Salaar: Cease Fire - Part 1

Salaar (2023) : Movie Review -

KGF fame Prashanth Neel is back with the biggest film of his career (so far), "Salaar Part 1: Ceasefire," starring pan-India superstar Prabhas. Neel's Ugramm (2014) wasn't a pan-India sensation, but it was a blockbuster success in the domestic market and also set a fanbase for Neel. He decided to restore it on a larger scale with Salaar, and no matter how many times he denied the reports, Salaar is a remake/adaptation of Ugramm. The idea definitely deserved a pan-India reach and huge scale, and Prashanth has surely done a great job. He extended Ugramm to 6 hours in 2 parts (the second will be Salaar 2) and gave a fantastic twist to the story at the end. The hero has to have that stature, and he gives it to Prabhas. Why he or the film was named "Salaar" is presented with a blasting vision by Neel, and that's the much-hyped big twist in the end I'm talking about.

Set in a coal-mine-coloured place called Khaansar, Salaar is about Deva (Prabhas) and Vardha (Prithviraj Sukumaran), who have been besties since childhood. Deva is ready to fight the world for Vardha, and he takes on tough guys to save Vardha's nake. In return, Vardha trades his territory to save Deva's mother, and then Deva is sent to leave somewhere else, never to return-unless Vardha calls him. To win the political and power battle of Khaansaar, Vardha calls only Deva, while others bring armies. Cutting the story to future times, Deva and his mother are living somewhere remotely without coming into anybody's eyes. However, Deva has to break his promise to save Aadhya (Shruti Haasan) from the local goons. He then finally has to show his face to the world when Aadhya is being kidnapped and nobody dares to stop certain "stamp" people. The story then moves back to the past to tell us how Deva created the world of Khaansaar and that big, fearful stamp as well.

Prashanth Neel denied promoting Salaar as the official adaptation of Ugramm, but that was a marketing trick, I guess. Now the entire world will laugh at his statements after the release of Salaar Part 1, and let's leave other topics to Salaar Part 2 if he has really changed things there. Written by Neel, Salaar (part 1 and 2) is an overlong craft of about 6 hours, while the entire Ugramm was 140 minutes long. This might be the answer to probable questions about why it takes so long. He literally stretches Deva's elevation scene for an hour or so and then again for almost half an hour for the massy interval block. The overlong gesture does irritate you for a while, but those action scenes are worth it. Not to forget some weirdly crazy and mad characters that are written with childish vision. It somehow takes the film into the B-grade zone. Then, he follows the same pattern again in the second half, as there are two more big sequences during that one and a half hour. The idea of narrating the story with a lot of confusion (in the ending features) was inspired by KGF. So, Salaar is like watching Ugramm in KGF style, but on a larger scale. He writes some intricate and pre-revolutionary parts in the last 15 minutes, which I think those immature masses won't really understand. They might have to watch the film again to understand what actually happened, and that's a very good technique to bring repeat audiences to your film.

This is the Prabhas we have been missing since Baahubali 2, and it took us 8 freaking years. It also has a lot to do with the directors, and Prasanth Neel was surely aware of Prabhas' larger-than-life image. Prabhas carries the entire film with his phenomenal swag. Those slow mos, action scenes, whistle-worthy dialogues, and mass elevation sequences prove why it is called "Darling" by his fans. Salaar will give them all at least half a dozen opportunities to go wild with their celebrations inside the cinema hall. Prithviraj Sukumaran looked calm most of the time but then went into an out-and-out mass zone in the last 20 minutes. I don't know if it was the issue of dubbing or what, but what a cringeworthy performance Shruti Haasan has given here. Such a terrible accent and bad dialogue delivery. Jagapathi Babu sounded dangerous, but it hasn't been explored yet. Bobby Simha, Tinnu Anand, Ramana, Sriya Reddy, and Easwari Rao were decent, while the rest of the supporting cast was so annoying.

Salaar Part 1 Ceasefire is surely an instant mass blockbuster, despite some flaws in the screenplay. The sound design is loud and massy, but I don't think complaining about it will help us anymore. Prashant Neel did the same thing with KGF, and he is not going to stop. The same dark frames and dark tones aren't going to change either. The cinematography is good, though, and some frames made me regret missing the film in IMAX, especially those top views. Music isn't really there, and it's not an issue, by the way. Prashanth Neel has become a big director and has gained the image of a big-screen master after KGF. Surely, many movie critics won't support that (including me, for some reasons), but audiences have proven it with box office numbers. Salaar will prove it again because Neel has made this film for mass audiences, not critics. It's a complete mass action bonanza for that certain section of cinegoers, which is actually the biggest section of cinegoers in our country. KHG had that monster thing and Yash entering the KGF den scene, and here Salaar has "Phod Diya Na," "Interval Block," "Kaali Maa," "head-cutting scene," and the "climax" that will set single screens on fire. I will remember that dialogue about the "stamp" also. "You said nobody can stop the stamp," and there has been a lot of hype around it since the beginning. The shivering man ends it with a reply: "But he is the man who created that stamp." That's more than enough to make it a blockbuster. It's just not that critic-friendly, but I don't mind some crazy action movies once in a while. As a whole, all I can say is that Salaar Part 1 Ceasefire is going to set the box office on fire this Christmas week and maybe January too. Go for it if you love out-and-out massy action flicks, and prepare yourself for "Salaar Part 2: Shouryaang Parvam.".

RATING - 5/10*