Bharat Ane Nenu movie review: Mahesh Babu as CM ushers in a new era

Bharat Ane Nenu combines the twin passions of India – cinema and politics. Mahesh Babu’s Bharat is the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, a position that was thrust upon him. An educated man who was brought up in London, politics was not what he had in mind as a career option. However, now that he is here, he intends to do a good job, change the way his state works and make his word count.

Bharat Ane Nenu
Cast: Mahesh Babu, Kiara Advani, Prakash Raj
Director: Koratala Siva
Rating: 3/5

The premise of an honest, development-oriented man deciding to enter the world of politics harks back to Tamil film, Mudhalvan, and its Hindi remake, Nayak. Bharat, like the lead actors of the other films, changes the way things work in his state. Bureaucracy is his first target. He dreams of a ideal state where people follow rules and regulations, where education is a not-for-profit initiative, and government officers reach office on time. But most important, he believes his words stand for something. He holds his oath of office in utmost regard. Unlike his politician brethren for whom it is yet another promise to be broken, he believes if he is not true to it, he will lose the light inside him. His conviction makes him an enemy to watch out for, even for his own party members.

The film has added depth as it also deals with nepotism in politics, politicking based on caste and the red-tape which plagues government procedures. We, as the governed, get to live vicariously as we see a CM who goes to work as soon he takes office and makes that day count for something. Dialogues are the star of this entertaining political drama. For instance, Bharat analyses top officials’ talents and interest areas and transfers them to appropriate team. The leader of the party, played by Prakash Raj, comes to Bharat to tell him to hold off on certain positions as it has to be discussed further. To this Bharat says, “There is nothing more to discuss, I have taken the decision after careful consideration.” When party’s opinion is spoken about, Bharat simply states, “Why does their opinion matter? These are government officials.”

The film also adopts from real-life situations, for instance the 2016 decision in Bengaluru to drastically hike penalties for traffic violations finds a play here. He has us believing for those few moments that change is possible, with the right leader. An actor like Mahesh Babu who is restrained on screen and doesn’t believe in loud performances is the perfect pick for the role. The hard-hitting dialogues, when delivered in his trademark subtle style, pack an added punch. Bharat Ane Nenu manages something that Spyder couldn’t for Mahesh Babu. In Bharat Ane Nenu, Mahesh Babu has the best of what commercial cinema has to offer – a strong subject, a tight film and a role he can chew on. Cinematographer Ravi K Chandran’s technique of slow motion pans adds more power to Mahesh Babu’s character on screen. Devi Sri Prasad’s music, especially the title song has added value to the film, at certain places even induces goosebumps. Kiara Advani has made a strong debut with her performance as Vasumathi opposite Mahesh Babu in this entertaining political drama. The film hits all the right chords and gives the audience much-needed catharsis.