Salaar Review: Watch this massy action drama for visionary director Prashanth Neel cinematic brilliance after KGF
Salaar Movie Rating: 3.5 Stars
Just watched Salaar movie in Cinema. Let’s focus on the complete details, story, positive/negatives and at last my personal view on this movie.
Cast: Prabhas, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Shruti Haasan, Jagapathi Babu, Bobby Simha, Tinnu Anand, Easwari Rao, Sriya Reddy and Ramachandra Raju
Director: Prashanth Neel
Release Date: 22nd December 2023 in cinema
Story: Movie revolves around Deva(Prabhas) lives near a coal mine with his mother (Easwari Rao) in the remote village of Tinsukia in Assam. For the last seven years, they have moved from place to place, with his mother keeping a stringent watch on Deva, shielding him from violence.
Working as a mechanic, Deva is docile and minds his own business until Aadhya (Shruti Haasan) who is in danger from Obulamma (Jhansi). They attempt to kidnap Aadhya but Bilal (Mime Gopi) smartly gets her out of their clutches and takes her to Deva place.
Few days later Aadhya location was located by goons, but Deva saves her then after asking about him Bilal told the story of Khansar. In the tumultuous city of Khansar, Raja Mannar (Jagapathi Babu) prepares to make his son Vardha (Prithviraj Sukumaran) as his successor. This decision triggers a dangerous coup, orchestrated by Mannar’s ministers and advisors.
The plot thickens as foreign armies from various countries are hired to cause chaos. As Radha (Sriya Reddy) daughter and in charge of Khansar in Raja Mannar’s absence announces a partial ceasefire of nine days before calling for a vote by representatives of 101 tribes of the empire.
Under existential threat, Vardha calls on his childhood best friend, Deva. Will Deva embark on the perilous mission and save Vardha? Will there be a ceasefire or a bloodbath?
Positives
1. Performances
2. Story
3. Climax
4. Direction
5. 1st Half
6. Cinematography
Negatives
1. Length
2. Dialogues
3. Music
4. Screenplay in 2nd half
5. Too many characters
Durgesh Tiwary’s View: When I watched the trailer of this film planned to watch this movie on release date as trailer looks good and big fan of director Prashanth Neel films and has Prabhas.
The film follows Devaratha “Deva” who helps his childhood friend Vardharaja “Vardha” become the undisputed successor of Khansar after Vardha’s father Raja Mannar’s ministers and advisors plan a coup d’état to kill them by hiring armies to attack Vardha and Khansar.
Salaar story is an out-and-out action drama. Although the story is not new, there are so many turns and twists that it involves the audience right from the word ‘go’. Neel’s screenplay is super-fast and doesn’t give the audience a single moment to think. The story makes a strong impact in the first half, featuring Prashanth Neel’s signature racy, crisp, and elevating screenplay. Outstanding action sequences are accompanied by neat score. Whistle-worthy moments, including the interval, climax, and elevations, contribute to the film’s appeal. The film explores themes of power, loyalty, betrayal, and the right to leadership, delving into the complexities of political machinations and personal allegiances, offering a compelling commentary on power struggles. A man of few words, Prabhas packs a punch with his dialogues and looks slick in action sequences, making the film a feast for his ardent fans. Prashanth Neel takes an unconventional route in narrating this dystopian world and its characters, leaning more towards international cinema. Much like the KGF franchise, the director adheres to a dark color palette. The cinematography captures the essence of Khansar’s tumultuous atmosphere, immersing the audience in the city’s tension and drama. Ravi Basrur’s soundtrack adds a robust layer to the film’s atmosphere, complementing the tone and heightening the emotional impact of certain scenes. It combines political drama with high-stakes action and champions brotherhood. It is a riveting watch for those with a taste for grand and epic narratives.
On flipside, While the story maintains a decent pace in the first half, the second half could have benefitted from a more refined narration. Certain scenes in the second hour might evoke thoughts of KGF, impacting the film’s originality. The abundance of violence in this section could deter family audiences from connecting to the film. The biggest issue is that it’s extremely complicated. Apart from too many players in Khansaar, they have their politics and many of them are related to each other. The audience will find it difficult to get the hang of the complete picture and also the conflict. In fact, the whole ‘Ceasefire’ track is not easy to decipher. The twist in the climax is intended to amaze the audience and that doesn’t happen. Additionally, as mentioned earlier, the film is a retelling of Prashanth Neel’s debut film, Ugramm.
Overall movie serves as a teaser to Prashanth Neel’s exemplary vision and storyline which has its low and high points. The film has everything that is necessary for a good drama. The film engages fans with brilliantly choreographed action sequences without losing track of the underlying story and drama. A must watch spectacle for every action lover as it will fuels your excitement for the Salaar Part 2: Shauryanga Parvam. My view on this movie Recommended.
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