'Ustaad Bhagat Singh' movie review: Pawan Kalyan delivers another disappointment

In the 1950s, the hero’s journey became a trope in cinema across the globe. In India, cult classics like Sholay and Teen Murti ardently followed this structure while adapting it to the cultural landscape.

However, the structure matured over time, with the situational conflicts bringing depth to the hero’s character and leading to fresher narratives. 

The Telugu film industry, however, seems to have stagnated with this structure in its infancy, leading to films like Gabbar Singh and Ustad Bhagat Singh.

The lethargy to move beyond the typecast roles, predictable plot lines and character conflicts, and formulaic approaches to editing, camera work, mise-en-scene, and music makes the film exceptionally bad.

Pawan Kalyan (playing Bhagat Singh) takes up the role of a police officer (just like in Gabbar Singh). There is so little character development for the female leads, Sreeleela and Rashi Khanna, that their roles are almost redundant unless Kalyan’s character engages with them. Most of Kalyan’s films seem like they are designed solely for him to take centrestage. The film is no exception. 

As for the plot, Bhagat Singh seems to be up against a larger nexus of villains, extending upto terrorism and narco-trafficking. Through the flashbacks of his days as a fervent IPS officer and his run-ins with the then corrupt MLA Nalla Nagappa (Parthiban), the story unfolds over drug trafficking.

The entire plot is just like Gabbar Singh, with the setting and the primary motive changed. This formulaic design seems to have plagued much of the industry, so much that films feel like they’re manufactured in a factory rather than made with artistic fervour.