Peddi Movie Review: Ram Charan’s Dhobi Pachad Innings Deserve Loudest Cheers In Otherwise Predictable Sports Drama

In Buchi Babu Sana’s world of  , oppression, poverty and helplessness are dominating emotions that are cut through by an extraordinary story of one of the underprivileged. The film, carried aptly and strongly by Ram Charan, almost single-handedly, attempts to showcase his journey most grimly, and the challenges thrown at him keep the narrative bustling with high-voltage emotions and rare bursts of romance. Subtle, quiet redemption isn’t something one should expect from a movie like Peddi, especially in the second half, when empathy gives way to routine drama.

It is 2016, and at a sports association meeting, questions about India’s future are raised. A sports official (Boman Irani) is soon introduced to a village full of enthusiastic youngsters for whom playing cricket is more than just a pastime. The village boys are fans of a man called Peddi  . Curious to learn more about the living legend, he begins his ascent to a remote village atop a mountain that can only be reached on foot. On his journey, he learns about Peddi and his arduous struggle to put a name to the village.

The ‘cross-athlete’, a term for the man who excels in cricket and kushti (wrestling), invites enemies because of his skills that bring him fame despite being from the lower caste. Peddi is often called ‘Pahadi Tihadi’ as his livelihood is dependent largely on the meager salary earned at the jaggery factory and the amount for which cricket teams ‘buy’ him. He wants to change his fate, but sports teaches him a bigger lesson.

Peddi is an ambitious film. The scale is grand, the wrestling sequences are brilliant, and the grip it has on caste politics is unmatched. For a movie with over 3 hours of runtime, director Buchi Babu Sana does a fair job. Peddi has many chapters that take the story to its conclusion. Each subplot has a neat ending. Once done, characters that shape Peddi’s life are put behind. It is indeed fascinating to see a story so rooted in Indian sports and how the ordinary man’s grit and resilience turn the tables.

Peddi celebrates the hero in all ways possible. When he is done with cricket and its internal politics, he moves to wrestling. Soon, a life-altering incident forces him to become a runner. Though it honours the man’s efforts and undying spirit, some of it leans towards unbelievability. It is a film that relies practically on the suspension of disbelief. Songs are visual delights and throw attention out of the ongoing plot for a few minutes.

 puts the entire weight of a mediocre and predictable script on Ram Charan’s shoulders. The Telugu heartthrob gives it his best. With him on screen, there are no dull moments. The wrestling chapter stands out pretty well, and his portions with Shiva Rajkumar, who plays Gournaidu, are fantastic. Peddi is Ram Charan’s best in recent years after RRR. The effort he has taken to transform into the ‘cross-athlete’ is evident.

Despite Ram Charan giving it his all, the execution remains strictly average. The emotions feel similar to almost every other Telugu film. Oppression, poverty and caste politics need major revamping at the earliest. The writer-director adopts a one-toned approach to telling a story that needs to be inspiring. Instead, each new phase in Peddi’s life feels disconnected from his past. The whole Boman Irani track aims to tie the narrative together, but it ends up being weaker than expected. It is only he who gets a proper concluding scene. Peddi often asks the audience to prioritise emotions over logic and melodrama instead of subtlety.

The plot has many loopholes and silly twists, too. Peddi believes in being an extremist. Veering from its radical ideas to a louder cinematic execution, the film wants the audience to be with Peddi on his journey. The issues double up in the Hindi dub, where every character struggles to talk in Bhojpuri. The larger question is why people residing in Andhra Pradesh should speak Bhojpuri and not plain Hindi.

While Ram Charan compensates for the logical flaws,  s character is the catalyst who disappears after a couple of scenes. The romance between Peddi and Achiyamma appears to be more lust than love. Kapoor, who has had a fairly decent career in the Hindi film industry, is unfortunately limited to an extremely objectified character in her second Telugu movie. Dialogues like “I can identify my girl by her waist” make for an uncomfortable romantic track. Her story had the potential to become an impactful part of the narrative, but after making way for more conflict in Peddi’s life, she goes completely missing and returns with unjustified scenes later.

Peddi has no strong villains, but the antagonist of the film is the situation through which the character sails. His companions in the journey are brilliant. Divyenndu as Rambujji is mean, menacing and absolutely slappable. The actor does a fantastic job in bringing the character alive. He is similar to the iconic Munna Bhaiya from Mirzapur. Jagapathi Babu as Appalasoori leaves a lasting impact. He is the emotional anchor and makes melodrama palatable enough. Shiva Rajkumar is pitch-perfect, but needed a longer screentime. Ravi Kishan does his job well and takes the backseat without a noise.

Peddi is straight up a Ram Charan film. His dedication, commitment and faith in Buchi Babu Sana’s story deserve appreciation. Without him, Peddi would have been an ordinary rehash of many sports dramas that had gained acclaim previously. Leaving his towering presence behind quietly, the actor gives Peddi a face and a voice. He makes this sports drama watchable and hits a sixer every time the script asks him to show what Peddi is made of.

Peddi runs beyond the 3-hour mark. Some portions could have been edited out completely. The film certainly deserves a watch for Ram Charan’s swashbuckling innings.