Appatlo Okadundevadu (transl. Once upon a time, there was a man) is a 2016 Indian Telugu-language action crime film written and directed by Saagar K Chandra and produced by Aran Media Works. The film stars Nara Rohit, Sree Vishnu, and debutantes Tanya Hope and Sasha Singh, while Brahmaji plays supporting role.[1] The music was composed by Sai Karthik with cinematography by Naveen Yadav and editing by Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao. The film released on 30 December 2016.
The plot follows the life of Railway Raju (Vishnu), an aspiring cricketer who is falsely framed as a Naxalite.
The story begins with Riya, a national level female cricketer turned journalist from Kolkata, who goes on a search for the untold story of "Railway" Raju, who once a national level Ranji player turned gangster who declared dead in 1996 at a shootout. She meets Solomon, a close acquaintance of Raju in Hyderabad central prison, who narrates to her about how Raju was an aspiring cricketer. Set in 1991 "Railway" Raju, a very talented cricketer who stays in Railway Colony and wishes to play for Railway cricket team. His world is very small with his mother and lady love Nithya who are looking soon to get married.
But his life turns upside down SI Imtiaz Ali, an honest cop detains him and asks about his elder sister Ahalya, who had left them long ago Raju pleads his innocence and get to know through them that Ahalya had married Savyasachi a Naxalite and became an active member in the maoism later, Ali's higher official leaves him with a condition after knowing that he is a cricketer. Then Solomon reveals that he is the first person who plays as per the official's test he beats 4 sixes in 6 balls, including a "switched shot" after 12 years a foreign cricketer had played this shot who wishes to name it as "Railway" Raju's shot. The condition is to inform them whenever his sister meets.
Meanwhile, Imtiaz's past reveals that his parents died in one of the Naxalites attacks in his childhood. From that day onwards, he became vengeful against Naxalites and decided to kill them all. Now, his prime target is Savyasachi and his gang, who are very active in the recruitment and making some noise in the society. As expected, Ahalya sends a message to meet him secretly, but Raju ignores the instructions of the cops and meets them in their hideout, there Savyasachi advices to leave India, but Raju denied his advice and says he loves cricket and he wishes to play for India. Then Imtiaz Ali suddenly makes a failed attack on them, but Savyasachi and his gang escape successfully in the process, they ending up killing cops. Imtiaz swares to kill them all and challenges Raju he will be killed by him soon.
One day, in Railway Colony Bhagwan Das, a gangster extorts the whole Colony to pay 1 lakh to him for interrupting his Ganesh Chathurdhi dhanda by organizing themselves. When Raju came for a compromise, he warned him that if they may not pay the amount, he will take Nithya as his compensation and make her a harlot. Then the Colony collects the amount and handovers it to Solomon and Vittal Seth to give the amount to them, but Seth gives a nasty idea to earn some money out of it with in the time and later pays the amount to him. Meanwhile Imtiaz influences his higher official who is a honorary chairperson of HCA removes Raju's name in the Ranji Cricket selection showing his nexus background with anti social elements which makes him shattered. Later, he decides to ask a MP's recommendation to get him for the nationals. meanwhile the Seth and Solomon were conned by Seth's friend Seenu, who reveals to be a fraud. Then, the time ends Bhagavan Das abducts Nithya for not paying the money. Then Raju visits him to plead for extra time to pay the money, and then, in a heated argument, Raju kills Bhagwan Das and escapes with Nithya.
Then, the cops interrupt Solomon for maintaining a cellphone in Jail and take him for an inquiry. While going, he advises Riya to meet his rival Vittal Seth, now a retired businessman, to continue his story. After a comical circumstance, Riya meets Vittal Seth and asks to continue Raju's story. Then Seth narrates after those events.
Then the Bagwan Das murder became a sensation in Hyderabad, and then the cops took this as a challenge arrested Raju in 3 days. Meanwhile, Imtiaz makes a deal with one of the Savyasachi's comrade Purushottam an arms expert who decided to turn rogue. Then he poised their food and killed the whole gang, including Savyasachi and Ahalya. After knowing this, Raju's mother dies with heart stroke. After knowing the facts, Raju swears vengeance on Imtiaz Ali. Then, to his surprise, his case has not been proven, and he declared by court as an innocent. Then Ashok Reddy, an NRI turned minister, reveals it was his game to prove him innocent and offers his support and encouraged him to become a gangster in the city. Then Raju takes the unexpected offer and leads a new life. Later, he marries Nithya without her parents' will.
Then Raju soon takes over the whole city and becomes a new godfather. Then he tactically filed a complaint against Imtiaz Ali on human rights violation, then the commission suspended him, and then Imtiaz no support left from the higher authorities decided to fight for himself in the inquiry commission. Then Raju challenged him, and he could not wear his uniform for the lifetime. Then, soon in the world of Privatization, he looks ahead and invests in scrap business and real estate business.
Meanwhile, Bhagwan Das's brothers appoint Purushottam now a hitman to kill Raju. But it becomes a failed attempt, which makes severe injuries to Nithya. In the hospital, they get to know that Nithya became pregnant, then she makes him realize his mistakes and asks him to leave the crime world. Then, he feels guilty for his deeds and decides to leave the crime world, but Seth, now his right hand man, advises him to enter into politics to survive from his enemies. Then he decided to negotiate with Bhagwan Das Brothers and called them for a settlement through a historic settlement gang, Aman-Ka-Saudaghar. There, he accepts all of their conditions. Then Purushottam comes along with them, revealing that before killing Savyasachi and his team, he raped Ahalya. Then, the angered Raju kills them all in the meeting along with Purushottam. According to these peacemakers, they feel every settlement as sacred, either of the party who disrupt the settlement, and the army of 4000 people kills them with any cost. According to this, Raju entered into a big trouble.
Then the bad time begins to Raju, Imtiaz Ali came back to Service and focused on the fake stamp paper scam who involved Raju in it. Then he started destroying all his businesses and arresting Ashok Reddy. Raju, Nithya, and Vittal Seth are changing their hideouts regularly to escape from cops. Then, one fine day, Seth and Raju decided to leave the country to collect their remaining savings. Raju came to their hideout, but Imtiaz Ali gave a sudden surprise to kill him, then a vigorous fight ensues between them, which Ali becomes victorious and kills Raju. Later, Vittal Seth was arrested and faced 7 years of sentence for his crimes. After knowing the death of Raju, Nithya, in the railway station, leaves aimlessly to an unknown place.
After knowing the facts, later Riya accidentally sees an age-old picture of Raju in a newspaper and meets Imtiaz Ali, now retired voluntarily and settled in Old City, Hyderabad. There, Imtiaz Ali denies their request, but Riya reveals she is the daughter of Railway Raju. she was born in Kolkata to Nithya, but she died after she was born in a private hospital. Later, she was adopted by a Bengali couple and reveals the facts at her 18th birthday and gives his original parents basic details to her. Then, she decided to know more about her father and started her journey. Then Riya pleads Imtiaz Ali to tell what actually happened in their last meet. Then Imtiaz narrates Raju's story. After the fight, Raju is about to kill, and then Imtiaz notices a gold chain belongs to his sister with Raju he asks about the facts, and then Raju tells him he rescued a girl from Bhagwan Das's brothers in one of his gang attacks on them who are about to molest her, feels him like his brother she gives the gold chain to him later his men safely dropped her at home. After confirming with his sister, Imtiaz Ali feels guilty for killing his sister Ahalya and confess not understanding what is good and what is bad. Then he leaves Raju under 3 conditions, i.e., he could not make any connections with the underworld, he don't want to come back to Hyderabad, and he wants to declare himself as dead as per the records then suddenly a member of Aman-Ka-Saudaghar attacks to kill Raju but Imtiaz protects him and declares he was dead as per records. At present, he doesn't know his whereabouts after knowing the facts, Riya feels happy with the hope she can see her father one day.
Then she travels to coorge for a Ranji match along with Vittal Seth, there the India team Vice Captain Vinay Kumar reveals himself as Tester in their childhood days who used call them. Then he reveals further story of Raju, after Nithya departure Raju fails to search her after losing all hope. He finds out a second chance in the cricket, then he established National Cricket Academy and made so many good cricketers to Indian Teams and National level teams.
Later Riya meets Raju after an emotional reunion next day in the match the film ends with Riya delivers the final ball into a six with a switched shot and won the match. Raju looks on her daughter and cheers her and his eyes sparkle with pride.
The Times of India gave 3.5 out of 5 stars stating "[s]cript and the screenplay are the heroes of this film. Appatlo Okadundevadu is a gripping story, high on action and emotion. A rare feat to achieve and yet delivered effectively."[3]
Suresh Kavirayani writing for Deccan Chronicle, awarded the film three stars and opined, "Appatlo Okadundevadu is an interesting film with an unexpected climax. Director Saagar K Chandra’s neat narration and the way he has handled the cast and the movie certainly speaks volumes about his skill."[1]
