Dongala Muta Movie Review

Attempt is to make a film (if it can be called so) in just 5 days with a small crew of 7; many were impressed by the novel idea of Ramgopal Varma. Result is the film Dongala Muta released today with a buzz equivalent to star hero’s movie release. What could be the final output? Did this flick really match the standards of RGV? Answers might be quite disturbing. A single statement by famous critic (anonymity promised), ‘This Dongala Muta is ineligible for reviewing’ speaks on a whole about what kind of dish RGV cooked with all his experience.

In simple, Dongala Muta can’t be called as a film (in fact Telugu film) because it can be better rated as a trial by RGV to show how easy film making has become? Neither do we require a story nor do we require whole bunch of technicians. What it requires is Canon 5D cameras and FX School members to run here and there following the artists. Dongala Muta starts off with a couple Sudheer & Rani (Raviteja & Charmi) taken a short cut route to reach their friend’s wedding. Their car breaks down in middle and they land up taking Room no. 8 in old Bhoot Bangla kind of resort in mid afternoon. Three men (Subba Raju, Supreet and Brahmaji) claim themselves workers at resort have a different plan with kidnapped businessman Narayana Murthy (Brahmanandam) hidden in Room no. 9. Later on arrives daring lady Shiva (Lakshmi Prasanna) and her associate Richards (Sunil) as cops to reveal the mystery followed by Don Munna Bhai (Prakashraj), the man behind kidnap drama. How Sudheer and Rani help Shiva in saving Narayana Murthy is the story.

In simple entire drama spans less than 1 hour 25 minutes and you never feel of enjoyed a film. If nearly 30 to 40 minutes of Dongala Muta is allocated for hide and seek between the above characters, we might get 20 minutes of dialogues. Of the remaining we get 5 minutes for camera focusing on hot top and bottom assets of Charmi and rest for other non sense stuff. This is what Dongala Muta in totality.

Idea of RGV was not to make a film and I feel he was trying to fulfill his zeal of showing contemporary Telugu cine goers an intention of offering a so called ‘film’ in shortest period of time. But he ends up cheating the audience selling his product at damage of his brand name. If purpose of Dongala Muta was only to make profits, then RGV succeeded as theatre was more than half filled. This idea can never be re-worked either by himself or by others. 

Normally creator starts off with a story line then develops it into a fullfledged story working on characterizations and their importance followed by technical crew, cast, budget and then finishing the product as per the schedules to release it on time. Surely Dongala Muta is RGV’s tracking from back. First he got the budget and number of working days in mind then got the characters and story cooked up. 

Strictly speaking characters of Sunil, Brahmaji find no importance in story. Suggestion is that RGV could have done this movie even with out them. But Ramu needs shining star cast to attract audience and Sunil is obviously best crowd puller. First requirement for a movie to excel is ‘content’ and Dongala Muta fails. If so I call this a movie, then it might be an insult to RGV himself. No complaints and no remarks, why not the creative genius take one or two months of working days and bring quality products like his earlier milestone movies instead of testing this kind of junk stuff.