Peddi-cure for silver screen

1. Title: Peddi
2. Director: Buchi Babu Sana
3. Cast: Ram Charan, Shiva Rajkumar, Janhvi Kapoor, Jagapathi Babu, Divyenndu and others
4. Where: In theatres near you
5. Rating: HHH

Satish Sundaresan

The year is 2016 when an ‘Indian Olympics Association Review Meeting’ chaired by veteran actor Tinnu Anand’s character criticises the board members for producing just a couple of winners in the prestigious Olympics. One of the key persons (Boman Irani) sets out on a mission to create Olympic winners from India.

Just as frustration seems to set in, an unexpected reply to his prayers comes in the form of the multi-talented Peddi (Ram Charan). That’s when he starts to discover the multi-talented Peddi, who could not just play cricket like a pro, but is also an equal ace in wrestling and Paralympics! What are the reasons and circumstances that made Peddi go from being a simple villager to the undisputed master of three sports form the rest of the film.

Actors’ performance

The film fully and rightfully belongs to the pan-India superstar Ram Charan, who does not allow you to even blink your eye from the first frame till the last. Seeing his dance, action and overall performance, it’s only natural for anyone to think of a film starring him and Hrithik Roshan. If one needs to know and understand what the term ‘owning a film’ means, watch Ram’s overall performance. As for Janhvi Kapoor, after starting off from being ‘waisted’ to ensuring that her performance is not ‘wasted’, she does a decent job in the second half. A special mention goes to Jagapathi Babu for going all out to deliver a goosebump and hair-raising performance. While Divyenndu, Ravi Kishan and Upendra Limaye deliver decent performances, Boman Irani and Shruti Haasan’s characters seem a bit out of place. A special mention to Shiva Rajkumar for delivering such a silently strong performance. 

Peddi transforms from being a bud into a fully bloomed flower under the near-flawless direction of Buchi Babu Sana, who seems very clear about what he wants from the film and his characters. A bunch of places notwithstanding, Buchi Babu Sana can be rightly called one of the two souls of the film, Ram Charan being the second.

Music 

A R Rahman gets back to his elements with his outstandingly spectacular music and proves the world that the ‘music maestro’ is back! The review won’t be complete without mentioning about the breezy stunts, choreography and simple but effective vfx. While cinematography is top class, it’s the editing that falters at regular intervals.

FPJ verdict 

This weekend, do yourself a favour. Postpone that pedicure session and rather, treat and indulge yourself and your family in the ‘Peddi-cure’ session! Highly recommended.