Music Director: AR Rahman
DOP: RatnaveluEditor: Navin NooliProducer: Venkata Satish KilaruPresented By: Mythri Movie Makers, Sukumar Writings
Production Company: Vriddhi Cinemas
U.S. Distributor: Prathyangira Cinemas

What Is the Film About?

Peddi's story revolves around a village that is not even recognized by the government, a place where people live without identity and struggle for even basic necessities.

At a high level, the film is about their fight for something as simple as a railway stop that could change their lives, and the sacrifices Peddi (Ram Charan) makes to earn that for his village.

Performances

Ram Charan plays Peddi and walks away with most of the goodwill from the film.

Right from his body language as Peddi to his makeup and physical transformation into a beast-like wrestler, the effort is visible throughout. Add to that his emotional performance in the final act, and it all comes together to create a positive impression.

Irrespective of how much one likes the film or how far it goes at the box office, this feels like the kind of film that generates goodwill for Ram Charan among Telugu audiences.

When it comes to Jahnvi Kapoor's role and performance, they come across as outright irritating and ends up feeling like a miscast choice for this world. More than adding to the narrative, the track becomes one of the main reasons the first half feels disconnected and off. In a film that tries to stay rooted and sincere at its core, this portion pulls the film away from that tone.

Analysis

Peddi is directed by Buchi Babu Sana. The film opens with a sports backdrop, with Boman Irani trying to find out who Peddi is.

Jagapathi Babu's introduction sets the tone well and quickly establishes the core struggle of the village and its people.

But from that point until the interval, the film largely follows a familiar mass masala template: hero introduction, heroine introduction, songs, fights, and a couple of cricket match sequences. Following a formula is not necessarily a problem, but the bigger issue here is the presentation. Much of it unfolds without generating enough interest or excitement.

Wherever the narrative branches out, the director keeps introducing a number of supporting characters too. But none of them really stand out through their character arcs or contribute meaningfully to the drama. They mostly remain part of the flow of the story without leaving any impact.

Janhvi Kapoor's track, which takes up a significant portion of the first half, becomes a major weak point. The track feels uninteresting and at times even irritating. The performance, dialogues, and overall treatment dilute the rooted village emotion that the director initially sets up. Instead of strengthening the emotional base, it brings the film down and affects the sincerity of the narrative.

However, things improve from pre-interval to interval. The film becomes more emotional and engaging in this stretch. Even though the interval block itself remains predictable and does not deliver a major high, it creates hope for a more sincere, emotional, and engaging second half.

The initial portions of the second half continue in the same not-so-impressive style that affected the first half. That remains one of the film's biggest issues.

Once Peddi gets selected for nationals, what follows is an item number, or as the makers call it, a special song. It ends up feeling like another example of the film falling back on cliché and predictable writing instead of building on its stronger emotional core.

However, the film starts working much better in the final 40 to 45 minutes, essentially the last hour. This is where the narrative becomes more focused and emotionally engaging.

Peddi's journey to Delhi, his struggle through the competition, and most importantly, the shocking decision he takes for the sake of his village become the emotional backbone of the film. From that point till the end credits, the writing and dialogues become far more sincere and effective.

The final shot, especially the way Peddi is presented and the dialogue attached to it, leaves the audience walking out with a sense of goodwill and emotional satisfaction.

Overall, Peddi has an okayish first half that feels heavily template-driven and follows a familiar mass masala formula. But the final hour significantly changes the mood and improves the overall experience.

It ends up as a one-time watch.

Performances by Other Actors

Peddi comes with a strong supporting cast featuring familiar faces from multiple industries, including Divyenndu from Hindi, Shivanna from Kannada.

However, despite having a notable lineup, no supporting characters actually leave any impact. Whether through performance or character writing, most of them hardly register and are easy to forget once you walk out of the theater.

To an extent, they add to the film's screen presence, but not enough to strengthen the emotional drama or leave lasting impressions.

Divyenndu, in particular, feels wasted and does not add much to the film even in that regard.

Music and Other Departments?

The music for Peddi is composed by A.R. Rahman, and he does a pretty good job overall. The songs work well both audio-wise and visually, and they come across nicely on screen.

When it comes to the background score, while it may not stand out consistently throughout the film, it works effectively in the crucial emotional and dramatic portions. Overall, A.R. Rahman does not disappoint.

Cinematography by Ratnavelu is fine. It could be because of the familiar rural setting or the visual treatment, but the film does not leave a particularly strong impact visually.

As for editing by Naveen Nooli, some scenes and character transitions feel abrupt. He has been facing criticism lately for his editing choices, and this film is unlikely to change that discussion.

Production values by Vriddhi Cinemas are good. They may not feel exceptional or extraordinary, but they are definitely good and support the scale of the film well.

Highlights?

Final 40 minutes

Ram Charan's performance & transformation

Jagapathi Babu to an extent

A few well-written dialogues (not throughout)

Drawbacks?

Routine mass masala first half in what should have been a rooted, sincere film

Weak character arcs, most characters fail to leave an impact

Jahnvi Kapoor's track

Sports blocks (cricket matches) lack emotional highs

Length

Did I Enjoy It?

Not fully, but the final hour left me with a positive feeling and improved the overall experience.

Will You Recommend It?

Yes, but know what to expect. Don't go in expecting a completely rooted and sincere sports drama. The film follows a more commercial route, but the final hour works and lifts the overall experience.

Peddi Movie Reviewed by Kalyan

Live Updates

Peddi Review: Shock Value in the Climax

Peddi has a climax with genuine shock value for a star film and the last hour turns more emotional and generates goodwill.

On the flip side, Buchi Babu's attempt to masalafy a sincere core idea and his reliance on template-style filmmaking become the film's major downsides. Also, none of the character arcs make much impact apart from Charan and JB to an extent. Divyenndu, Sivanna and others hardly leave an impression.

Jahnvi's track is one of the film's major drawbacks.

RamCharan's sincere effort deserves appreciation for sure.

Go for it, but keep your expectations in check. It works as a one-time watch.

M9 Rating: 2.5/5

#PeddiReview

First Half Report: Peddi

Pre-interval to interval is where the film turns emotional and engaging. Until then, most of the first half is routine and cliche with the hero and Jahnvi's track. A couple of matches so far are okay but lack emotional highs.

Interval sets the tone and builds expectation for a more rooted, stronger second half.

#PeddiReview

Peddi begins with a sports backdrop, and Boman Irani opens the show. Stay tuned for M9 News' Peddi review.

Peddi marks the second film for director Buchi Babu Sana. After the success of his debut film Uppena, he got the opportunity to direct one of the biggest stars.

For Ram Charan, post RRR, Peddi is a sincere attempt to revive his goodwill and reconnect with audiences.

Stay tuned to M9 News for the Peddi Movie Review and Rating from the U.S. premiere.

Writer, Director: Buchi Babu Sana
Cast: Ram Charan, Janhvi Kapoor, Shiva Rajkumar, Jagapathi Babu, Divyendu Sharma
Music Director: AR Rahman
DOP: Ratnavelu
Editor: Navin Nooli
Production Design: Avinash Kolla
Producer: Venkata Satish Kilaru
Presented By: Mythri Movie Makers, Sukumar Writings
Production Banner: Vriddhi Cinemas
U.S. Distributor: Prathyangira Cinemas

Peddi Reviewed by Kalyan, M9 News

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