Salaar movie review: Prabhas, Prashanth Neel deliver a blockbuster punch in massy cinema

The box office success of Prashant Neel-directed KGF and KGF 2 forced the Hindi film industry to take notice of the content being churned out of Kannada film industry. 

Besides its box office impact, the Yash starrer also stood out for its grand vision and the way the filmmaker wedded the idea of a conventional alpha male protagonist into the film's storyline. Arguably, KGF 2 changed the direction of Indian cinema, setting the template for directing mass entertainers.  

After two back-to-back blockbuster hits, it was only natural for the audiences to have high expectations from Prashant Neel's latest offering Salaar headlined by Prabhas.

Hot Take

The plot of Salaar is imagined in a way that the story makes the viewers travel the world. From New York to New Delhi to Gujarat to Assam, Neel crafts a narrative which is brimming with constant activity and makes for an information-heavy first act. 

Does Salaar live up to the hype?

Whether you liked the KGF franchise or not, Salaar will surely live up to your appetite for a larger-than-life action drama. The only way in which you could be disappointed by the film is if you are expecting it to be a relentless actioner. Compared to the KGF franchise, Salaar delivers fewer action-driven moments. 

Salaar plays out in a 'parallel reality’

Prashanth Neel has a penchant for creating a parallel reality within his film universe. While the tropes and themes are those of an ancient India, with tribes thriving and battling with each other devoid of any law or constitution, Neel also wants to use contemporary technology as part of his narrative. It’s the sheer abandon with which the director crafts his narrative that is the real clincher here. 

Even though the film’s central landscape is situated somewhere towards the west coast of India, everyone talks in Telugu while still wearing local Gujarati attire and accessories. Since Neel is never conscious of this appropriation, neither is the audience. 

Perhaps some people mistook KGF’s box office success to be a glorious one-off. However, with Salaar, Neel has established his intentions very firmly - a fantastical cinematic landscape like this intends and promises to overhaul the idea of what big-screen movies should be like.

There are certain sequences in both the first and second half where Neel elevates his narrative to a surreal landscape, aiming for a very heightened level of emotionality. There aren't too many filmmakers who can pull off this material, but Neel shows confidence in his execution. Salaar runs entirely on conviction, and Neel is one of those filmmakers who is gifted with this specific quality.

Salaar builds tension steadily

It’s hard not to constantly compare Salaar with the KGF movies. However, where the former differs from the latter is while its narrative begins at a breakneck speed and maintains its pace, the film takes its own sweet time before bowing at the altar of its invincible protagonist. For the longest time, we keep hearing about the epic bravery tales of Deva (Prabhas). Neel builds tension long enough and fills the narrative with intrigue, and it's when the tension finally breaks that the hero decides to return to savagery. And the pay-off is worth it.

Salaar also surprises with its structure. After a riveting prologue of the protagonists’ childhood, building the entire first half in establishing the protagonist as the protector, Salaar takes a sharp turn and focuses entirely on establishing the backstory, building great intrigue about a journey of 32 years that first reunited the two long-lasting friends before making them foes all over again.

Every performer is in sync with Salaar’s energy

Prithviraj provides a beautiful and smoldering contrast to Prabhas’ furious avatar in the film. The two actors play off each other very well, with an understated Prithviraj complementing a theatrical Prabhas. In this sense, it makes perfect sense that Neel chose to cast someone like Prithviraj in the film, a Malayalam star who nonetheless feels like an outlier in this outlandish universe with energy bursting out of the seams.

The ensemble cast of Salaar deserves equal credit for understanding the assignment and rising up to the film’s requirements. Everyone talks in grunts and shivers at any display of bravado - and it also feels perfectly attuned to Neel’s vision of a parallel government somewhere in Western India that has the reins over everything that is happening in the country. John Vijay, who plays Ranga, deserves special mention for bringing an infectious manic energy to his part. 

Sriya Reddy too delivers a hammy yet impactful performance as Radha Rama Mannar. Tinnu Anand, who appeared prominently in the trailer, has a relatively smaller role but delivers the goods.

Watch it or skip it?

Salaar definitely needs to be watched for its grand vision and the conviction of filmmaker Prashanth Neel. While the heightened tonality might not be everyone’s cup of tea, Salaar surely lives up to the scale of its ambition. 

Bottomline

Salaar also marks a solid pan-India comeback for Prabhas. He does complete justice to his towering persona and star presence. 

Rating - 3.5/5 stars