Salaar means ‘Leader’, ‘Chief’ or ‘Commander’ The Telugu epic action drama film ‘Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire’s core plot is inspired from KGF maker Prashanth Neel’s debut Kannada film ‘Ugramm’. Salaar is about this city of Khansaar (a place outside India), where Raja Mannar (Jagapathi Babu) plans to make his son Vardharaja Mannar (Prithviraj Sukumaran) his successor. However, Raja Mannar’s ministers and advisors plan a coup d’état (an illegal and overt attempt by a military) to kill them by hiring armies from Russia and Serbia to attack Vardharaja and Khansaar. Vardharaja manages to escape from Khansaar and meets his childhood friend Deva (Prabhas), who learns about the coup and sets out to make Vardharaja as the undisputed successor of Khansaar.
Though that is the broad plot-line, but it would hardly matter when you hop on the Salaar ride. It’s a cinematic roller coaster ride to say the least. Once you board it, you have no control over the goings on yet you enjoy the adrenaline rush. It hardly matters what all twists and turns it takes and whether or not you were ready for it but at the end of it when the ride ends you gasp for fresh air and try to settle your rapidly pounding heart. What you convey to your friends is not the route but the adrenaline rush you experienced in the ride.
Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire review
Right from the word go, Prashanth Neel sets the stage of what to expect or rather not expect and be surprised by what follows. Two friends – Vardharaja and Deva face a situation where Deva fights for Vardha. The duo is challenged to face the super professional gigantic akhada pehalwan and win to get back what is rightly theirs. What happens next is, though expected but presented in a very unexpected fashion. Deva wins over. One need not look for logic, visually, it does.
The non South Indian film audience were introduced to Prashanth Neel with his Yash starrer KGF franchise. With Salaar, Prashanth Neel continues the tone set in KGF and raises the bar several notches higher. Parts of the Salaar narrative would also remind one of influences or references from the KGF saga, like the mother-son relationship, the huge coal mines, the dark lighting, sets / backgrounds based in monochrome, etc.
A sequence in the later half of the narrative where a girl is picked up by the goons with bad intentions is noteworthy from various perspectives. The imagination of the revolt by the otherwise helpless women folk is extraordinary. The costumes in magenta tone, which might be an indicator of being aggressive, their ornaments specifically the anklets, and their rhythmic foot tapping all sum up with an environment that engages and transports the viewer as a part of their action, which culminates into gory violence based action of a different level.
It is after a long time that the audience will get to see an authentic hard core action extravaganza. A gripping journey with well-developed characters, a decent plot coupled with high-octane action sequences, this movie is a testament of Prashanth Neel’s craft. One gets drawn into the Salaar eco-system, where the lines between good & evil are blurred, making for an engaging character-driven narrative. What sets Salaar apart from typical action films is its compelling storyline. While action remains at the forefront, the movie doesn’t rely on it to keep the audience hooked. The narrative is well-paced to keep one involved and emotionally invested in the plot’s twists and turns.
Prabhas portrays a ruthless yet morally complex character that is intriguing yet convincing. Prabhas redeems his recent past misadventures. With Salaar Prabhas returns to mainstream mass commercial cinema after a while. His films post ‘Saaho’ have been slightly away from the mass action genre. This time he rises as a no fuss action hero. Interestingly the character is given limited dialogues to mouth, it is only the action that speaks.
Prithviraj Sukumaran is yet another actor with a towering screen presence. He fits the character of a strong Vardha yet weak without Deva. Time and again his character Vardha falls back on Deva to project the superiority but when they join their forces, all hell breaks. Watching Prithviraj on screen adds immense value to the narrative.
Shruti Haasan, though is supposed to be the female lead, doesn’t have much to offer. It’s a typical heroine character with nothing much to do still doubles up as reason of sorts for the plot to move forward.
Jagapathi Babu is a legendary. Though he gets limited screen time nonetheless he attracts attention.
‘Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire’ verdict
Kudos to Prashanth Neel. He hasn’t settled on the laurels he’s got for KGF. With Salaar he seamlessly combines breathtaking cinematography with intense action. The visual aesthetics are stunning with every frame a visual treat. The use of noire lighting, camera angles, and extensive sets enhances the overall cinematic experience, making Salaar spectacular, a must-watch for fans of action-packed cinema.
Movie: Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire
Directed by: Prashanth Neel
Cast: Prabhas, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Shruti Hassan, Jagapathi Babu, Bobby Simha, Tinnu Anand, Ramana, Easwari Rao, Sriya Reddy, Ramachandra Raju, Madhu Guruswamy, Brahmaji, Shafi, John Vijay, Devaraj, Saptagiri, Prudhvi Raj, Jhansi, Mime Gopi, Simrat Kaur
Duration: 2hrs 57mins