Peddi is a powerful sports drama that showcases Ram Charan in one of his finest performances. Despite pacing issues and a lengthy runtime, the film succeeds with strong emotions, impressive visuals and a compelling climax.
Movie Review
Peddi"A gripping sports drama with a stellar Ram Charan performance."
Peddi is an emotionally driven sports drama that excels in Ram Charan's spectacular performance and intense emotional depth.
This movie is set against the backdrop of the 1990s in the Vizayanagaram district. This story revolves around the forgotten village in the hills, home to 450 families, that lacks government recognition.
The senior citizen Appalasoori has spent 30 years fighting for a railway station for the town.
The whole movie revolves around a poor villager named Peddi who becomes a sports hero to save his town.
The people there have no rights, no help, and no railway station. Initially, he used his phenomenal cricket skills to earn money and put his village on the map.
However, circumstances forced him to abandon cricket. And then he shifted to wrestling under the guidance of the coach Gournaidu.
And finally, he transitions to sprinting; his multi-sport athletic journey is ultimately fueled by a fierce desire to win, affirm his identity, secure basic rights, and gain respect for his invisible community.
Critics praised Ram Charan and called it one of his career-best performances after Rangasthalam.
His physical transformation for the three different sports, Cricket, Wrestling, and Running, had a powerful and emotional depth throughout the film.
The final 30 to 50 minutes of the film are the cherry on top; the climax is incredibly gripping. The protagonist's struggle to gain fame in the village leaves a powerful and lasting impact on the audience.
The intense background score done by A.R. Rahman makes the sports scenes feel more exciting.
Ratnavelu's beautiful cinematography gives the rural landscapes and the stadium a grand, theatrical scale.
While the film features three different sports, the traditional Kushti (wrestling) scenes are highlighted as the most authentic and gripping parts of his athletic journey.
The movie has a runtime of 189 minutes; reviewers note that it is only 20-30 minutes long.
The first half felt uneven and slow, really testing the audience's patience before the real momentum started.
Buchi Babu Sana's script takes massive cinematic liberties as the protagonist casually switches between completely different sports, leaving sports enthusiasts scratching their heads, and several logical loopholes become apparent when the pacing slows down.
Viewers felt that the character of Jahnvi Kapoor was a total irrelevance to the plot and even pointed out that her inclusion felt like a forced commercial distraction, heavily objectifying her and breaking the story's grounded tone.
Talented actors like Divyendu Sharma and Boman Irani are constrained by poorly written scripts or limited roles that fail to leave a mark.
Ram Charan as Peddi Pehelwan
Janhvi Kapoor as Achiyamma
Shiva Rajkumar as Gournaidu
Jagapathi Babu as Appalasoori
Divyenndu as Rambujji
Boman Irani (special appearance)
Ravi Kishan (special appearance)
Shruti Haasan (special appearance in the song "Hellallallo")
Buchi Babu Sana has directed this movie, and this is his second collaboration with the actor Ram Charan after Rangasthalam.
The music has been composed by the Oscar-winning legend, A.R. Rahman.
The editing is being handled by Naveen Nooli, also credited as Navin Nooli.
R. Rathnavelu has handled the cinematography for this movie.
The response to Peddi on its opening day has been highly enthusiastic, turning the film into a massive box-office success right out of the gate.
The film is poised to achieve a ₹100 crore opening-day gross globally, making it the third-biggest Indian film opening of 2026.
The film created a massive storm before theatres even opened, selling over 82 lakh tickets across India. It grossed over ₹20 crore in advance ticket sales in India alone.
Including overseas markets and paid previews, Peddi grossed a phenomenal ₹35 crore worldwide before Day 1 officially kicked off.
Peddi scores high on emotion, performance and visual appeal, even if its screenplay occasionally misses the mark.
A solid entertainer that shows Ram Charan at his best and delivers enough memorable moments to satisfy audiences.
Topics
Follow NewsBricks on Google News
Stay updated with the latest stories delivered to your feed
