Ram Charan's Peddi Review: Worth Watching or Not?
After a disappointing phase for Tollywood following Sankranti, with no major box-office success in sight, the industry pinned high hopes on Peddi. It is also the biggest-budget film released this summer. On the other hand, after the blockbuster success of RRR, Ram Charan's solo outing Game Changer ended up as a box-office disaster. As a result, scoring a hit with Peddi became extremely important for the actor. After several delays, director Buchi Babu Sana's Peddi finally hit screens worldwide on Thursday. The story revolves around an obscure village in Vizianagaram district and its unexpected connection with sports. Peddi, the protagonist, works as a sports laborer in the village while taking up various other jobs to support his family. Director Buchi Babu deserves credit for the way he links the village to sports and builds the narrative around it.
As a sports laborer, Peddi is often bought in auctions by teams and paid to play on their behalf. Once Peddi steps onto the cricket field, victory almost becomes a certainty for his team. The film then explores why Peddi, despite being a talented cricketer, is forced to turn towards wrestling. It showcases how he earns recognition for himself and his village through sports and the hardships he endures in the process. While Peddi takes off on a promising note, the narrative feels slightly slow in the middle portions. However, barring that brief phase, the film stays firmly on track. In simple terms, Ram Charan carries the entire film on his shoulders. Apart from him, the characters Appalasuri, played by Jagapathi Babu, and Gaur Naidu, portrayed by Shivrajkumar, leave a strong impact with their performances and makeovers.
Ram Charan impresses both as a cricketer and as a wrestler, delivering a convincing and powerful performance. One of the biggest strengths of this sports drama is the background score composed by A.R. Rahman. The film's songs had already become chartbusters before release, and they work equally well on the big screen. Ram Charan's energetic dance performances stand out throughout the musical sequences. Like many of her previous films, Janhvi Kapoor does not get much scope to showcase her acting abilities, with her role largely revolving around glamour. Turning a simple storyline into a gripping sports drama and sustaining it for more than three hours is no easy feat. The emotional moments in the climax are particularly effective and succeed in connecting with the audience. The director also adds entertainment elements, including the popular "Chikiri" song and an item number, into an otherwise serious narrative. For the most part, these additions work well and keep the audience engaged. Overall, Peddi emerges as a successful film that delivers a much-needed hit for both Ram Charan and director Buchi Babu Sana.
