Pailwaan Movie Review: Only Kiccha Sudeep is worth watching in this banal film

Kiccha Sudeep's Pailwaan, which has been released in five languages, tells the same old stereotypical boxing story that we have seen many times.

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Pailwaan Movie Review: Only Kiccha Sudeep is worth watching in this banal film
Kiccha Sudeep in Pailwaan

There is nothing new to Sudeep's Pailwaan, directed by S Krishna. The film is a pretty straightforward, cliched, and simplistic star-vehicle that strives to check all the boxes of a stereotypical commercial film.However, the film falls short of becoming a disaster, and that credit goes to Sudeep and his engaging fight sequences.

When we are introduced to Krishna (Sudeep), he is just a skinny kid, who is seen punching above his weight, literally. He takes down three big boys to win a bet that would get him some food for his poor and hungry friends. This moves Sarkar (Suniel Shetty), a local wrestling coach, who is looking to create an international champion. Sarkar takes Krishna under his wing, and he grows into an unbeatable wrestling beast with a good heart.

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Sarkar wants Krishna to follow him and take up a life of celibacy until he becomes a champion. But Krishna falls for Rukmani (Akanksha Singh) and marries her. This ends up with the father/mentor asking his son/protege to not use the skills he acquired through his teaching. So, Krishna and Rukmani go into exile. The film could have then just been all about the reconciliation of the father and son, and protege making his mentor proud. But there are too many subplots in Pailwaan and none helps the film.

There is an interlude involving a one-dimensional villain, Raja Rana Pratap Varma, played by Sushant Singh. Pratap Varma, hailing from a royal family, still thinks of himself as a king. The hero beats him in the ring. The humiliated royalty is looking for revenge.

On top of this, another track brings out the social consciousness of the hero, who wants to help and encourage poor but talented children. This is just some random interlude that looks glaringly out of place and forcefully stitched to the script. These subplots just make the main storyline, involving another antagonist Tony (Kabir Kuhan Singh), look like an addendum with no significance.

There is a lot of Hindu mythological undertones in this saffron-tinged movie: references to Krishna and Kamsa, the exile of the couple, and Hindu god Hanuman's omnipresence, etc. But these too don't make much of a difference.

The fight sequences are the saving grace of the film. They are well-choreographed, and Sudeep with his chiseled body, actually convinces you that he can pull off those over-the-top action sequences with ease.

Comedian Appanna and the songs by Arjun Janya are of no help either. Sudeep tries his best to sell this bland story, but the utter predictability and lack of zing turn his efforts futile. The end product is just about a bearable and middling action drama.

(This review is based on the Tamil-dubbed version of Pailwaan, which is titled Bailwaan.)

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