Because of the poor performance of Telugu megastar Chiranjeevi’s previous films (Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy, Acharya), there was considerable concern in the industry concerning GodFather.
Chiranjeevi, on the other hand, expressed great optimism that GodFather would halt his losing record and please his fan following. And he was right. Director Mohan Raja has packed GodFather with plenty of dynamic moments to guarantee that the narration is never dull.
The official remake of the Malayalam smash Lucifer is GodFather. The film opens with Chief Minister PKR’s tragic demise. His death creates a power vacuum, allowing the most dubious minds in politics to vie for the top spot. However, the power-grabbers are unaware that PKR has made plans to protect his life’s work: his family, and his party, possibly in expectation of his premature death.
The CM’s chair and family are guarded by one of the evilest men, Brahma (Chiranjeevi). As his name implies, he designs and controls everyone’s movements in this power game.
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Lucifer was intellectual in a way since its author, Murali Gopy, utilized large words to build the myth of Stephen Nedumpally. The Malayalam version begins with the query, “Who is Stephen Nedumpally?” and continues through the film.
Even though Lucifer was set in a political context, the film tended to portray Stephen as a legendary figure. Director Mohan Raja, on the other hand, has avoided the mystery and made GodFather into a full-fledged political drama.
Horse trading, fake public feuds between politicians, huge companies choosing the fate of the next government, dynasty politics’ respect, and a submissive media are all reminiscent of the current political climate. Traditionally, the protagonist must resist the system, which has been rigged in their favor by those in authority.
The director has flipped the script in GodFather. The hero manipulates the system such that the villains fail.
Mohan Raja has added some unique twists to the story that were not present in Lucifer. Consider the battle between Brahma and Jaidev (Satyadev Kancharana). Jaidev gets to conduct all of the yelling and violent gestures while Brahma remains calm and unaffected by any of the provocations.
While Jaidev assumes a dominant role in the action, he eventually realizes the truth. He has not encircled Brahma, rather the contrary is true. Mohan elevates Brahma’s valor in subtle and ingenious ways.
The sequence in which Brahma meets the investigative journalist, played by Puri Jagannadh, is also intriguing since it pits an idealist against a realist.
Brahma reveals his limitations for the first time, reminding the idealistic journalist that society cannot be altered quickly. And Brahma is willing to go dirty for the larger good.
Mohan Raja has also avoided unneeded distractions such as parallel comedy tracks or unique dance numbers. He has only maintained such aspects that suit the primary plot, and within that space, he has indulged Chiranjeevi and Salman Khan’s superstardom for the enjoyment of their fans
During a gunfight, Salman’s Masoom Khan pushes an overturned car with his shoulder while firing a shotgun to make a safe passage for Chiranjeevi’s Brahma to exit the car.
The action sequences are far too absurd to be taken seriously. Mohan is well aware of this. But he’s also aware that such actions will only serve to entertain fans.
Star Performance
Chiranjeevi knows he doesn’t have to do much to win folks over. They already do, and all he needs to rely on now is the nostalgia element. The megastar keeps things discreet and lets his movement speak to build the gangster he is. That also works because you don’t know what his next move will be.
Nayanthara plays Satya to the extent that the script permits. While she has a wonderful trajectory with the megastar, she is restricted to it without being able to express her rage or any other emotion.
Satyadev Kancharana plays the villain convincingly and makes you despise him. And Salman Khan is doing his best Salman Khan impression. He enters a house full of loaded guns this time wearing a bulletproof jacket, and I want to thank the man who offered this excellent detail. Does he also have a bike that can launch small missiles? I witnessed an early morning show in a virtually empty theatre; there was too much silence to notice minor details.
Music, Direction
There is no doubt that Mohan Raju is a Chiranjeevi fan. He directs sequences so that every twist comes back to him, allowing for a slow-motion shot or a close-up of his glares. But he also goes overboard with the slow motion, which adds several minutes to the already lengthy runtime.
Thaman S’ music is once again a standard, and it’s been a long time since I witnessed his true power. We require it immediately.
The Final Word
Godfather is a nearly three-hour-long Chiranjeevi spectacle in which gravity is ignored and bullets make men fly. We’ve had it for years, but there has to be something new with it to propel the culture forward.
