What do you get when you mix The Karate Kid with Dangal and Lagaan? Peddi. At least on paper. In execution, it feels like a patchwork of familiar sports-movie beats, borrowing generously from it’s inspirations while leaving behind the excitement and emotional connect that made them work.
Directed by Buchi Babu, the story revolves around Peddi (Ram Charan) a talented cricketer from a lower-caste community in a neglected village, long denied a railway station. Frustrated by years of apathy from the government, he decides to put his village on the national map by winning a national wrestling championship. But when fate doesn’t help, Peddi’s journey takes an unexpected turn. What follows forms the crux.
What starts as an inspiring story about India’s sporting ambitions soon descends into narrative chaos. Peddi is introduced as a cricketing phenomenon capable of feats that would put Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni to shame. Just as you’re settling into that storyline, the film performs a bizarre pivot to wrestling. The transition is so strange… it feels less like a plot development and more like a screenplay identity crisis.
The film’s core message is easy enough to appreciate: India has grassroots talent that deserves recognition. But is Peddi really the ideal poster boy for that cause? Consider this: a broken Peddi resorts to self-harm, all in pursuit of a railway station for his village. Bonkers.
While the objective may be noble, and the action slick, the means make it difficult to root for him. Rather than celebrating perseverance, the film seems obsessed with testing the limits of his suffering.
At times, Peddi, running for three hours, feels less like a sports drama and more like an endurance test. It’s primary goal appears to be finding new ways to pile misery onto its protagonist’s shoulders. And it gets exhausting pretty soon.
Don’t even get me started on Janhvi Kapoor’s character in Peddi. This film is a masterclass in how not to present a female actor on screen. Janhvi’s toned stomach gets more screen time than Janhvi’s face, need I say more?
Things only get worse from there. The writing bends over backwards to romanticise behaviour that is deeply problematic, passing it off as “just the way Peddi expresses his love” for a woman who doesn’t even know him. Her character disappears suddenly, reappearing later with love for Peddi- and we haven’t even seen the two romance once before this!
The only saving grace here is Ram Charan the actor. It seems that he surrenders himself to his directors, giving his roles his all. His energy keeps you seated, but that’s pretty much it.
Among other characters, Boman Irani and Ravi Kishan are wasted. Divyenndu looks promising initially, and then fades into oblivion.
AR Rahman’s music is mediocre.
Overall, for all it’s talk of fighting against the odds, Peddi’s biggest opponent turns out to be it’s own screenplay. It goes from one setback to another, mistakes suffering for depth. Ram Charan emerges with his dignity intact; the film, unfortunately, does not. What remains is a noisy sports drama that has plenty of ambition but precious little direction.