Ravi Teja is a rare hero who began his career as a side actor, then graduated to lead roles, and eventually emerged as a star.
His unique charisma, boundless energy and sharp timing in comedy and action allowed him to carry films entirely on his shoulders. However, stardom too has an expiry date unless it is renewed with changing times.
For a long period, as long as producers lined up paying him huge checks and directors kept offering scripts, Ravi Teja accepted films with minimal hesitation.
This resulted in a long string of failures. Among several flops, only Dhamaka turned into a hit and gave him temporary relief.
Unfortunately, the setbacks returned due to weak and repetitive content even after Dhamaka. Bharta Mahasayulaku Wignyapti is his latest offering.
In fact that is not a bad film in terms of content, and had it released during the Sankranti season, it might have fared better.
However, unlike Nari Nari Naduma Murari, which succeeded with a similar one hero two heroines concept, this film didn't.
The primary reason is audience fatigue with Ravi Teja himself. Viewers are losing interest in rushing to theatres because of his stereotyped look and presentation. As a senior actor, he needs to reinvent his appearance and choose more varied roles.
In his upcoming film Irumudi, his calm and refreshed look in Ayyappa mala attire appears promising. Even if not the same dressing, a visibly fresh and different screen presence would help. Directors must guide him in that direction.
Otherwise, continuing films casually without caring about hits or flops raises a serious question of how long producers will continue to back him.
Working with reduced paychecks, which he is already doing, is not a permanent solution. If he has to bounce back, he needs to focus on varied roles and stronger content rather than volume alone.
