After an eagerly awaited three-year hiatus, Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire, the highly anticipated collaboration between Prabhas and Prashanth Neel, has finally graced screens worldwide today, carrying immense expectations. Let’s embark on our review to ascertain whether the film roars like a dinosaur or falls short of the mark.
Plot Overview:
Deva (Prabhas) leads a laid-back life with a mysterious past alongside his mother in Tinsukia. The tranquility is shattered when a gang searches for Aadhya (Shruti Haasan), a recent arrival in town. Deva unravels the plot orchestrated by his best friend Varadharaja Mannar (Prithviraj Sukumaran) in Khansaar city, triggering a war that raises profound questions. Who is Aadhya? What connects her to Varadharaj? What led to the enmity between the once inseparable friends? The film unfolds these answers.
Positives:
After a substantial break, fans are treated to Prabhas in a full-fledged action film, skillfully orchestrated by Prashanth Neel, who adeptly showcases the Herculean Prabhas in a manner that fans crave.
Prabhas seamlessly embodies the role of Deva aka Salaar, making it challenging to envision another actor in the part. His character, while not heavily reliant on dialogue, emanates violence, emphasizing his physique, dialogue delivery, and overall fan-friendly persona. Prabhas’ intense and ruthless demeanor, particularly in action sequences, keeps the audience gripped.
Prithviraj Sukumaran delivers a commendable performance, adding significant depth to the film. His proficiency in Telugu and compelling scenes opposite Prabhas enhance the viewing experience.
The first half makes a powerful impact, featuring Prashanth Neel’s signature racy, crisp, and elevating screenplay. Outstanding action sequences, coupled with a fitting score, create memorable moments, including the interval, climax, and elevations.
Negatives:
While the first half maintains a decent pace, the second half could benefit from a more refined narrative. Certain scenes in the latter portion may evoke thoughts of KGF, impacting the film’s originality.
Despite a substantial supporting cast, Prashanth Neel primarily focuses on actors like Jagapathi Babu, Bobby Simha, John Vijay, and Sriya Reddy, sidelining others like Brahmaji and Jhansi, who might have more significant roles later.
The abundance of violence in this section might alienate family audiences.
Technical Aspects:
Prashanth Neel once again showcases his directorial prowess, skillfully using simple scenes to amplify heroism. However, a more focused approach to the story and screenplay in the second half could have enhanced the overall narrative.
Ravi Basrur delivers a satisfactory score, contributing to the elevation of key scenes. Bhuwan Gowda’s cinematography is commendable, and Anbarivu’s stunts emerge as a highlight. While Ujwal Kulakarni’s editing could have been more refined in the second half, the production values are commendable.
Verdict:
In conclusion, Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire stands out as an intense action drama, featuring a stellar performance by Prabhas, especially in action sequences, and Prithviraj. The well-executed stunts add to the film’s overall appeal. However, the straightforward narrative, a somewhat dragging second half, and excessive violence are noticeable drawbacks. If you’re a Prabhas fan or enjoy high-octane action films, Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire is worth a watch this weekend.