Pawan Kalyan returns to lead roles after years with They Call Him OG, a gangster drama that promises more than it delivers. Sujeeth directs this D.V.V. Danayya production that puts style ahead of storytelling sense.
The film brings Pawan Kalyan as gangster Ojas Gambheera, facing off against Emraan Hashmi’s crime boss Omi Bhau. Priyanka Mohan plays his wife Kanmani, while Arjun Das and Sriya Reddy fill supporting roles.
Opening in theaters on September 25, 2025, the movie splits critics and fans down the middle. Set in 1990s Mumbai, it tells the revenge story of a vanished don’s violent return.
Ravi K. Chandran’s camera work and Thaman’s loud soundtrack try to mask a script that feels rushed and unfocused from start to finish.
Story That Promises More Than It Gives
Ojas Gambheera disappears from Mumbai’s criminal world, only to return with plans for revenge against current kingpin Omi Bhau. The basic setup works fine for a gangster film.
The movie starts in Japan during the 1970s, showing young Ojas surviving a Yakuza attack on his dojo. This backstory explains his fighting skills and journey to Mumbai’s streets.
I liked this Japanese connection initially, but the film never uses it properly. The script feels like multiple ideas thrown together without proper planning or development.
Time jumps happen without warning, leaving viewers confused about what’s happening when. The movie assumes we’ll follow along just because the hero looks cool.
Character motivations remain unclear throughout. Why does OG want revenge exactly? The film never bothers explaining beyond basic good-versus-evil setup.
Performances That Stand Out Despite Weak Material
Pawan Kalyan looks energetic and committed to his role as the feared gangster. His screen presence carries many scenes that would otherwise fall flat completely.
Emraan Hashmi steals every scene as the villainous Omi Bhau. His experience with grey characters shows, making him the film’s strongest asset after Kalyan himself.
Priyanka Mohan gets limited screen time but makes the most of her emotional scenes. Her chemistry with Kalyan works during their few moments together.
I noticed Prakash Raj and Arjun Das bring professionalism to their roles, even when the script gives them little to work with. They maintain dignity despite thin character writing.
The lead pair’s confrontations generate real tension, showing what the film could have achieved with better writing and character development throughout.
Technical Skills Cover Story Weaknesses
Cinematographer Ravi K. Chandran creates some genuinely beautiful shots of Mumbai’s underworld. His camera work adds sophistication to otherwise crude storytelling approaches.
Thaman’s background score dominates every scene, sometimes drowning out important dialogue. The music tries too hard to create excitement where none exists naturally.
Action sequences deliver exactly what fans expect from a Pawan Kalyan film. The choreography shows skill and the violence feels appropriately intense for the genre.
Production design recreates 1990s Mumbai convincingly, with period-appropriate cars, costumes, and locations. The money spent on the film shows on screen clearly.
I was impressed by the technical polish throughout, even when the story fails to match that same level of craftsmanship and attention.
What Clicks and What Fails Completely
The movie succeeds when it focuses on pure mass entertainment. Fight scenes, stylish dialogue delivery, and hero elevations work perfectly for existing fans.
Both lead actors bring their A-game to confrontation scenes. These moments generate the energy that the rest of the film desperately lacks throughout.
Sujeeth’s direction works best during action set pieces. He knows how to shoot violence and make it look visually appealing for mass audiences.
However, the story feels incomplete at every turn. Characters appear and disappear without proper introductions or conclusions to their story arcs.
Emotional scenes fall flat because we never connect with these characters as real people. They remain caricatures rather than fully developed human beings.
The pacing drags during dialogue scenes, making the two-and-half-hour runtime feel much longer. Better editing could have solved many structural problems.
Critics and Audiences React Mixed
123Telugu gave it 3.25 stars, appreciating the entertainment value while noting obvious script problems. GreatAndhra rated it 2.75 stars, calling it stylish but shallow.
IMDb audiences rated it 7.2 out of 10, showing the gap between fan appreciation and critical assessment of actual filmmaking quality.
Industry reviews consistently praise technical aspects and performances while criticizing the weak storyline and character development issues throughout.
Social media reactions split between fans celebrating Pawan Kalyan’s return and regular moviegoers finding the film tedious and predictable in execution.
Most professional critics agree the film works as fan service but fails as complete cinema for general audiences seeking quality storytelling.
Final Rating: 3/5
