The film is inspired by the real-life income tax raid conducted on Indian industrialist Sardar Inder Singh,[7] and follows a suspended income tax officer who romances a young woman in his hometown and plans to marry her, before his suspension ends and he is enlisted to raid the mansion of a local political figure.
Mr. Bachchan is the official remake of the 2018 Hindi film Raid, and was released on 15 August 2024 to negative reviews from critics.[8] Owing to this, the film was trimmed by 13 minutes. It eventually emerged as a box office bomb.[9]
Plot
Anand, also known as Mr. Bachchan, is a powerful and honest Income Tax Officer known for his expertise in uncovering black money from those who have amassed wealth illegally. He falls in love at first sight with Jikki, a woman from the Marwadi community in his village. The political landscape of the area is controlled by MP Mutyam Jaggayya, who seeks revenge against Bachchan for the humiliation his family faced. As Jaggayya hunts for Bachchan, the latter, along with his team, conducts an Income Tax raid on Jaggayya’s residence.
The film unravels how Anand earned the nickname "Mr. Bachchan," the challenges he faced in carrying out Income Tax raids, and the circumstances that led to his suspension. It also explores his love story with Jikki, how their romance led to marriage, and the dramatic events that unfolded during the raid at Jaggayya’s house. The story showcases the strategic battle between Bachchan and Jaggayya, ultimately revealing how Bachchan outmaneuvers the MP's schemes
The music was composed by Mickey J. Meyer, collaborating with Harish Shankar for the third time after Subramanyam for Sale and Gaddalakonda Ganesh. The audio rights of the film were acquired by T-Series Telugu. On 10 July 2024, the film makers released "Sitar" song.[11] The second single "Reppal Dappul" was released on 25 July 2024.[12] The third single titled "Jikki" was released on 2 August 2024.[13] The fourth single titled "Nallanchu Thellacheera" was released on 12 August 2024.
Mr. Bachchan was theatrically released on 15 August 2024.
Home media
The film was premiered on Netflix from 12 September 2024.[14]
Reception
The film received negative reviews from critics.[8]Times Now's Sasidhar Adivi called it "a soulless adaptation of Raid" and gave a rating of 2 out of 5, stating "Mr Bachchan is action-heavy with the film relying mainly on Ravi Teja’s intense performance to build his case. But the film turns out to be an outdated commercial potboiler that lacks the required rigour and emotion".[15] Calling it a "disappointment", a critic of Sakshi Post wrote ""Mr. Bachchan" attempts to recreate the magic of the 2018 Hindi film "Raid," which was based on a real-life income tax raid in the 1980s. However, this Telugu remake fails to capture the essence of the original. Director Harish Shankar, known for his successful adaptations, misses the mark here by infusing outdated comedy and forced romantic subplots that do little to enhance the story."[16]
Calling it "masala-laden adaptation of Raid", Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu opined that the film is "overdrawn, meandering mess", while praising the soundtrack.[17] Avinash Ramachandran of The Indian Express gave a rating of 1.5 out of 5, criticized Harish Shankar's work and found the screenplay too routine.[18] Aditya Devulapally of Cinema Express rated 1.5/5 stars and wrote "This Harish Shankar and Ravi Teja collaboration seems to be a true attempt at self-mockery and the fact that this is a remake doesn’t help either".[19] Rating the film 1/5 stars, BVS Prakash of Deccan Chronicle wrote "A bizzare remake, stale jokes add to torture".[20]
References
^"Mr Bachchan". BBFC. 15 August 2024. Archived from the original on 15 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
