Bheemla Nayak is a film directed by Sagar K Chandra, which is the official Telugu remake of Sachy's Malayalam film Ayyappanum Koshiyum. The screenplay is written by Trivikram Srinivas and has Pawan Kalyan and Rana Daggubati essaying the lead roles. Nithya Menen, Rao Ramesh, Murali, Samuthirakani and others play crucial supporting roles and the film is bankrolled by Sithara Entertainment.
Pawan Kalyan plays the role of Bheemla Nayak, a sub inspector at Srisailam Police station in Andhra Pradesh. Danny (Rana Daggubati) illegally brings liquor from Telangana and is arrested by Nayak. The clash of the egos of both men forms the rest of the story.
The biggest strengths of Bheemla Nayak are unarguably the men in the middle - Powerstar Pawan Kalyan and Rana Daggubati. Both of them bounce energies off each other really well and that reflects on the movie as well. Both their screen presence hooks you to the screen and keeps you engaged.
The makers haven't tweaked the plot much, but the screenplay by Trivikram Srinivas makes sure the film works well both as a standalone, and also while comparing it with the original. The film is suited to the Telugu audience sensibilities and is rooted to the Telugu soil. In some places, the film makes sure it is more responsible in terms of how the women are portrayed.
For instance, in the original film, there is a scene where Prithviraj's character slaps his wife for speaking against his father, despite what she says makes sense. Here, in Bheemla Nayak, there's a fantastic subversion of the same scene, where Rana asks his wife to sit on the table and continue talking. Even Nithya Menen, who plays the role of Nayak's wife, has her own mass moments and she stands out in each one of them.
The film also has a different flashback for Bheemla Nayak than the original one and the way this connects back at the end of the film is a clever writing decision. The makers could have played it safe by opting for a frame by frame remake but taking the risk of chopping a few scenes from the original and making a few more of its own, the risk has paid off big time.
The film's third hero after Pawan Kalyan and Rana is music director Thaman. The loud and heavy folk beats make sure you keep tapping your feet to both the background score as well as the songs. This over the top nature also suits the stunt sequences which are exciting to watch. The cinematography and editing supports the director's vision and there's nothing much to complain about.
Overall, Bheemla Nayak has taken Ayyappanum Koshiyum and made the film its own. With powerful performances and a powerful screen presence, supported by a terrific Thaman's background score, the film entertains and engages you extremely well. The minor flaws here and there don't stay in your mind as you walk out of the theatre, and the film ends as a visual treat for both Pawan Kalyan fans, as well as the general audience.