Even the biggest star needs the gravity of a strong screenplay, and that’s where the film falters, and ultimately fails.
Spoilers ahead…
You can read the full review on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/sye-raa-narasimha-reddy-movie-review-chiranjeevi-historical-drama-sudeep-vijay-sethupathi/
In the pantheon of ageing-yet-ageless stars of the south, Chiranjeevi has been missed the most. In Tamil cinema, Rajinikanth still lights up our screens regularly — actually, far more frequently than he used to. Mammootty and Mohanlal show no signs of stopping — they seem to have a movie out every month. But apart from Khaidi No. 150, Chiranjeevi has been MIA. You can see why Ram Charan, as producer, was drawn to Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy, written and directed by Surender Reddy. This isn’t just a vehicle for his father. It’s a monument to the megastar. From some accounts, the titular character was one of the many governors or petty chieftains (such as Veerapandiya Kattabomman, or Marudhanayagam Pillai, about whom Kamal Haasan tried to mount a movie), who were amongst the earliest to revolt against the British. But if it’s that story you are after, you’re probably better off reading a history book. This film is about the agelessness of this particular ageing superstar. It really should have been titled Konidela Siva Sankara Vara Prasad.
Continued at the link above.
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Aman Basha
October 6, 2019
Agreed with all your points over the movie being too lengthy, and too sprawling for its own goddess. But, tell me, which other movie in recent days has such rousing and touching masala moments like this(the child who learns what stealing means, the man vs horse race, the old man, the pre interval scene, the Tamannah dance scene and the usage of the Narasimha myth. But nothing beats that climax sequence(oh God, it was awesome)
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kaizokukeshav
October 8, 2019
Audience who know Surender Reddy’s way of narration won’t be bothered with the quick rendering of scenes like turning pages in a book (that has been his way of narrating stories since beginning)
I wish this movie was not compared to Baahubali, also wished if reviewers looked at it from a different perspective. Infact, it falls more into the “Manikarnika” category.
Sye Raa was more like, cooking Telugu food in Telugu land and requesting the audience of India to taste it. Baahubali and infact Saaho were attempts to get the ingredients all-over from India and make a pan-Indian dish
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