NTR 31

NTR 31 is exactly the kind of film Jr NTR fans have been craving after the more restrained, globally celebrated RRR. Directed by Prashanth Neel of KGF and Salaar fame, this is unapologetic, high-voltage, larger-than-life Telugu cinema that never pretends to be subtle. From opening shot to final frame, the film yells “mass” in giant neon letters, and for once, that feels like a compliment.

Visual Spectacle Turned Up To Eleven

Prashanth Neel treats the screen like a playground for stylish destruction. Almost every sequence unfolds in low light, with desaturated tones of rust, blood, and gunmetal. The whole film has the look of a brutal graphic novel rather than a regular commercial potboiler, which gives it a distinct visual identity.

Jr NTR: A One-Man Destruction Squad

This is Jr NTR’s arena, full stop. He plays a tribal warrior, inspired by Komaram Bheem, who becomes a vengeful vigilante. The story is loosely connected to events in the 1920s Godavari agency tracts, but authenticity clearly takes a back seat to full-blown myth-making.

NTR moves through three clear performance gears: deep, simmering silence, explosive rage, and a deadly calm before chaos hits. He flips between these modes with such ease that you almost forget you are watching a performance and not a force of nature.

The Prashanth Neel Formula: Strengths and Limitations

Anyone who has watched KGF Chapter 2 or Salaar will instantly recognise the pattern. A wronged hero, corrupt British officers and greedy local landlords, countless slow-motion walks away from explosions, a booming narrator who sounds like the voice of fate, and lines written to be chanted in packed theatres.

This template brings energy and swagger, but it also means you can often predict the next beat. The style is gripping, though the story sometimes feels like a delivery system for elevated scenes.

Supporting Cast And Technical Firepower

Janhvi Kapoor looks gorgeous on screen and puts in clear effort with her Telugu lines, but her character has very little control over the plot. She is present more as an emotional anchor than a driver of events.

Prithviraj Sukumaran, strongly tipped as the main villain, turns up only in the final 20 minutes, which feels like a clear tease for Part 2.

The real heroes behind the scenes are the action duo Anbariv and the VFX team at Makuta. The stunt work is brutal, bone-crunching, and often soaked in blood, while the visual effects sell large-scale carnage on a budget that is a fraction of big Hollywood franchises. The scale and ambition are impressive, especially for fans who love raw, high-intensity action.

Final Verdict: 4/5

NTR 31 is far from flawless. It is overlong, sometimes defies basic logic, and leans so hard into hero worship that the narrative occasionally goes missing. But that is not what the film sets out to deliver.

This is cinema as a loud, cathartic release, built to make 2,000 people in a packed theatre cheer, clap, and whistle together. On that front, it works incredibly well. When the end credits roll and the screen announces, “Komaram Bheemudu will return…”, the roar from the audience says everything you need to know.

NTR 31 is directed by Prashanth Neel.

Key Details:

• Lead Actor: Jr NTR, in his second collaboration with Prashanth Neel after the originally planned two-part epic
• Director: Prashanth Neel (known for KGF and Salaar)
• Genre: High-octane action drama with dark, violent, revenge-driven themes
• Scale: Pan-India big-budget film, reportedly in the ₹300–350 crore range or higher
• Status: In pre-production and early stages of filming
• First Look and Title Reveal: Official title and first look poster dropped on 22 November 2025 (Jr NTR’s mother’s birthday). The poster shows NTR in a rugged, blood-soaked, bearded look, sword in hand, unlike anything he has done before.
• Official Title: The film is officially titled Dragon, with the tagline “The Beast Is Unleashed.”
• Music: Ravi Basrur was first attached, but strong reports now point to Anirudh Ravichander taking over the music
• Cast Buzz:
  • Strong speculation that Prithviraj Sukumaran plays the main antagonist
  • Names like Sanjay Dutt and Bobby Deol have been linked, but nothing is locked in yet
• Planned Release: Aiming for January 2027, likely targeting Sankranti or Republic Day weekend

Dragon is already one of the most-hyped Indian films in the pipeline. It brings together Jr NTR after his global breakout with RRR and Prashanth Neel, coming off the massive success of KGF Chapter 2 and Salaar. The first-look poster dominated social media, and early buzz points to an extremely raw, bloody, and larger-than-life action spectacle that could rewrite the scale for Telugu mass cinema.

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