Peddanna Review

'Peddanna' hit the screens today. In this section, we will tell you what to expect from the Superstar Rajinikanth movie.

Story:

The movie opens with a powerful vigilante, widely known as Peddanna, bashing up a roster of local goons in Kolkata. He begins narrating the flashback, wherein he was a righteous village president in a Telugu village.

The biggest trait of the lead character is that he loves his sister Kanakam (Keerthy Suresh) for the world. He wants to find the best match for her. Just when Peddanna is busy making preparations for a grand wedding, the sister elopes to Kolkata and marries her lover where the couple finds themselves at loggerheads with bloodthirsty villains. The rest of the film deals with how the valiant brother comes to her aid and saves her from the antagonists, played by Abhimanyu Singh and Jagapathi Babu.

Analysis:

'Peddanna' is the weakest Rajinikanth movie in terms of the screenplay in several years. There is no doubt that writer-director Siva (who also wrote the dialogues for the Tamil original) relies on his lead actor's superstar image. As such, the film presents heavy-duty, boisterous, and chaotic scenes at regular intervals.

The crux of the film should have lied in how the brother-sister sentiment is portrayed. It's old-fashioned to the hilt. Star actress Keerthy Suresh's character doesn't have much to do except cry and cry and cry. Nayanthara, who looks glamorous in the song 'Hali Hali', makes her presence felt constantly but she ends up as a supporting actor on the whole. The love track between her and Rajini is quite predictable and tedious. Prakash Raj is neat after a long time; just this week, he was seen as a good cop in 'Jai Bhim'. Abhimanyu Singh and Jagapathi Babu literally have cardboard characterizations. The arc involving them is not great either. One must thank Jaggu Bhai for at least changing his beard style.

Much comedy was sought to be built through the scenes involving the lead actor, Kushbu and Meena, among others. Do they work? If you have low expectations from a family comedy, they do. Also, they might work more for the Tamil audience.

The plot of the film, besides its heartfelt elements, is a repetition of director Siva's previous movies. For the unversed, he has done 'Vedhalam' and 'Viswasam' with Ajith in the past.

The blending of emotions and action might have worked for someone whose stature is lesser than that of Rajinikanth. The first half is tiring, with comedy scenes that are heavily coloured by Kollywood nativity. All through, it is only Rajini's swag and style and acting that keeps us somewhat engaged.

The second half descends into a routine template and the antagonists don't seem to have any influence over the storyline. There was a time when Rajini's films used to have powerful villains.

D Imman's background score becomes repetitive as the story progresses. Vetri's visuals are impressive, capturing the action mass sequences. But since the action scenes are indistinct, nothing sticks.

Verdict:

'Peddanna' is a festival-time disappointment like no other.