Sankranti (Pongal) is a special festival down south, and its celebration isn't complete without watching our favorite stars’ films. Just like how the Tamil films’ clash, Ajith’s Thunivu vs. Vijay’s Varisu, has created huge excitement, the Telugu fans are in for a treat with the battle between Balakrishna’s Veera Simha Reddy and Chiranjeevi’s Waltair Veerayya.
Megastar Chiranjeevi in Waltair Veerayya walks in like a boss—massy, funny, and full of action.
The story of the film revolves around Veerayya (Chiranjeevi), one of the most sought-after underworld dons. He is a nightmare to rouge thugs and the last resort to the country's armed forces for an unofficial help. A retired police officer seeks Veerayya’s help to avenge the deaths of his innocent colleagues.
Who is the mastermind behind the murders? Is Veerayya connected to the murderer even before he was tasked with catching hold of him? The film answers these questions through the rest of the story.
The plot was anything but new; the film also sticks to a mass masala commercial entertainer template that predominantly hypes up the hero through punch dialogues. However, the treatment of the screenplay seemed interesting. It reinvented the larger-than-life image of the megastar with a comical spin.
Chiranjeevi’s character was amusingly animated. Despite the hypermasculine buildups, he excels at being a vulnerable and not-so-serious guy. The audience crackles every time he jokes or when jokes are made at his expense. This deserves special appreciation, especially since Chiranjeevi is someone who’s got years of experience in his bucket. Truly a sport!
Ravi Teja delivers a convincing performance as Chiranjeevi’s half-brother. The film highlighted an interesting sibling rivalry that was layered with a real bond. It was a treat to watch the two stars squabble and bromance with each other. In addition, the two bankable actors, Bobby Simha and Prakash Raj, were excellent in their villainous roles.
We know romantic duets and peppy dance numbers are a staple for star-driven commercial flicks. And in Waltair Veerayya, Devi Sri Prasad’s music and background score were good. But how many songs do we still need to hinder the flow of the real story? Even if we choose to have many, shouldn't we be mindful about their placement? Do we really need to squeeze in a random song sequence at random intervals just because a lot of effort has gone into shooting it in exotic locations?
However, one cannot miss the glaring ironies in the movie. While some were amusing, some were disturbing.
Throughout the film, Chiranjeevi has been referred to as the King of the Sea, the Father of the Bay of Bengal, and the Epitome of Mass. However, the film doesn’t take itself too seriously and takes a dig at rhyming build-up dialogues in a humorous jail sequence.
However, it contradicts how smoking is perceived. In many instances, one is bound to feel that smoking is glorified every time Veerayya catches a beedi in style; however, in one passably funny scene, he casually says that smoking is injurious to health.
Though Waltair Veerayya feels like old wine in a new bottle, it has interesting elements infused in its narration.
Waltair Veerayya celebrates Chiranjeevi’s four-decade-long legacy with enjoyable characterization. It creates moments of intrigue and brilliant closures near the end.
It was fascinating to discover the coherence in the narration, whether it was the knot about Veerayya's vertigo problem and how he combats it in accordance with the story or the case he fights coming from a fisherman community and the revelation of the significance it holds to the protagonist's desire.
Waltair Veerayya is running in cinemas now.
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