Prashanth Neel’s ‘Salaar’ narrates the story of the dystopian capital city of Khansaar. Surrounded by Gujarat and Pakistan, Khansaar is protected by huge walls. While the British failed to capture it, the Indian Constitution and its laws do not apply to this city which thrives on drugs smuggled from India.
The film is set between 1982 and 2017. The flick highlights the friendship between Deva (Prabhas) and Varadha Raja Mannar (Prithviraj Sukumaran), and how they turn into foes.
Khansaar’s fate changes with the announcement of Varadha as the successor of Raja Mannar (Jagapathi Babu), the king. This is followed by an attempt to eliminate the father-son duo for control over the city.
Neel blends the themes of friendship, power, betrayal, loyalty, sexual atrocities and anger into a compelling narrative. The first part of the film establishes characters, while the second half explores their background.
Situational anthems by school children and Mahara tribe’s children offer much-needed relief from the violence and bloodshed. The second half appears stretched, the film’s running time could have been reduced. The director adheres to a dark themed palette.
‘Salaar’ is reminiscent of films like ‘Ugram’, ‘KGF’, and ‘Baahubali’.
Prabhas easily fits into the role of Deva. His robotic tone and sullen expression will please his fans, while Prithviraj appears elegant on screen. High-octane action sequences between the leads will elicit electrifying responses from their fans. Jagapathi Babu and Shruti Hassan have limited screenspace. Easwari Rao, Sriya Reddy, Tinu Anand and Garuda Ram draw attention.
Ravi Basrur (background music), Bhuvan Gowda (cinematography), Ujwal Kulkarni (editing) and Anbumani and Arivumani (stunts) impress.
Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire Cast: Prabhas Prithviraj Jagapathi Babu Shruthi Haasan Tinu Anand Eswari Rao Garuda Ram Director: Prashanth Neel Rating: 3.5/5
Published 22 December 2023, 22:58 IST