Saaho

Saaho (2019) Movie Review: A Big Action Show That Misses the Story

Released on August 30, 2019, Saaho arrived with heavy buzz. It was Prabhas’s first Hindi film after the huge Baahubali run, so the expectations were enormous. Sujeeth directed the movie, with UV Creations and T-Series producing it on a reported budget of about ₹325 to ₹350 crore. The team shot it in Telugu and Hindi at the same time, then dubbed it in Tamil and Malayalam.

The pitch sounded perfect for a pan-India crowd: an action thriller built around heists, undercover work, and high-risk power plays. The film also traveled far, using locations like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and parts of Europe to sell the scale. With Shraddha Kapoor, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Jackie Shroff, Arun Vijay, and Chunky Panday on board, it looked ready to become India’s next big action event. It delivers plenty of eye candy, but the story struggles to keep up.

Plot Overview: A Heap of Twists and Crossed Wires

Saaho kicks off with a theft worth ₹2,000 crore. That single crime pulls police, gang leaders, and hidden players into a messy fight for control in a fictional, tech-heavy city. Prabhas plays Siddhanth Nandan Saaho, a man surrounded by secrets, shifting loyalties, and later reveals tied to dual identities.

Shraddha Kapoor plays Amritha Nair, a cop who gets pulled into the same chaos. Her track includes action beats, deception, and a romance angle that sits alongside the case. The plot borrows the feel of foreign action thrillers (some viewers pointed to similarities with Largo Winch), stacking double-crosses, sudden reveals, and a “black box” object that becomes central to the power struggle.

The movie wants to balance suspense, revenge, and romance. The problem is how crowded it gets. Characters arrive fast, motives change quickly, and some side tracks don’t line up cleanly. The result is a story that often feels noisy instead of sharp.

What Works: Stunts, Scale, and Style

The best part of Saaho is the action. With stunt work guided by Hollywood veteran Kenny Bates, the set pieces aim high and often land well. The film goes big with car chases, bridge sequences, and large fights that push the limits, including jetpacks and oversized vehicles. The pre-climax and climax are the strongest stretches, with a level of scale that clearly targets a Hollywood-style blockbuster mood.

R. Madhi’s cinematography keeps the movie looking glossy. Dubai’s skyline and luxury settings come across well, and the camera work adds energy during the bigger action beats. Sabu Cyril’s production design helps build a sleek, future-facing world, and the VFX generally supports the film’s ambition.

On the music side, Ghibran’s background score adds weight during tense moments. The songs, with music by Tanishk Bagchi, Guru Randhawa, Badshah, and Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy, are polished and shot on a grand level. Prabhas also brings a strong screen presence. He looks the part, sells the physical scenes, and keeps the film moving, especially once the second half picks up speed.

What Doesn’t: Writing, Runtime, and Thin Characters

For all the money on screen, Saaho runs into trouble where it matters most: the script. The screenplay can feel tangled and hard to follow, especially in the first half. The movie spends a lot of time on introductions and setup, but it doesn’t always make the stakes clear. Some comedy beats feel forced, and they slow down scenes that should build tension.

The romance between Prabhas and Shraddha Kapoor doesn’t get enough groundwork. It often feels inserted rather than earned, and it breaks momentum when the film needs focus. The songs look expensive, but the placement can feel awkward, which hurts the flow.

Many supporting characters don’t get meaningful material. Neil Nitin Mukesh and Chunky Panday, among others, appear in familiar roles that don’t offer much depth. Shraddha Kapoor’s performance drew mixed reactions, partly because the writing pushes her character in inconsistent directions. Prabhas’ Hindi delivery also received criticism, even though his presence carries most action scenes.

The runtime, close to three hours, adds to the fatigue. Action repeats, emotions stay on the surface, and the film doesn’t offer enough character work to balance the spectacle. In the end, it’s a movie that looks huge, but it doesn’t feel as strong underneath.

Critical Reception and Box Office Performance

Saaho opened to mixed-to-negative reviews overall. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an 8% critic score (average 3.8 out of 10), with most praise going to the action and visuals, and most criticism aimed at the writing and direction. Audience response was softer, around 55%, with many viewers treating it as a loud, no-brainer entertainer.

At the box office, the film earned about ₹420 to ₹440 crore worldwide. It performed as a commercial success, and it became the highest-grossing South Indian film of 2019. Still, the final result felt less impressive when compared with its budget and the hype that followed Prabhas after Baahubali.

Verdict: Best for Prabhas Fans and Action-First Viewers

Saaho tries to be a global-scale action thriller, and it often looks the part. The stunts, VFX, and locations deliver several big-screen moments, and Prabhas fans will likely enjoy watching him lead a massive production.

But the film doesn’t stick the landing as a story. The plot gets crowded, the pacing drags early on, and the characters don’t get enough depth to make the twists hit harder. For viewers searching for a clean, gripping thriller, it can feel like a missed chance. As a one-time watch for action sequences and style, it does the job.

Trending:

Eega Movie Review: A Fly-Sized Revenge Story That Still Works in 2026