Review: 'Peddi'

Buchi Babu grabbed everyone's attention with his debut film, 'Uppena'. Having grossed over 100 crores with his very first movie, he caught the eye of several star heroes. Even NTR expressed interest in working with him. A project with NTR was confirmed; however, for various reasons, it never materialized.

Buchi Babu subsequently spent the last two years collaborating closely with Ram Charan to bring this film to life. Given the massive hype surrounding it, let's see how the movie actually turned out in this review.

Story:

The story of 'Peddi' revolves around the journey of a 'sports laborer'—a man named Peddi (Ram Charan)—who is driven by an unwavering determination to showcase the existence of his village to the world. Hailing from a village that doesn't even have a name, Peddi earns his livelihood as a sports laborer. While he has built a good reputation as a cricketer, he eventually comes to believe that true recognition for his village can be achieved not through cricket, but through wrestling.

However, recognition for the village does not come through wrestling either. So, how did the entire world eventually come to talk about this nameless village—exactly as 'Peddi' had wished? What daring feat did 'Peddi' undertake to make that happen? That forms the crux of the story.

Performances:

Ram Charan’s performance is magnificent. Throughout the entire first half of the film, he captivates the audience in his role as a cricketer. He appears to execute spectacular shots, just like a professional cricketer would; indeed, one feels as though they are watching a genuine cricketer in Ram Charan. It is often said that Ram Charan naturally excels in emotional scenes, and there is absolutely no doubt that he truly lived the emotional moments leading up to the interval and during the film's climax. Furthermore, he elevated the musical numbers to extraordinary heights through his dancing—going above and beyond what was expected. Ram Charan showcases his absolute best dancing skills in this movie. He also impresses equally in both the action sequences and the sports-centric scenes.

As for the female lead, Janhvi Kapoor—while she is credited as the heroine, she has very little scope to perform and is not an integral part of the core narrative. Moreover, her screen presence is shockingly brief. Janhvi Kapoor practically disappears entirely during the second half of the film. However, it must be noted that she did manage to grab some attention in the first half by flaunting her physique.

Jagapathi Babu, who appears in the first half, delivers a captivating performance in his emotional scenes. Meanwhile, Kannada superstar Shivarajkumar impresses in his role as a wrestling mentor; his mere look alone wins over half the audience, and his acting prowess requires no special mention. Finally, it must be stated that none of the other supporting characters were given any significant prominence.

Technical:

The film's music has been a prominent topic of discussion right from the very beginning. Director Buchi Babu made a deliberate and specific choice to enlist A.R. Rahman as the music director for the film. Consequently, everyone anticipated that 'Peddi' would capture the audience's attention primarily through its musical elements. True to expectations, the songs proved to be a resounding success. Furthermore, the background score was equally impressive; with the exception of one or two isolated moments, Rahman's background music was captivating throughout the rest of the film.

The cinematography also earns high marks. A commendable effort was made to authentically depict the atmosphere and conditions of the 1990s era. The camera work was particularly effective in a few sequences—most notably during the sports scenes. The first half of the film felt somewhat dragged out, suggesting that the editing could have been tighter. The production values, however, were excellent. Director Buchi Babu selected a compelling core concept; yet, it felt as though he was unable to craft a screenplay that did full justice to that premise. Some of the dialogues were well-written.

Analysis:

Buchi Babu has garnered a strong reputation as a director who managed to achieve a ₹100-crore box office collection with his very first film. Moreover, since the outset, there has been considerable buzz suggesting that he is in no way inferior to his mentor, Sukumar. Reports have surfaced claiming that this particular story—which was originally penned with NTR in mind—was ultimately filmed with Ram Charan. Leaving aside the veracity of those reports, it appears that Ram Charan gave his approval to the project based solely on the strength of the story's core premise. However, watching the film makes it evident that a compelling premise alone is not sufficient to carry an entire movie.

The narrative centers on the protagonist participating in three distinct sports to showcase the existence and identity of his hometown to the world. Given this premise, it was imperative that the portrayal of these specific sports be significantly elevated and given greater prominence within the film. Apart from cricket, no other sport was given significant prominence.

The first half dragged on in a boring manner. The second half was somewhat passable, barring a few emotional scenes. It must be said that Director Buchi Babu failed to effectively showcase the sports elements—which are absolutely crucial to the screenplay. With the exception of a few sequences, the majority of the film feels tedious. However, there is no doubt that this serves as a delightful treat for Ram Charan's fans. Viewed from a fan's perspective, the film earns high marks; yet, it must be acknowledged that for a regular moviegoer, it may not quite hit the mark.

Plus Points:

Ram Charan

A few sports sequences

The songs

Minus Points:

The slow pacing of the first half

The screenplay

The heroine's role

The lack of prominence given to the villains

Conclusion...

The 'Peddi' games are boring.

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