'Salaar' review: Prabhas starrer has perfect recipe for actioner
What's the story
Announced back in 2020, Prabhas's Salaar finally hit theaters on Friday after several delays.
While fans were eager to experience director Prashant Neel's (KGF) cinematic brilliance once again, they were equally thrilled to see him collaborate with one of India's biggest pan-India stars, Prabhas.
An out-and-out actioner, Salaar isn't for the faint-hearted. The Neel directorial is robust with a captivating screenplay.
Read our review.
Story
Bloodshed in Khansaar and friends-turned-foes
Salaar revolves around two childhood best friends, Devaratha "Deva" Raisani/Salaar and Vardharaja "Vardha" Mannar, who meet after 25 years.
Vardha, son of Khansaar's Sardar, is set to become his successor. The ministers, however, want him dead. So, Deva returns to Khansaar to help Vardha in capturing the throne.
While the first part shows Deva-Vardha's friendship, the second will focus on how they turned enemies.
Performance
Prabhas delivers better performance compared to 'Baahubali' films
Despite having fewer lines in Salaar, Prabhas does magic with his slick action sequences and one-liners.
Neel has created a larger-than-life character of a one-man army on a killing rampage—he's ruthless but also sticks to his morals.
It is a role that will be remembered—and loved—for long by Prabhas's fandom, for he has delivered a performance that is better compared to the Baahubali series.
Another highlight
Prithviraj Sukumaran shines in scenes with Prabhas
Prithviraj Sukumaran, as Vardha, enters right before the film's interval. He is good in his solo scenes but shines brighter in those with Prabhas.
The camaraderie between these superstars, rather, their characters, is praise-worthy, especially in two particular scenes: one where Vardha closes his eyes while Deva is on a killing rampage and the other when they together flawlessly kill dozens of men.
Action and cinematography
It's an action masterclass
The action choreographer duo Anbariv has done a fantastic job designing the action stunts.
Whether it is the first sequence near the Burma border where Deva slaughters men to save Adhya (Shruti Haasan) or when he kills Vishnu, the scenes are neat, making it a high-octane action film.
Bhuvan Gowda also deserves a special mention for capturing these scenes so perfectly on the camera.
Characterization
There's scope to develop characters in second installment
Every character has a story to tell. But what's a hit-and-miss is the fact that all the characters, be it Adhya, Raja Mannar (Jagapathi Babu), Radha (Sriya Reddy), or others, have not been developed to the core in the first installment.
Little is shown about these characters, leaving a scope for exploration in the franchise's second part.
Visual effects
If only the visual effects didn't seem so fake
All bird's eye views of Khansaar were a result of visual effects, and this is exactly where Salaar loses its points.
While Neel and his team showcased their excellence in filming action sequences and the background score, they forgot to focus on visual effects.
The Khansaar aerial views are disappointing and mostly appear overtly fake; the VFX demands more work.
Verdict
Perfect Christmas gift for Prabhas fans
Hombale Films's Salaar—also featuring Tinnu Anand, Bobby Simha, Easwari Rao, and Mime Gopi, among others—has all the ingredients of a blockbuster.
It is a mass actioner that serves as a treat for Prabhas's fans, especially after his disappointing last release—Adipurush.
Having said that, the first half is water-tight and crisp but gets a little stretched in the second.
Verdict: 3.5 out of 5 stars.