Salaar - Movie Review

Over-the-top action, unbelievable fight scenes, numerous logical loopholes, and an abundance of K.G.F elements—these are the defining features of Salaar in a nutshell.

Is there nothing positive to say about it?

Certainly, there are some commendable aspects as well. Let's delve into those, but be warned: mild spoilers ahead.

Devarata and Vardharaaja are inseparable friends. Devarata is willing to sacrifice his life for Vardharaaja, while Vardharaaja is prepared to relinquish his kingdom for Devarata. What happens when these two become adversaries?

Yes, the story is not groundbreaking. Haven't we encountered similar narratives in the Mahabharata and Ramayana? I believe all stories have already been explored in our epics. The challenge for films lies in presenting familiar stories in innovative ways. In this regard, I believe Salaar has partially succeeded.

The first hour of the film—or the first half—felt excessively drawn-out. The initial scenes should prime the audience for the kind of film they are about to witness. However, the first half induces drowsiness. I'm not exaggerating; I genuinely dozed off briefly.

The tiresome buildups could have been trimmed. A character gains credibility naturally when their actions speak for themselves. A simple example is the scene in the film "Gilli" where Velu's character strikes Muthupandi for the first time. Films that visually captivate the audience without overwhelming their ears with excessive buildup dialogue are the ones that linger in the mind. Salaar falters in this regard.

And what about the film's logic?

A multitude of machine guns, thousands of soldiers and thugs, and a KGF-style hero who single-handedly defeats them all—there's not a shred of logic to be found.

At times, it feels like watching a parody of K.G.F. Notably, in one scene, a mother becomes emotional upon seeing a plastic knife in her son's hand. The emotional moments don't resonate here.

Despite lacking in logic and emotional depth, the second half of the film managed to somewhat recapture my attention, drawing my eyes back to the screen instead of counting the theater seats.

The anime-style storytelling, reminiscent of One Piece and Naruto, is particularly noteworthy. The core story, written by Prasanth Neel, is well-crafted, introducing the fictional country of Cansar, its sub-regions, inhabitants, government, king, nobles, and, most notably, its constitution.

However, the hero's ability to defeat everyone unarmed could have been handled differently. At the very least, after Prabhas kills the first leader, the screenplay could have incorporated elements of Khansaar's constitution, such as the deceased leader's troops falling under the command of their conqueror.

The scenes featuring zombie-like humans attacking and the diverse landscapes of Khansaar are commendable efforts.

The music, composed by the same artist as K.G.F, lacks the grandeur that was so prominent in K.G.F. The songs and background music felt like empty noise; I didn't see hear the music.

Had the film been released after shortening the first half, removing the excessive buildups, grounding the emotions in a more realistic manner, and addressing the logical inconsistencies within the screenplay, may be, it could have surpassed KGF in terms of reception.