Some spoilers ahead.
Salaar: Part 1-Ceasefire was a much-awaited film after the massive success of the KGF Movie Series, which was also written and directed by Prasanth Neel and produced by Hombale Films.
I happened to watch the movie only this Saturday, around a week after its release. I’ve tried my best not to give any spoilers. (Really) 😉
The one common thing in Prasanth Neel’s movie is his way of storytelling. The movie starts with a flashback that reflects the virtue of the main character in the movie. As for KGF, the promise to his mother created Rocky; here, it’s the promise between two friends, Deva (Prabhas) and Vardha (Prithviraj Sukumaran), who are separated. And that is why one cannot help but compare it to KGF.
There’s a lot of buildup around the city and the main character. In KGF, it was KGF and Rocky; here, it was Khansaar and Deva. The plot is complex, and the characters are layered. The movie can be fast-paced for those who are new to Prasanth Neel’s films. KGF, at least Chapter 1, was way faster. The twists and turns in the plot revolve around, though predictable, are exciting. The action scenes are well-choreographed and implemented. There’s a particular scene in which Dev rescues a girl from the hands of one of the antagonists. This scene has one of the best action sequences in the entire movie. It ends with Deva ‘offering’ him to Ma Kali. It does remind one of KGF.
Neel’s technique of simultaneously running two scenes for elevation is bang-on. The film is mostly shot in natural light, which gives an earthy feeling to it and complements the colour palette (dark shades of grey and black) well. The creatives are at par with the storyline. Each and every element has significance and adds to the viewer’s experience.
The only thing I felt could’ve been better was the BGM i.e. the background music. It lacked that captivating tone which KGF had. One may not remember the BGM or any of the songs for that matter. At least, that’s the case for the dubbed version.
I promised not to give spoilers, but this has to be said. Salaar is not a part of the KGF Universe. It’s a movie on its own, which is capable of having its own Universe, given the complex plot and the large number of layered characters. And therefore, it has a sequel.
Overall, it is surely worth watching once. If you’re an action lover, even more. For me, it was a 3/5. I’m waiting for part 2. 🙂
PS: Do comment your opinion about the movie:)