Rangasthalam succeeds as a commercial art film by subverting the disabled sidekick trope, using sensory storytelling, and grounding conflict in real rural economic struggles. It remains a landmark in Telugu cinema for its narrative sophistication and political sharpness.
[Generated AI] Course: Film Studies / Regional Indian Cinema Date: April 16, 2026 Rangasthalam -2018- 720p WEBRip x265 AAC - HQ H...
Sukumar’s Rangasthalam (2018) is a period action-drama set in the 1980s in a fictional village, depicting the exploitation of irrigation resources by a feudal upper-caste president. This paper argues that the film innovatively uses the protagonist’s (Chitti Babu’s) hearing disability not as a liability but as a narrative device to deconstruct ableism, amplify subaltern resistance, and critique systemic corruption in rural India. Rangasthalam succeeds as a commercial art film by
Control over the irrigation pump symbolizes control over life. The President charges extortionate fees for water, mirroring neoliberal resource privatization. Chitti’s rebellion begins not with a speech but by repairing a broken pump for free—an act of reclaiming communal infrastructure. This paper argues that the film innovatively uses
The film blends rustic comedy (Chitti’s literal-mindedness) with brutal violence. The climactic revenge is not cathartic; it leaves the village silent, highlighting that removing one tyrant doesn’t dismantle systemic caste and class oppression. Sukumar avoids glorifying vigilante justice.
