Rakta Charitra

Rakta Charitra (transl. Blood Letter) is a 2010 Indian biographical action thriller film directed by Ram Gopal Varma and written by Prashant Pandey. Based on the life of Paritala Ravindra, the film features an ensemble cast of Vivek Oberoi, Sudeep, Shatrughan Sinha, Abhimanyu Singh, Radhika Apte, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Sushant Singh, Raja Krishnamoorthy, Zarina Wahab, Sushmita Mukherjee, and Ashish Vidyarthi. Shot simmultaneously in Telugu and Hindi, with the latter titled Rakht Charitra, the film was released on 22 October 2010. A direct sequel Rakta Charitra 2 was released later that year. A Tamil version titled Raththa Sarithiram was released in March 2011, with some scenes reshot to suit Tamil audiences.

Upon release, the film received criticism for its portrayal of extreme violence and political content, however was met with widespread critical acclaim, with praise towards the story, screenplay, direction, cinematography, dialogues, and realistic approach. Due to the film's depiction of extreme violence, certains scenes and dialogue were removed. Despite emerging as a commercial faliure, the film has gained cult status and is regarded as one of Oberoi's best performances and Varma's best works.^[1]

Narasimha Reddy, a powerful local politician, relies on his trusted ally, Gajula Veerabhadra, who advocates for the poor and marginalized communities. Veerabhadra is influential enough to contest local elections with candidates from his caste.

Nagamani Reddy, the local MLA, becomes jealous of Veerabhadra’s influence and manipulates Narasimha Reddy against him. When Narasimha Reddy asks Veerabhadra to support Nagamani instead of contesting the elections, Veerabhadra refuses, defending the interests of the underprivileged. In response, Nagamani coerces Veerabhadra’s associate, Mandha, into killing him. Veerabhadra is subsequently ambushed and killed during travel with his family and supporters.

Veerabhadra’s elder son, Shankar Ravi, suspects Nagamani and Narasimha Reddy of orchestrating his father’s death and initiates a campaign of revenge. Bukka Reddy, Nagamani’s son, retaliates against Shankar’s faction. Meanwhile, Veerabhadra’s younger son, Pratap Ravi, returns from college upon learning of his father’s murder. He confronts and eliminates corrupt officials, as well as key perpetrators involved in his father’s death, including Narasimha Reddy, Mandha, and Nagamani Reddy.

Pratap Ravi later becomes involved in local politics, defeating Bukka Reddy and his allies in elections. He allies with Babu Qadri, whose sister had been victimized by Bukka Reddy, to target remaining adversaries. After eliminating Bukka Reddy and Puru Reddy, Pratap Ravi establishes himself as a dominant political figure in the region. His rule is later challenged when his convoy is attacked by Suryanarayana Reddy, Narasimha Reddy’s son.

Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave 4 out of 5 stars, describing it as a powerful, dark, and exceptionally violent film not meant for the faint-hearted.^[2] Nikhat Kazmi of The Times of India gave 3 out of 5 stars, stating that "Rakta Charitra holds up a brutal mirror on the muck that masquerades as democracy in India".^[3] Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN gave 3 out of 5 stars, noting that "Rakta Charitra is a bold, disturbing film that’s bursting with the kind of confidence we haven’t seen from the filmmaker recently. If the sight of blood doesn’t make you uncomfortable, chances are you’ll enjoy this film".^[4] Kittu Singh of Rediff gave 2.5 out of 5 stars, writing that "Once the film is over you realise that all Rakta Charitra has been is a two-hour promotional fare for Rakta Charitra 2. Yes, there is more to come".^[5] Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave 2.5 stars out of 5 and wrote "It is an interesting story, and Oberoi, re-united with RGV after Company does a good job as Ravi. But the blood overtakes it all: Rakta Charitra is not for the faint-hearted".^[6]

A sequel titled Rakta Charitra 2 was released in December 2010 which included Suriya as part of its main cast.

• Rakta Charitra at IMDb