Review of ‘Bro – the Avatar’: Pawan Kalyan and Sai Dharam Tej’s Efforts Can’t Salvage This Film
When a movie heavily relies on a star’s past hits, incorporating references to songs and dialogues from their blockbusters, it runs the risk of becoming a major disappointment. The Telugu film ‘Bro – the Avatar,’ featuring the uncle-nephew duo of Pawan Kalyan and Sai Dharam Tej, exemplifies this situation. Director Samuthirakani, who previously wrote and directed the Tamil original ‘Vinodhaya Sitham,’ adapts the plot to fit Pawan Kalyan’s and Sai Dharam Tej’s personas, with the assistance of Trivikram Srinivas’ screenplay and dialogues. Despite a well-intentioned story, ‘Bro’ turns out to be a movie that occasionally brings some joy but mostly fizzles into a tedious soap opera.
The core plot itself isn’t bad at all; it addresses the universal truth that none of us are indispensable, and life at home and work will move on without us. The story has the potential to work as a fable that imparts a few lessons in humility to the viewers.
The central character, Markandeyulu (played by Sai Dharam Tej), is aptly named Mark. He believes he presents the best version of himself to his family and colleagues and knows what’s best for everyone. He often uses the excuse of not having enough time.
Bro-the avatar (Telugu)
The movie explores the possibilities when Mark’s life is abruptly cut short, and time presents itself in the larger-than-life avatar of Pawan Kalyan, named Titan. Mark gets a second chance at life and has to eat humble pie. Titan, addressed as ‘bro’ by Mark, strikes a deal with him.
The introduction of ‘time’ as Titan contains numerous references to the ‘power’ associated with the ‘power star’ label. Titan is metaphorically portrayed as a porter who transports people between different worlds, reminiscent of the ‘Vayyari Bhama’ song from ‘Thammudu.’ While it’s initially entertaining, the movie starts referencing Pawan Kalyan’s past movies like ‘Tholi Prema,’ ‘Khushi,’ ‘Jalsa,’ and ‘Bheemla Nayak.’ However, the lack of original moments that could endure as pop culture references in the future dampens the enjoyment.
The film’s songs, particularly the brief segments from ‘Jalsa’ and ‘Bheemla Nayak,’ are fun and foot-tapping, overshadowing the new compositions. The same applies to the dialogues, where even a fun face-off between Brahmanandam (in a cameo) and Pawan Kalyan lacks the usual spark. The writing remains confined to fan service, with repeated references to old dialogues and the star’s political career.
Much of the first hour is spent on Mark reevaluating his perceptions of people at home and work. The sub-plots involving his siblings are predictable, and the office politics hold little surprise. While actors like Priya Prakash Varrier, Raja Chembolu, Tanikella Bharani, and Ketika Sharma (as Mark’s girlfriend) get some screen time, they fail to make a significant impact. Even Vennela Kishore is underutilized.
One supporting character who manages to leave an impression is Rohini. Though her role initially appears stereotypical, the story brings her back in a surprising manner. This portion, along with the final segment where Mark gains a fresh perspective on life and engages in a heart-to-heart conversation with Titan, are the film’s only noteworthy portions.
Pawan Kalyan and Sai Dharam Tej don’t deliver anything remarkable in ‘Bro’; they simply go through the motions of the required emotional scenes. We have witnessed better performances from both actors in the past. The subpar visual effects further contribute to the film’s disappointment.
Comparing it to Pawan Kalyan’s previous film, ‘Gopala Gopala,’ where he portrayed a divine incarnation, that movie proved to be more entertaining. In contrast, ‘Bro’ takes inspiration from its original version, ‘Vinodhaya Sitham,’ which focused on a middle-aged character played by Thambi Ramaiah. The Telugu adaptation makes adjustments to suit a younger protagonist and aims to cater to Pawan Kalyan’s fan base with added entertainment. However, due to lazy writing and execution, the film fails to live up to its potential.