Ustaad Bhagat Singh Review
“Pawan Kalyan shows up, but the film he's in doesn't.”
Agent Athreya··Action, Comedy, Drama
Harish Shankar
Critic Scores
Overview
Ugadi ki gift ga Harish Shankar tho kalisey Pawan Kalyan's return to full-on commercial masala. That was the promise. What we got instead is a 151-minute reminder that star power alone can't fill a screenplay-shaped hole. Ustaad Bhagat Singh has the swag, the sets, and the superstar, but it keeps tripping over its own script.
Story
Bhagat Singh (Pawan Kalyan) is a no-nonsense cop who operates somewhere between vigilante and system-buster, cleaning up whatever the government can't handle, or won't. The story eventually pits him against Chadala Marri Nalla Nagappa (R. Parthiban), a villain with actual menace, in a conflict that involves politics, regional crime, and a lot of shouting. There's also a romance with RJ Leela (Sreeleela), a second heroine (Raashii Khanna) who seems to have wandered in from a different film entirely, and enough callbacks to PK's back catalogue to fill a greatest hits album.
What Works
The Mahankali fight sequence is exactly what fans bought a ticket for, Pawan Kalyan in full power-mode, commanding every frame. Single screens must have been electric during this one.
Parthiban as Nalla Nagappa is the film's unsung MVP. He brings real weight to a villain role and the face-offs between him and PK have genuine spark. You wish the script gave him more to do.
Pawan Kalyan's styling and screen presence, Gulte said it best: this is his best look in recent times. The 'Dekhlenge Saala' song has him dancing with full energy, and yes, it lands.
Sreeleela in the second half, her love track with PK is surprisingly easy to watch, warm without being forced. She brings more to this film than the material deserves.
K.S. Ravikumar as the teacher-turned-CM breaks from his usual slapstick and delivers something more grounded. Small role, but effective.
What Doesn't
The first half is genuinely rough. It feels rushed, stitched together, and the comedy lands only occasionally. When a mass entertainer loses the crowd in the first 60 minutes, the second half has to work overtime, and here it manages only partial recovery.
Raashii Khanna's 'Shloka' role is a mystery wrapped in a subplot. She reportedly signed without reading the script, and honestly, you can tell from watching. The character has no real connection to the main plot. It's not her fault; it's just an underdeveloped writing problem.
The messaging in parts of the film gets uncomfortable, a villain named 'Baghdadi' with a 'pakka jihadi' catchphrase, scenes of performative nationalism, and a sexual assault subplot that's used as a hero-elevation device rather than treated with any seriousness. These aren't just weak writing; they're choices that leave a bad taste.
Technical Aspects
Ayananka Bose's cinematography is the film's cleanest win, the forest locales are lush, the massive sets (reportedly built on ECR) look expensive, and the colour grading gives the film a premium feel. Devi Sri Prasad's album is a disappointment though. Outside of 'Dekhlenge Saala,' it's forgettable. And Thaman S, reportedly brought on for background score just days before release, shows exactly that. It's loud, scattered, and doesn't elevate the big moments the way a Thaman score should.
What the Audience Is Saying
Fans who came for Power Star got enough to walk out satisfied. PK's swag moments, the Tholi Prema remix ('Ee Manase' callback hits different in a theatre full of 90s kids), and Parthiban's menace give the hardcore faithful their money's worth. General audiences, though, are calling it outdated and below expectations. The drop from ₹41 crore opening day to ₹1.14 crore by Day 7 tells you everything, word of mouth didn't travel.
Athreya's Verdict
If you grew up whistling Jalsa dialogues and can suspend expectations completely, there's a decent 40-minute experience buried inside Ustaad Bhagat Singh's 151 minutes. But Harish Shankar, the same guy who gave us the tight, energetic Gabbar Singh, seems to have been making a film for 2014 in 2026. Pawan Kalyan deserves a comeback film that matches his aura, not one that borrows from it. Manageable for fans at a Sunday matinee; everyone else, wait for Netflix.
