Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire Movie Review and Watch the Movie Free: Prabhas and Prashanth Neel deliver an epic cinematic spectacle
Prashanth Neel
creates magic on screen yet again with Prabhas starrer Salaar: Part 1 -
Ceasefire. Read the full review of the film which also features Prithviraj
Sukumaran in the lead.
Name: Salaar
Director:
Prashanth Neel
Cast:
Prabhas,Shruti Haasan,Prithviraj Sukumaran,Jagapathi Babu
Writer:
Prashanth Neel
Rating: 3
Ever since its announcement, Prashanth
Neel’s latest film with Prabhas, Salaar, has created hype like never before.
The film boasts an ensemble cast including Prithviraj Sukumaran, Shruti Haasan,
Jagapathi Babu, Easwari Rao, and many more in prominent roles, all of which
added to the fans’ anticipation. But does the film live up to all the hype that
it received? Let’s find out!
Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire Plot
Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire talks about
the relationship between Prabhas’ character Devaratha and Prithviraj’s
character Varadharaja Mannar. Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire focuses on
establishing the fictional world as well as the depth of the relationship that
the two main characters have. The film revolves around a power struggle to rule
the kingdom. The film is nothing short of epic, with friendship, trust,
betrayal, mind games, politics, and many more playing a massive role between
several clans that reside in the fictional city.
Additionally, Shruti Haasan’s character
Aadhya plays a significant role, acting as the link between Khansaar and the
audience. The film leaves several questions unanswered, with the promise that
they will be answered in the second part.
What works in Salaar: Part 1
- Ceasefire
Prashanth Neel had
mentioned earlier that Salaar is a retelling of his debut film, Ugramm. It
becomes evident from the very first sequence that the re-telling is far better
than what the filmmaker made almost a decade ago. The film is definitely a
cinephile’s paradise, with the visuals acting as an early Christmas
present.
The world building in Salaar is absolutely
fantastic, with the lifestyle, rules and regulations, politics, religion,
rituals, beliefs, and many more being successfully conveyed to the audience.
Prashanth Neel has done a fantastic job with the narrative structure, as the
film progresses seamlessly. The film’s dialogues were also close to perfect,
with each dialogue being calculated, rhythmic, and adding value to the film’s
narrative.
Additionally, Bhuvan Gowda’s camera work
deserves a special mention. The cinematography in the film adds a whole
different layer to it, with the lighting and color palettes being used as a
medium to communicate with the audience.
The action direction by Anbariv was a visual
treat that would force any cinephile to the edge of their seats. Both the
cinematography and the action direction were perfectly complemented by Ujwal
Kulkarni’s editing. The quick cuts had the added benefit of making the action
sequences seem more realistic.
Lastly, the visual effects and set design of
the film were practically what brought the world of Khansaar to life. The
visual effects in particular were realistic and fitting to the world that
Prashanth Neel had created.
What does not work in
Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire
The biggest drawback of the film is its
runtime. The film is an astounding 2 hours and 52 minutes long, with several
slow-motion sequences used to amplify the impact the scenes have on the
audience. However, this backfires to a certain extent, as several scenes in the
film feel dragged out. The sequences sometimes make it seem as if the emotional
connection of the scene is being forced upon the audience, while the filmmaker
has already done a brilliant job.
Additionally, as mentioned earlier, the film
is a retelling of Prashanth Neel’s debut film, Ugramm. The initial 15 minutes
of the film follow the exact same narrative as the 2014 film, with little to no
difference whatsoever. Although it does not harm the film overall, it does act
as an irk for someone who has already watched Ugramm. In fact, there are
several scenes throughout the film, where Salaar feels like an amalgamation of
Ugramm and KGF. The uncanny similarity might even make one wonder if Prashanth
Neel is sticking to a given formula for success.
Ravi Basrur’s music definitely does its job,
complementing a scene perfectly and adding emotional value to it. However,
unlike what was seen in the KGF franchise, the music does not elevate the
scenes, while it seemed like the film offered the potential to do so. It does
its job—nothing more, nothing less.
Everything said, it is important to mention
that none of these act as a hindrance to the visual experience of Salaar.
The performances in Salaar:
Part 1 - Ceasefire
Prashanth Neel had mentioned in an interview
that a star is a star, and irrespective of how many of their films fail at the
box office, one success is enough to bring them back. Salaar is that film for
Prabhas.
The Baahubali actor probably gave his best
performance since the SS Rajamouli film. Prabhas’ character in Devarata, aka
Deva, is one with plenty of emotional depth. The character has a heavy
backstory, which Prabhas has conveyed perfectly. All actions and motions are
calculated and carried out to perfection by the actor. Additionally, the action
sequences also deserve a special mention, with the actor successfully giving
the audience goosebumps. It would not be an overstatement to mention that
Salaar is a Prabhas film, and the actor definitely steals the show.
Prithviraj
Sukumaran’s portrayal of Varadharaja Mannar also stood out
throughout the film. From what is understood, Varadharaja Mannar is a
complicated character who calculates his every move. There is an underlying
implication to all his actions, and the character carries that level of
maturity in him. Prithviraj brought the character to life, and honestly, once
you watch the film, it is quite difficult to imagine anyone else in that role.
The chemistry that Prabhas and Prithviraj shared needs to be mentioned
separately as well.
Jagapathi Babu’s portrayal of Raja Mannar, as well as Sriya Reddy’s
portrayal of Radha Rama Mannar stood out as well. Both actors perfectly essayed
the roles they were given, and had an aura of royalty surrounding them, which
seems to be an inherent characteristic of their characters.
Shruti Haasan, Easwari Rao, John Vijay,
Ramachandra Raju, Boddy Simha and all other supporting actors have done a fantastic job
in terms of acting.
Final Verdict
Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire can only
be described with one word - EPIC. The film has everything that is necessary
for a good drama, and on a much broader perspective can be compared to the
Mahabharata. Prashanth Neel brings a new world to life, leaving fans wanting
for more even at the end of three hours.
Prashanth Neel’s Telugu debut is nothing
short of a masterpiece, a visual spectacle. The film engages fans with
brilliantly choreographed action sequences without losing track of the
underlying story and drama. Prithviraj Sukumaran was right when he said that
Salaar at its core is a drama. The drama definitely works out, and the
filmmaker has hit it out of the park, with the help of his star-studded cast.