Salaar Review: Epic Action Overload
Since its release, “Salaar” has been the subject of much speculation and excitement. Fans anticipate Prabhas’s debut in a project following Prashanth Neel’s groundbreaking “KGF” films.
Varada Raja Mannar, whose stage name is Varada, is the son of Raja Mannar, the ruler of Khansaar, and Jagapathi Babu plays the role of Varada. Varada is Devavrata’s (Prabhas’s) childhood friend. There were reasons why Deva and his mother, Eeswari Rao, had to leave the city and find sanctuary in a rural part of Assam. After all, it’s been twenty-five years.
Radha Rama (Sriya Reddy) and her henchmen try to abduct Aadya (Shruti Haasan), Krishnakanth’s daughter, in 2017. But Aadya gets to Assam, and Deva watches over her.
Highlights in performance:
Except for Baahubali 2, no picture has made the most of Prabhas’s star power and dominant screen presence. Prabhas looks great here, and his charm when he’s on screen is second to none.
You must see the first bout to appreciate Prabhas’s charisma, style and looks. The last episodes make up for his lack of screen time in the middle, though. Above all else, Prabhas’s flair and charisma on screen stand out.
Prithviraj Sukumaran is superb as Prabhas’s friend and contributes significantly to the film. Shruti Haasan’s role is clichéd and comes and goes.
As Varada’s sister, Sriya Reddy plays a major role. Actors Bobby Simha, Brahmaji, and John Vijay play villains in the film; however, their parts appear to have more of an impact in the sequel.
Jagapathi Babu’s performance as Raja Mannar is adequate. Even though she plays Prabhas’s mother, Eeswari Rao’s performance is underwhelming.
The visual effects, editing, cinematography, and background music have a “KGF” vibe. The action stunts are the sole thing that sets it apart.
The film’s top-notch action scenes and the fight between intermissions are legendary.
Examination of Ibomma:
Everyone who loves movies knows that Prashanth Neel has a unique approach to making action flicks. In his “KGF” films, he pioneered a new method that incorporates screenplay, action sequence filming, editing, hero elevation scenes, and the development of a fantastical story world.
“Salaar” is a film that has all of those characteristics. In its opening moments, this picture takes a page out of Prashanth Neel’s first feature, “Ugramm,” but it soon becomes a new “KGF” with some “Game of Thrones” influences.
From “Ugramm,” we learn that the protagonist, to escape his hometown, works as a mechanic in a secluded area while attempting to abduct a heroine who has traveled from afar. Following this, Neel included the city of “Khansaar,” whose mafia group is comparable to “KGF.” Several gangs try to take over the “seat of power” and declare a temporary truce in the film’s second half, setting the tone similar to “Game of Thrones.”
Even if we ignore these similarities, Prashanth Neel’s first-half narration is superb and engrosses us. Despite the lack of action, we remained captivated for nearly an hour and fifteen minutes. His narration is superb since he kept key narrative points hidden while praising Prabhas’ bravery. He makes a strong finish to the first half.
The second part delves into the main narrative points, which include the founding of Khansaar, the rise of the Mannar family to power, Varada’s decision to call Deva back to Khansaar, and the intricate plots involving the different stakeholders. There are many narrative points and subplots in this part. This is when Neel starts to let go of the reins of the story.
In addition, there’s an action scene in the film’s second half. Every night, we witness a lecherous individual attempting to “enjoy” young women; nonetheless, a disastrous event occurs when he encounters a teenage girl. The entire twenty-minute show is gripping and full of emotion. In this episode, Prabhas’ gallantry reaches new heights.
One key distinction between “Salaar” and the “KGF” films is the absence of strong emotional motivation. This mother-son dynamic worked in the “KGF” films. Neither the friendship nor the mother-son relationship here is lacking in that regard.
Neel has taken a bold step for an action picture by removing any hint of romance between Prabhas and Shruti Haasan. Indeed, it is beneficial. However, Shruti Haasan’s performance is underwhelming.
Although the second part has many problems, the last scene leading up to “Salaar 2—Shouryaagana Parvam” is good.
The heroism-elevation scenes in “Salaar” are effective, and Prabhas hasn’t looked this good since “Baahubali 2,” so the film is a pleasure for Prabha fans. With well-executed action sequences and a beautifully staged backdrop, it might please enthusiasts and viewers of action films. But for people looking for anything that seems like sense, it doesn’t work. The film’s narrator hooks us in, yet we still feel like we are missing something.
Movie: Salaar: Ceasefire
ibommaRating: 3/5
Cast: Prabhas, Shruti Haasan, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Jagapathi Babu, Sriya Reddy, Eeswari Rao, Garuda Ram, Tinu Anand and others
Dialogues: Sandeep Reddy Bandla, Hanuman Chaudhary, DR Suri
Music: Ravi Basrur
DOP: Bhuvan Gowda
Editor: Ujwal Kulkarni
Production Designer: T L Venkatachalapathi
Stunts: Anbarivu
Producer: Vijay Kirangadur
Written and directed by Prashanth Neel
Release Date: Dec 22, 2023
