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The fourth film in the popular Aranmanai franchise is now out in theatres. The Telugu version is titled Baak, with Sundar. C as both the protagonist and the director, while Tamannaah Bhatia and Raashii Khanna played vital roles. Let’s see how the film fares.

Story:

Shiva Shankar (Sundar C) is a sincere lawyer. One day, he learns that his sister Shivani (Tamannaah) has committed suicide. This news comes as a shocker to Shiva Shankar. On the other hand, Shivani’s husband dies in a mysterious way in a forest. Shiva Shankar can’t believe that his sister has taken such an extreme step, and he decides to find the answers behind the deaths of Shivani and her husband. The rest of the film showcases the journey of Shiva Shankar in solving the mysteries.

Plus Points:

In the Aranmanai franchise, Baak stands out in terms of technical finesse. The team has taken extreme care regarding the visuals, background score, and production values. The makers have spent heavy bucks, and the quality is visible on screen in every frame.

The horror effects are neatly done, and the background score by Hip Hop Tamizha greatly enhances the impact of scary moments. The movie gathers steam from the pre-interval portions. A series of interesting events happen before the half-way mark, and they raise curiosity about the proceedings.

Both halves have exciting moments. All the dots are nicely connected in the second half. Sundar C is effective as the protagonist. Tamannaah Bhatia appears for a brief period, yet her presence is impactful. Raashii Khanna is decent in her role.

Minus Points:

The main issue with films like these is the inclusion of unwanted comedy tracks. It is understandable that Baak is made for mass audiences, but the slapstick comedy doesn’t work in many scenes and causes irritation. These fun scenes look out of place completely and dilute the impact. Except for the climax, Vennela Kishore and Sreenivas Reddy’s antics don’t work much.

Just like the other films in the Aranmanai franchise, Baak also comes with a routine template and has nothing unique to offer. The routine plot is sugarcoated with twists and good technical values. Those who expect something novel in terms of content might get disappointed.

After the big reveal, things become heavily predictable. The makers tried to add emotional depth to the film, but in this process, things slowed down, creating a lag in the second half. The song at the end could have been avoided. The editing team could have chopped off a few scenes.

Technical Aspects:

Baak is technically well-made. The background score by Hip Hop Tamizha, cinematography by E. Krishnasamy, and grand production values are the biggest assets of the film. The editing could have been better, though.

Director Sundar. C has once again picked a routine story. His narration is engaging in parts. When the film turns serious, it gets interesting with horror elements, but when the comedy portions are showcased, the movie becomes irritating. Sundar. C should have avoided the unnecessary comedy scenes for a better impact.

Verdict:

On the whole, Baak has a routine story like that of other films in the Aranmanai franchise. Though the horror elements look neat, the inclusion of over-the-top comedy scenes brings down the impact considerably. The comedy scenes hinder the film’s flow and do not add any value to the plot. The second half has dull moments and the climax could have been better. The technical values are good, but the routine nature of the script and unwanted scenes make Baak an underwhelming watch.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.5/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

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