Degala Babji, streaming on aha, is watchable strictly for Bandla Ganesh’s earnest performance

The film, directed by Venkat Chandra, is the Telugu remake of the Parthiban starrer Oththa Seruppu Size 7

Bandla Ganesh in Degala Babji

Bandla Ganesh as a comedian and producer needs no introduction to Telugu cinema audience. After a long stint as a producer, he has returned to his first love – acting with a series of brief appearances in films. Recently, he surprised audiences with his presence in a single-character film, Degala Babji, the Telugu remake of the Parthiban starrer Oththa Seruppu Size 7. After its theatrical run, the film released on aha the previous weekend.

Does the film work? Has Bandla Ganesh done justice to the film that won Parthiban a national award in Tamil? The film takes off when cops arrest Degala Babji (Bandla Ganesh) in a murder case and interrogate him. Being a respected individual in society, he appeals to the Human Rights Commission to not proceed with any third-degree investigation against him. Degala Babji along with his son Pawan are later brought to the police station.

Does Degala Babji admit his crimes during the trial? What kind of challenges did he throw at the police during the investigation? Why did Babji have to kill his wife and many other people? Did Babji commit the murders for real? Degala Babji movie tries to make us think if political leaders and others are behind these murders too. It doesn’t need saying that this Bandla Ganesh starrer is an experimental film.

Bandla Ganesh plays the only character in this movie which runs for almost an hour and a half. Only the voices of the remaining characters are heard. Bandla Ganesh impresses in many scenes where he has to hold the fort. He makes an earnest effort to slip into the skin of the role. There are many layers to his character in the film – humour, emotions, intensity and intelligence. As much as we’re impressed with his performance, it’s hard to compare his work with Parthiban.

Director Venkat Chandra made Degali Babli with slight changes to suit the sensibilities of Telugu audiences. Bandla Ganesh does his best to impress viewers and shines with dialogues like Ishwara Parameshwara.. And was his son’s character Pawan a reference to his favourite star Pawan Kalyan? We needn’t be surprised. Linus’s music score is strictly okay and doesn’t make a strong impact.

The cinematographer does not have much scope to prove his mettle either, given his job is restricted to capturing the actor’s gestures, mannerisms in the same room. Bandla Ganesh’s acting is one of the major strengths of the film. His emotional performance, especially while dealing with the thread around his son’s terminal illness, makes for a good watch. The scenes revolving around him and his wife are among other aspects the film gets it right.

The Bandla Ganesh starrer makes for a decent watch on OTT when you watch it without much expectation. It isn’t your regular run-of-the-mill film and it would be wrong to expect too much. The absence of an emotional hook and heart-wrenching sequences dents the result.

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