Ghani Review

'Ghani' is out in the theatres. In this section, we are going to review the latest box office release.

Story:

Ghani (Varun Tej) aspires to become a professional boxer despite his mother's opposition to boxing. Many years ago, his father Vikramaditya was accused of using deceiving tactics to win a boxing match. As a child, Ghani had to go through humiliation.

As an adult, Ghani has his task cut out. He has to make it big in the sport of boxing. In an unexpected turn of events, he goes on to have a brush with characters from his father's life. His challenges only grow in strength. Can Ghani win?

Analysis:

Varun Tej's hard work is apparent in every frame of this boxing-based drama, whose biggest strength is that it doesn't stick to any one genre. It is not a melodrama where a silently suffering mother (Nadhiya is good) and her emotional son implode. They maintain their equations despite the worst of situations that they encounter.

The first half is thoroughly driven by palpably known situations. The rom-com track eats into the vitals of the film to an extent. Saiee Manjrekar, a debutante, makes her charm work in the 'Romeo Juliet' song. The hero's tall personality helps to tide over the lackluster writing in these portions.

The plot thickens around the interval. Post interval, a detailed flashback sets the tone for a more serious second half.

The tricks used by the villain are too predictable. While the makers had kept the identities of the characters under the wraps, the film too takes a little too long to reveal its cards. Naveen Chandra and Upendra have fairly well-etched roles. But Jagapathi Babu and Suniel Shetty should have got better ones. Their characters never begin to surprise, especially the former's.

A film like this should have got adrenaline-laced action parts. The boxing shots get tiresome even if you are someone who keeps an interest in the sport. In recent times, 'Toofan' (Hindi) and 'Sarpatta Parambarai' (Tamil) have set a high standard in the boxing sub-genre.

The film doesn't make use of its cameos well. Himaja is poor, while comedians Satya, Sudarshan and Srinivas Reddy are forgettable. But if you can overlook them, the main performances are impressive. They get to the point, especially the performance by Varun Tej.

Thaman's 'Ghani Anthem' and the BGM are pulsating. As Varun Tej said in an interview, the composer didn't treat 'Ghani' as one of his many assignments. His focused attempt is purposive. George C Williams' cinematography and Marthand K Venkatesh's editing deserve applause.

Verdict:

'Ghani' is not a flawless boxing-based actioner. It needed fresh ideas and some novel action choreography.