Radha Madhavam Review - The Vinayak Desai starrer clicks only in the second half

2.5/5

Radha Madhavam Story -

Radha(Aparna Devi) runs the Madhava Care Center which she has set up in the name of her lover Madhava(Vinayak Desai). All she does is help the poor, take care of the orphans, and give livelihood to many. One fine day, Veerabhadram(Meka Ramakrishna) reaches the care center in a disoriented state. He is given asylum and to his shock, Veerabhadram comes to know that the center is run by his daughter. Why is Radha running the Madhava Care Center? What happened to Madhava? What is the backstory of the young couple and how did Radha's father create issues is the basic story of the film.

Radha Madhavam Review

Radha Madhavam is based on the sensitive issue of honor killing and is set in a small town. What makes it special is the period setup in which the story takes place. Though such stories have been made a lot in the past, Radha Madhavam looks different as it is narrated uniquely. The screenplay moves back and front in time and this creates an interest in the audience.

The entire first half is based on the life of orphans, how Radha takes care of them, and how the kids lead a funny life in the center. All this is showcased by the director Eshaku Dasari in a fun tone. But once the film reaches the pre-interval, a major twist is revealed in the story and the interval is brought in with a bang. Radha Madhavam is a low-budget film and has mostly new faces in key roles.

The best part is that not once you get a feeling that the actors are new as they give a sincere performance. The film is showcased mostly through a flashback and all this takes up most of the second half. The honor-killing scenes, caste-based politics in small towns, and how the love story gets affected are showcased in a very gripping manner. 

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There is nothing new that is showcased in Radha Madhavam but the proceedings also do not bore you as there is some tension that keeps the audience engaged. However, there are a few issues as the majority of the scenes are predictable and a few more known faces would have made a world of good to the film. 

The second half is filled with rebellious scenes and the dialogue written regarding caste-based issues and honor killings in small-town villages has been executed well. Aparna Devi plays the female lead and she gets a meaty part. Though she is new, Aparna does well in her intense role and holds your attention.

The main lead, Vinayak Desai starts on a dull note but as the film moves to the breaking point, his confidence levels grow and he too is decent. Meka Ramakrishna who plays the main villain is pretty good in the film. If not for his act, things would have got bogged down a bit. The rest of the cast was not that great in the film and looked out of place. 

The music by Chaitu Kolli is okay but his BGM is quite intense and lifts a few scenes. The production values could have been a lot better. The editing is not that great and the screenplay is dull in the first half. The director takes forever to enter the main plot and adds silly scenes in the first half making the film dull.

So many films have been made on honor killings and caste-based issues, Radha Madhavam stands out for its sincere approach and intensely showcasing the said issues even though the proceedings are slow and predictable. One should watch the film with an open mind and low expectations to enjoy the proceedings.

Radha Madhavam Verdict

On the whole, Radha Madhavam is a romantic drama that is based on the sensitive issue of caste and honor killings. The first half is bland, has an in-experience star cast, and takes forever to enter into the main plot. But once it does, the film does not beat around the bush and is wrapped up in a passable manner.

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