“Razor” is a violent action thriller written, produced, and directed by Ravi Babu under the Flying Frogs Production banner. Ravi Babu also plays the lead role in the film alongside Tejal Vikyathi, Tanish, Ronson Vincent, Siddha Venkatesh, Charan Madhavaneni, Inaya Sultana, Pranavi Manukonda, Meena Vasu, Mirchi Hemanth, Pragath Jadhav, and others. The screenplay is handled by veteran writer Satyanand, while Charan Madhavaneni takes care of the cinematography. Satish Palloju composes the stunt choreography. From its trailer itself, “Razor” promised an ultra-violent survival thriller packed with brutal action and suspense elements. Ravi Babu, known for attempting different concepts, tries to present himself in a completely new action-oriented avatar this time.
Story:
The story revolves around Kanakaraju, the Home Minister of the state, who secretly plans to assassinate the Chief Minister in order to grab the top political position. However, the murder unexpectedly gets recorded on a CCTV security camera installed elsewhere. The CCTV company belongs to Vishnu (Tanish), who accidentally comes across the shocking footage.
Once Kanakaraju learns that the evidence exists, he immediately sends his men to eliminate Vishnu and recover the video before it reaches the police. Vishnu and his wife are brutally murdered inside their house. But their young daughter Teju (Tejal Vikyathi) survives by hiding inside a cupboard during the attack.
At the same time, Rudra (Ravi Babu), who works for a dog grooming company, arrives at the house to groom the family’s pet dog. He discovers the horrifying crime scene and rescues Teju from danger. Soon, Rudra realizes that powerful people are searching for the hidden video file and are willing to kill anyone connected to it.
As Rudra protects the little girl, he also starts decoding the clues left behind by Vishnu regarding the hidden footage. This leads to a dangerous chase involving gangsters, brutal fights, hidden locations, riddles, and survival elements. The rest of the story is about how Rudra uncovers the truth, protects Teju, and exposes the Home Minister’s conspiracy.
Onscreen Performance:
Ravi Babu attempts a completely different role compared to his previous films. Instead of his usual quirky or negative-shaded characters, he presents himself as a rugged action hero performing brutal fight sequences throughout the film. He handles the physical action reasonably well and looks convincing in some intense scenes. However, his trademark expressionless acting style becomes repetitive after a point. Since the role requires emotional depth and strong emotional bonding with the child character, the performance feels somewhat limited. Watching Ravi Babu carry the entire film for nearly two hours also becomes tiring at times.
Child artist Tejal Vikyathi delivers one of the better performances in the film. Her innocent reactions and emotional scenes add some heart to the otherwise violent narrative. She manages to create sympathy and keeps certain portions engaging.
Tanish appears in a limited but important role and performs decently. His role mainly drives the story forward during the initial portions. Ronson Vincent and the actor playing the Home Minister perform adequately, though their characters feel quite routine. The remaining supporting cast does what is required without leaving much impact.
OffScreen Performance:
Technically, “Razor” carries the same visual texture often seen in Ravi Babu’s films. The production design and filmmaking style feel familiar, though this time the focus is entirely on action and violence.
Charan Madhavaneni’s cinematography works reasonably well for the dark and gritty mood of the film. Some night sequences and action blocks are visually effective. The camera work during chase sequences and violent confrontations helps maintain tension in a few scenes.
Satish Palloju’s stunt choreography is one of the film’s major talking points. The fights are extremely raw, bloody, and brutal. Audiences who enjoy violent action films like “Marco” or “Kill” may appreciate certain action portions. However, many sequences feel excessively graphic and disturbing, making the violence exhausting after a while rather than exciting.
SS Rajesh background score supports the mood but is not particularly memorable. It works in elevating a few suspense moments but fails to create a lasting impact overall.
One of the biggest drawbacks of the film is the editing and pacing. The first half manages to hold interest to some extent because of the mystery surrounding the hidden footage and the survival setup. But the second half becomes repetitive and stretched. Several scenes feel unnecessarily long, and the screenplay gradually loses momentum. A much tighter edit could have improved the film considerably.
The writing also suffers from a lack of originality. Many scenes and concepts remind viewers of several older films. The hidden video concept, hacking elements, and investigation scenes often feel inspired rather than fresh.
What’s Hot?
- A few well-executed violent action sequences
- The survival setup involving the child character
- Riddle and clue-based hidden video track
- Tejal Vikyathi’s performance
- Some engaging moments in the middle portions
What’s Not?
- Excessive violence throughout the film
- Predictable and familiar storyline
- Lack of originality in screenplay and treatment
- Slow and repetitive second half
- Weak emotional connection
- Ravi Babu’s limited emotional range in the lead role
- Overstretched runtime and uneven pacing
Verdict:
“Razor” is an ultra-violent action thriller that tries hard to impress with brutality and stylish action but ultimately lacks emotional depth, originality, and gripping storytelling. While a few action blocks and suspense elements manage to engage the audience temporarily, the film soon becomes repetitive and predictable. Ravi Babu’s attempt to reinvent himself as a full-fledged action hero deserves appreciation, but the weak screenplay and excessive violence reduce the overall impact.
TeluguBulletin Rating: 2/5
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