetia and the casting director is Nitu Khanikor. VFX and sound designing were done by Mwkthang Machahary and Souvik Phukan.