Jithender Reddy is a 2024 Telugu language biographical action drama film directed by Virinchi Varma while the story is given by M. Ravinder Reddy. The film has Rakesh Varre & Vaishali Raj playing the lead roles while Riya Suman, Subba Raju, Ravi Prakash, Chatrapati Sekhar, Sudhakar Reddy, Bindu Chandramouli & others are seen in important supporting roles. The music is composed by Gopi Sundar while the film is produced by M. Ravinder Reddy under Muduganti Creations banner.
Story:
The film depicts the life of a courageous man and selfless RSS volunteer named Jithender Reddy (Rakesh Varre) who rises as a student leader, fighting for the rights of his fellow students, and evolves into real politics. It is based on a few true incidents that occurred in the erstwhile Karimnagar district (now part of Jagityal) in the 1980s. The film also shows his journey against the comrades and how he confronted the injustices perpetrated by the police and Naxalites.
What about on-screen performances?
Rakesh Varre is a great fit for the role of Jithender Reddy and gets the body language right that is needed for his part. His performance, particularly in scenes meant to motivate the audience, is impressive. Compared to his earlier films, he has shown a lot more growth and maturity in his acting.
Vaishali Raj is fair in her role as the love interest of Jithender Reddy. But her scenes add very little value to the overall plot.
Riya Suman does a commendable job in a key supporting role that takes the narrative forward.
Subba Raju is impressive as a selfless volunteer who supports Jithender Reddy while Ravi Prakash leaves a mark as the gunman to Jithender Reddy.
Chatrapati Sekhar, Sudhakar Reddy, Bindu Chandramouli & others are fine in their limited supporting parts.
What about off-screen talents?
The film is a biopic and the story given by M. Ravinder Reddy is decent. It showcases the important episodes of Jithender Reddy’s life which were popular in the news back in those days. The college politics portions and the parts where the hero goes against Naxalism are told boldly.
The screenplay by Virinchi Varma is not up to mark. The film had to be presented as a journey into the life of Jithender Reddy but having only the key episodes of his life makes this a half-baked product. A proper thread or a connecting factor to these key episodes could’ve made this a fair watch.
Director Virinchi Varma does a passable job with his presentation. His slow-paced narrative is a big minus to the film. But to give credit, he has handled this bold subject neatly, and kudos to him for showcasing the dark side of Naxalism, how the Naxalites obstructed governmental progressive works, and how they killed a few innocent individuals. However, having a better screenplay with a fast-paced narrative could’ve benefited the film more. Also, the idea of showcasing the climax fight with so many slow-mo shots is a big drawback of the film as one gets to know what happens at the end and it becomes tiring after a point.
The dialogues by Shiva Kalyan and M. Ravinder Reddy are fine. A few powerful lines of the hero are well written.
The songs by Gopi Sundar are forgettable while his background score is good in parts only.
The camerawork by Gnana Shekhar V.S. is first rate while the edit Ramakrishna Arram is weak. Almost about 10-15 minutes could’ve been easily chopped off.
The production values by Muduganti Creations are good.
What’s Hot?
* Rakesh Varre’s Performance
* Subba Raju & Ravi Prakash’s Performances
* Interesting College Episodes
* Intense Climax Scene
* Cinematography & Production Values
What’s Not?
* Half Baked & Unengaging Screenplay
* Slow Paced Narrative
* Weak Love Track
* Too Many Slow-Mo Shots In The Climax
* Unwanted Songs & Their Placement
Verdict: Overall, Jithender Reddy is a decent attempt with good intentions that takes us through the important episodes in the life of a selfless RSS volunteer & a people person. But the movie also has its share of flaws and falters big time with the screenplay and its narrative. If you want to watch something bold on serious issues, then give it a try!!
Telugubulletin.com Rating: 2.5/5