Bimbisara (film)

Bimbisara is a 2022 Indian Telugu-language fantasy action film written and directed by debutant Mallidi Vassishta, and produced by N. T. R. Arts. It stars Nandamuri Kalyan Ram, Catherine Tresa, Samyuktha Menon, Vivan Bhatena and Prakash Raj. In the film, King Bimbisara of the Trigarta Kingdom from the 5th century BC lands in the modern-day world through time travel.

Bimbisara
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMallidi Vassishta
Written byMallidi Vassishta
Produced byHarikrishna Kosaraju
Starring
CinematographyChota K. Naidu
Edited byTammiraju
Music bySongs:
Chirrantan Bhatt
M. M. Keeravani
Score:
M. M. Keeravani
Production
company
Distributed bySri Venkateswara Creations
Release date
  • 5 August 2022 (2022-08-05)
Running time
146 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageTelugu
Budget₹40 crore[2][3]
Box officeest. ₹65.20 crore[4]

Principal photography of the film started in 2020 and ended in November 2021, with delays due to COVID-19 pandemic. Made on a budget of ₹40 crore, a major part of the film was shot at Ramakrishna Studios in Hyderabad. The film is scored by M. M. Keeravani who composed the songs with Chirrantan Bhatt. Bimbisara was released on 5 August 2022 and received critical acclaim from critics and became successful at the box office. The film had its digital premiere on ZEE5 on October 21, 2022.[5]

Plot

In 500 BC, a wanderer and his companion are chased in a forest by a troop of soldiers. They all fall into a sinkhole that leads to a cave. When the wanderer is fighting off the soldiers, skeletons come out from mysterious mirrors and pull the soldiers into them. The wanderer breaks one of the mirrors to escape which liberates a demon from it. In gratitude, the demon gifts the wanderer a mirror that enables travel through time. In the present, Shastri with the help of sorcerer Kethu tries to open Bimbisara's treasure. However, Shastri is killed when he accidentally touches the treasure door to save his son. The son grows up to be Subramanya Shastri, an acclaimed doctor who desires to open the treasure and fulfill his father's wish.

In the past, Bimbisara of the Trigartala Empire is a ruthless king who rules with an iron fist. He conquers kingdoms at his will and has received several gifts including Sanjeevani which can revive the dead. Bimbisara plans to conquer the Asmaka Kingdom next. He kills the Asmaka king and imprisons princess Ira when they refuse to kneel. Bimbisara then receives the mirror from the cave which he likes and keeps it in his bedroom. One day, he attacks a pious village that defies his orders. He retrieves Dhanvantari, a book of medicine from them, and kills a girl and the priest who predict his downfall. Later, Bimbisara is attacked by his twin brother Devadutta (the wanderer) who pushes Bimbisara into the mirror and takes his place as the emperor.

Through the mirror, Bimbisara lands unconsciously in modern-day Hyderabad in 2022 inside a truck. The truck driver throws him out onto the road and leaves. Bimbisara wakes up but is perplexed by the modern-day world. He wanders in the city aimlessly, breaking into every mirror that he can find in the hope of returning to his world. He is taken to the police where SI Vyjayanthi and constable Prasadam try to use him to their advantage. Meanwhile, Kethu informs Shastri that Bimbisara has arrived, and they begin to search for him. Vyjayanthi and Bimbisara attend a conference where they find Vishwanandan Varma who claims to be a descendant of Bimbisara. They follow him to a place where Vishwanandan inaugurates Bimbisara's statue. A construction crane's beam is about to fall on Bimbisara, only to be saved by a girl, who is a look-alike of the girl whom he killed in the past.

Having a change of heart, Bimbisara befriends the girl and takes care of her. Shastri's men find him and kidnap the girl. Bimbisara thrashes them and rescues the girl, earning the trust of her grandfather Vishwanandan. Shastri then kills the girl's father and blackmails Bimbisara in arriving at the treasure's location. Shastri holds the girl's family as hostages and puts the girl on a deathbed. He demands Bimbisara to open the treasure and bring Dhanvantari to save the girl. A severe famine has gripped Trigartala. Devadutta reveals himself and decides to open the treasure. As the treasure door requires Bimbisara's handprint and voice to open, they start a Homam to circumvent it. Commander Bagheera decides to kill Devdutta and take over the kingdom.

Bimbisara's confidant Zubeda overhears it. He goes through the mirror in Bimbisara's room to find Bimbisara and lands at Salar Jung Museum. Bimbisara is unable to open the treasure due to the effect of Homam and Shastri gives him time until nightfall. Bimbisara prays to the goddess to give him a chance. Zubeda finds Bimbisara and tells him about Bagheera's treason. They travel back to the past together. Bagheera attacks Devadutta but Bimbisara arrives on time and kills Bagheera. The priest completes the Homam to open the door, though it destines for Bimbisara's death. Bimbisara hands over Dhanvantari and his kingdom to Devadutta and returns to the present to save the girl. Shastri is furious to see Bimbisara returning empty-handed. His men attack him but Bimbisara kills them and Kethu. Bimbisara is fatally shot by Shastri moments before he kills him. He saves the girl with the treatment he brought from Trigartala and dies, just as Sanjeevani in Trigartala starts to shine.

Cast

Production

In January 2019, debutant director Mallidi Vassishta Reddy approached actor Nandamuri Kalyan Ram for a historical fantasy film while the latter was shooting for NTR: Mahanayakudu (2019). Kalyan Ram who was fascinated by fantasy and folklore films in Telugu cinema such as Pathala Bhairavi (1951), Jagadeka Veeruni Katha (1961), Aditya 369 (1991), Bhairava Dweepam (1994), and Yamadonga (2007), accepted the film.[6]

The film was launched in 2020[7] under the tentative title NKR18, as it is intended to be 18th film of Kalyan Ram as a lead actor. Catherine Tresa, Samyuktha Menon, Vennela Kishore, and Srinivasa Reddy were cast in key roles.[8]

The title of the film was unveiled as Bimbisara in May 2021.[9] Vasishta stated that the film does not follow the history of King Bimbisara of 5th century BC, however, they have taken the character and some of his attributes.[10] Kalyan Ram said that Bimbisara was adapted as the title sometime after the story was finalized.[11] Initially supposed to be stand-alone film, it is reported that story was split into two parts due to its length. However, the second part's production is reported to start some time later, depending on the reception of the first film.[3][12]

Principal photography began in 2020.[13] It was delayed due to the second wave of COVID-19 in India and resumed shooting in mid 2021.[13] Large sets related to ancient kingdom were set up at Ramakrishna Studios, Hyderabad.[14] The shoot was completed by November 2021.[15]

Music

Originally, the background score and songs were supposed to be composed by Santosh Narayan and Chirantan Bhatt, respectively.[16] However, Narayanan was later replaced by M. M. Keeravani to compose the background score for the film.[17] Lyrics for the songs are written by Ramajogayya Sastry, Sreemani and Varikuppala Yadagiri. The first single titled "Eeswarude" was released on 13 July 2022.[18] The second single titled "O Tene Palukula" was released on 21 July 2022.[19]

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsMusicSinger(s)Length
1."Eeswarude"SreemaniChirrantan BhattKaala Bhairava4:18
2."O Tene Palukula"Varikuppala YadagiriChirrantan BhattHymath Mohammed, Satya Yamini3:55
3."Neetho Unte Chalo"M. M. KeeravaniM. M. KeeravaniMohana Bhogaraju, Sandilya Pisapati4:47
4."Vijayaho"Chaitanya PrasadM. M. KeeravaniHemachandra, Sai Charan, Lokesh, Arun Koundinya, Raghuram, Harika Narayan, Nayana Nair, Poornima, Sri Soumya Gomathi2:52
5."Bimbisara - Rap Song"LipsikaM. M. KeeravaniLipsika, Adithya Iyengar, Prudhvi Chandra, Shivaradhya K.R.1:50
6."Gulebakavali"Ramajogayya SastryChirrantan BhattChinmayi3:56

Marketing and release

Theatrical

Bimbisara was released on 5 August 2022.[20] Originally it was scheduled to release in November 2021 but it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12] A pre-release event was held in Hyderabad in July 2022 with Kalyan Ram's half-brother N. T. Rama Rao Jr. attending as guest.[21]

The worldwide theatrical rights of the film were sold at a cost of ₹15 crores.[22] UFO Moviez has acquired the film's distribution rights for North India.[23] In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the film is distributed by Dil Raju.[24][25]

Home media

The digital distribution rights of the film were acquired by ZEE5. The film started streaming digitally on ZEE5 from 21 October 2022.[26]

Reception

Critical response

Bimbisara received positive reviews from critics.[27][28] A reviewer from The Times of India rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "The movie's first half is a runaway hit, and the second half could have been better. Kalyan Ram as Bimbisara was brilliant probably his best performance to date".[29] Bhuvanesh Chandar of The Hindu gave a mixed review and stated–"Bimbisara is filled with intriguing ideas that could have made for an engaging watch. It's definitely a refreshing take on an age-old formula".[30] Sowmya Rajendran of The News Minute rated the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Bimbisara is entertaining in parts, and is anchored mainly by Kalyan Ram’s performance. It would have worked better if Vashishta hadn’t tried to tick every box in the masala film genre and trusted the material more".[31] Another critic wrote that "All that director Vassishta does is to give a timely upgrade to the socio-fantasy genre within the formula of a masala film and extracts commendable performances from his cast. This is undoubtedly Kalyan Ram’s career best".[32]

Citing Kalyan Ram’s performance as "career-best", 123Telugu praised Vasshist's work, film score, visual effects, action sequences and Srinivas Reddy's role. The critic further opined that the main antagonist's role is the major drawback of the film.[33] Similarly, News18 also praised story, screenplay and music, while stating that the film has no strong female character.[34] Pinkvilla's Arvind V wrote that "Kalyan Ram deserves kudos for not making the 'I am supercilious' mood look repetitive. His affecting performance makes us root for the little girl's track".[35] Praising Kalyan Ram's performance, Murali Krishna Ch of The New Indian Express felt that Kalyan Ram’s entry into his kingdom reminded the iconic N. T. Rama Rao as Duryodhana from Daana Veera Soora Karna (1977).[36]

Box office

On its opening day, Bimbisara collected a gross collection of ₹11.50 crore (US$1.4 million) worldwide.[37] It has collected a distributors' share of ₹7.27 crore (US$910,000) worldwide, including ₹6.30 crore (US$790,000) from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.[38] The film grossed ₹30 crore (US$3.8 million) worldwide in its first weekend with a distributors' share of ₹18.29 crore (US$2.3 million), reportedly entering into profit zone within three days.[39][40] In nine days, the film has collected a total gross of $500K (₹3.98 crore) at the United States box office.[41]

Future

In July 2022, Kalyan Ram announced plans to turn Bimbisara into a four-part franchise,[42] with the second installment aiming to release in 2024.[43]

References
  1. "Makers of Telugu historical epic 'Bimbisara' lock runtime at 146 minutes - Times of India". The Times of India.
  2. "Kalyan Ram's 'Bimbisara – I ' scheduled for a Diwali release?". Times of India. 21 September 2021.
  3. Vyas (22 September 2021). "Bimbisara to head for a release during Diwali!". The Hans India.
  4. "Bimbisara Closing Collections: కళ్యాణ్ రామ్ 'బింబిసార' టోటల్ వాల్డ్ వైడ్ క్లోజింగ్ కలెక్షన్స్.. ఎన్ని కోట్లు లాభాలంటే." News 18 (in Telugu). 14 September 2022.
  5. "Bimbisara gets digital release date". Cinema Express. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  6. "Nandamuri Kalyan Ram on Bimbisara: Always had a huge fascination for socio-fantasies and folklore films". OTTPlay. 27 July 2022.
  7. Archana (28 July 2022). "Bimbisara Release date, Star Cast, Trailer, Budget, Plot, Makers & More Updates". JanBharat Times. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  8. "Bimbisara first look: Nandamuri Kalyanram transforms into the barbarian king, seated on a throne of corpses". The Indian Express. 28 May 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  9. "BIMBISĀRA First Look: Kalyanram turns into a barbarian king for the socio-fantasy – Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  10. Bimbisara Movie Team Interaction With Media. TV9 Telugu. 4 July 2022. Event occurs at 9:27.
  11. 40 కోట్లు ఖర్చుపెట్టి ఈ సినిమా ఎందుకు చేశానంటే.. || Bimbisara Movie Team ABN Exclusive Interview (in Telugu). Event occurs at 1:16 to 2:20. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  12. "Kalyan Ram's 'Bimbisara – I ' scheduled for a Diwali release? – Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  13. "Nandamuri Kalyan Ram's next Telugu film titled 'Bimbisara', to be directed by Mallidi Vashist". The Hindu. 28 May 2021. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  14. "Kalyan Ram turns warrior for Bimbisara". Cinema Express. 28 May 2021.
  15. "Kalyan Ram's Bimbisara to join December race?". 123telugu.com. 18 November 2021.
  16. "'Bimbisara' teaser: Kalyan Ram's prestigious project is grand and thrilling! – Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  17. "Keeravani to handle Kalyan Ram s bimbisara..." indiaherald.com. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  18. "Eeswarude First Single From Nandamuri Kalyanram's Bimbisara Is Out". News18 India. 14 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  19. "Here is the second single update from Bimbisara". 123telugu.com. 20 July 2022.
  20. "Kalyan Ram and Catherine Tresa's Bimbisara to release this August – Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  21. "Jr NTR attends brother Kalyan Ram's Bimbisara pre-release event; Gets emotional as he gives a speech". Pinkvilla. 30 July 2022.
  22. "Bimbisara Box Office Day 1 Kalyan Ram Starrer Fantasy Actioner Faires Decent in India Check Out The Detailed Report". India.com. 6 August 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  23. "Telugu film 'Bimbisara' will release in North India with English subtitles". The Economic Times. 3 August 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  24. Purohit, Rupal (22 July 2022). "Dil Raju To Release Bimbisara In Telugu States". Lehren. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  25. "Dil Raju gets associated with Bimbisara- Deets Inside". 123Telugu. 21 July 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  26. "Bimbisara Movie OTT Release Details". Sakshi (in Telugu). 6 August 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  27. "Bimbisara starts on a positive note". 123telugu.com. 6 August 2022. As the film received good reviews and word of mouth
  28. Bhonsale, Divya (6 August 2022). "Box Office Report: 'Sita Ramam', Bimbisara dominate the Friday collections". Asianet News Network. The film is receiving a positive response from critics and fans alike.
  29. "Bimbisara Movie Review : Kalyan Ram exudes brilliance in this epic fantasy tale of transformation and time travel". The Times of India. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  30. Chandar, Bhuvanesh (6 August 2022). "'Bimbisara' review: Intriguing Kalyan Ram's film that needed a tighter treatment". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  31. "Bimbisara review: A fantasy film saved by Kalyan Ram's performance". The News Minute. 5 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  32. Nadadhur, Srivathsan (5 August 2022). "Bimbisara review". OTTPlay. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  33. "Bimbisara Telugu Movie Review". 123Telugu. 5 August 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  34. "Bimbisara Review: The Kalyan Ram-Starrer is an Intriguing Time Travel and Visual Treat". News18. 5 August 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  35. V, Arvind (5 August 2022). "Bimbisara Movie Review: This time-travel story is helped by Kalyan Ram's towering performance". Pinkvilla. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  36. Ch, Murali Krishna (6 August 2022). "'Bimbisara' movie review". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  37. "Bimbisara Box Office Collection". Sakshi (in Telugu). 6 August 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  38. "Bimbisara 1st Day Collections". 10TV (in Telugu). 6 August 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  39. "మూడో రోజునే 'బింబిసార' బ్రేక్ ఈవెన్..వసూళ్ల వివరాలు.. కళ్యాణ్ రామ్ ఖాతాలో మరో సూపర్ హిట్". Samayam Telugu (in Telugu). Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  40. "Bimbisara First weekend box office collections; Emerges Hit, Second Biggest grosser for Kalyan Ram in 3 days". Pinkvilla. 8 August 2022.
  41. "Bimbisara US box office". Namasthe Telangana (in Telugu). 14 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  42. "Kalyan Ram | ప్రాంఛైజీగా బింబిసార‌..నాలుగు పార్టులుంటుంది: క‌ల్యాణ్ రామ్‌". Namasthe Telangana (in Telugu). 4 July 2022.
  43. "Bimbisara is a four-part franchise". Telugu360. 5 July 2022.
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