What’s it about?
District Collector Ram Nandan (Ram Charan) terminates all illicit operations and enterprises in Vishakapatnam, including those of Bobbili Mopidevi (SJ Suryah), the son of Chief Minister Sathyamurthy (Srikanth). As Mopidevi waits for his opportunity to exact revenge on this officer, Chief Minister Sathyamurthy, in his final moments, names Ram Nandan as his successor.
What is the relationship between Sathyamurthy and Ram Nandan, and why does Sathyamurthy react with shock upon encountering Parvathi (Anjali)? Similar to many mainstream mass movies, the latter portion of the film centers on disclosing a flashback about Parvathi and her husband Appanna (Ram Charan). The rest of the story centers on the confrontation between Ram Nandan and Mopidevi.
Analysis
Shankar, the Tamil filmmaker who pioneered a new type of mass entertainers characterized by potent social messages, rich imagery, and grand-scale production design with striking visual effects, has garnered a huge fan base in Telugu land. Beginning with his debut feature “Gentleman,” all his films underwent Telugu dubbing and achieved blockbuster status. He has always had a passion for Telugu, although it took him over thirty years to contemplate directing a straight Telugu film, which he ultimately accomplished with Ram Charan. His first Telugu film, “Game Changer,” is a political actioner.
On the surface, the basic story, written by another popular director, Karthik Subbaraj, “Game Changer” doesn’t attempt to reveal any novel point and essentially follows a standard pattern of a son fulfilling what his father dreamed of but could not achieve due to the schemes of a traitor. Shankar, using this material, has presented it in his signature style—presenting some rousing moments, elevating heroism in some sequences, and offering colorful songs—but he never rises above the clichedness of such formulaic masala stories.
The primary issue with this narrative and the film is the absence of a definitive goal: is it about telling a message regarding money-free politics or the fair electoral process? Shankar initially depicts Ram Charan as an IPS officer, subsequently as a student with anger management problems, then as a collector, followed by an idealistic leader with speech impediments (in the flashback part), and finally as an election officer. It appears more as an effort to showcase Ram Charan in a distinct style rather than as a coherent political drama.
The film sustains our interest in three places…
1. The declaration of Ram Charan as the new Chief Minister
2. Twenty minutes of the Appanna episode
3. Ram Charan breaking down at discovering his mother’s disappearance.
The negatives are aplenty. The film becomes utterly tedious during the pivotal face-off between Ram Charan as the poll officer and SJ Suryah. This segment has numerous illogical scenes, challenges our patience, and ends in a highly predictable manner. The dialogues and scenes such as “Swiggy Ne Scooty Meeda Vostunte… CM Cycle Meedostunnadura” are proof that how some ideas shown here are totally outdated.
“RRR” and “Rangasthalam” have demonstrated Ram Charan’s acting abilities and how far he has come as a performer in recent years. In “Game Changer,” he does something he has never done before: he plays both father and son. His performances in both roles are effective. He carries this routine film on his shoulders until the end, making genuine efforts to captivate us.
Kiara Advani, as Ram Charan’s lover, has a forgettable role, yet she shows off her glam nicely. She, despite playing a doctor, appears only in pre-song sequences and songs.
In Shankar’s films, villains appear powerful, and the actors who play them receive more fame. SJ Suryah, who plays the primary villain, is excellent in many episodes. The face-off scenes between Suryah and Ram Charan are entertaining. Anjali is another actor who shines in this film. She has given a superb performance. Srikanth plays his role well.
The picture is undeniably visually rich in every shot. Several songs are vibrant, and Ram Charan’s dance is a delight. In addition to Ram Charan’s presence, Thaman’s background soundtrack is effective. Producer Dil Raju’s substantial financial investment to create this opulent production is apparent. The editing, action sequences, and other technical aspects meet the standards of Shankar’s other films.
Bottom line: Despite Ram Charan’s fine performance and the lavish visual aesthetics, “Game Changer” suffers from clichéd script writing and weak narration by Shankar, ending up as a regular political actioner. Shankar’s ideas lack contemporary feel.
Rating: 2.5/5
By Jalapathy Gudelli
Movie: Game Changer
Cast: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, SJ Suryah, Srikanth, Sunil, Vennela Kishore, Brahmanandam, Samuthirakhani, Naveen Chandra, and others
Story: Karthik Subbaraj
Dialogue: Sai Madhav Burra
Music: S Thaman
DOP: Thirunavukarasu
Action: Anbariv
Editor: Ruben, Shameer Muhammed
Producers: Dil Raju – Shirish
Screenplay and Directed by: Shankar
Release Date: Jan 10, 2025
