Pehlwaan

Pehlwaan Story: Krishna is an orphan who is brought up by a gymkhana owner named Sarkar as his own. He grows up to be a fierce wrestler, but when he decides to follow his heart and pursue love, a conflict arises. Will he be able to resolve it all?

Pehlwaan Review: While Pehlwaan is a film that has wrestling and boxing as its backdrop, it is at its core, the story of a father and son. The film begins with allusions to Lord Krishna, which is also the protagonist’s name, and one gets to see more of these through the course of the film.

Pehlwaan is the story of a son wanting to keep the word he has given to his father, fighting for all things right and getting retribution. The fight-sequences are well-choreographed and will definitely appeal to fans of Kichcha. There’s also a love story which unlike in most star vehicles, doesn’t seem like an unnecessary track.

The film brings in all the needed masala elements via comedy, romance, fights and abundance of emotions. It is Sudeep’s show all the way and he manages to entertain, both with his charm and new, lean, muscular avatar. Suniel Shetty stands out as Sudeep’s father figure. Sushant Singh and Kabir Duhan Singh have limited yet important roles as the antagonists. Aakanksha Singh is breezy and suits her part. Arjun Janya’s soundtrack is another highlight of the film.

But Pehlwaan is nearly three hours long and that may prove to be its Achilles heel, especially in the first half. If Lord Krishna was a wrestler and part of epic situations, then this Pehlwaan Krishna too has some interesting battles to fight. And this is what makes the outing to the cinema hall quite interesting.