Salaar marks the coming together of Prabhas and Prashanth Neel and it is a mass actioner. The film hit the theaters today and here is what we felt after watching the same.

Story: Deva(Prabhas) and Varadha(Prithviraj) are blood friends but are separated after a fateful night. They live separately while they grow up. But they reunite when the violent city of Khansaar demands it and all hell breaks loose. What do they have to do with the hierarchy of Khansaar? How does the power struggle there affect them? 

How did the actors perform?

Prabhas is the main man and he delivers a towering performance. Looks wise, he looks jarred in the first half but comes back to his best in the latter. But his mass screen presence is a treat for fans. He has excelled in the mass action blocks. 

Prithviraj Sukumara looks fitting in the role and he delivered a refined performance. Shruti Haasan's character is a mood-killer. Her character is unnecessarily piqued. The rest of the cast, including Sriya Reddy, Jagapathi Babu, and others are good in their roles. The film has too many characters and they all sport dark shade looks.

What about the off screen finesse?

Prashanth Neel is a mass director. He delivers on this front with a few mass action blocks like temple fight, coal mine fight and climax action block. But his storytelling is patchy. The first half has lag and the second half has too much content that confuses the viewers. But they are fairly compensated by the adrenaline-pumping action blocks. 

Music by Ravi Barsur is a mega letdown. His songs are alright but the background score is a disaster class. The lack of theme music is a disaster. The music is bland and looks out of sync. The cinematography is of elite quality though.

Analysis:

Salaar is a violent film form outset. There are enough action blocks in the film to make for a satisfactory watch for mass lovers. But on the narration front, it has a handful of flaws, this is where Prashanth Neel stutters.

The opening half is dedicated to establish Prabhas's character and there is a fair bit of lag. Things only pick up towards the interval block and this is a good one. The real story starts when Prabhas enters Khansaar and this starts in the second half. The world of Khansaar is enormous and we are introduced to all the character there. This is tiring but it sets the stage for the second part. 

In the midst of the action blocks, there is the attempt to propel drama but the emotional connect is missing. The lack of emotional connect takes a toll on the drama factor. 

The climax has the right punch and it sets the stage for what is to come in the second part. Action and storytelling are mixed well here.

Verdict: Salaar is a film where Prabhas shines as a mass hero and Neel blows hot and cold with mediocre storytelling but good action filmmaking. It can be watched by mass lovers with good interest but for the rest, it is a one-time watch

Rating: 2.75/5