OG movie review: Pawan Kalyan kills, slays, causes mayhem in impressively stylish gangsta flick, Emraan Hashmi gets perfect Telugu debut as villain

A still from Pawan Kalyan’s OG

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Director: Sujeeth

Cast: Pawan Kalyan, Emraan Hashmi, Priyanka Arul Mohan, Arjun Das, Sriya Reddy, Prakash Raj

Music: S Thaman

Runtime: 2hr 49min

Where to watch: In cinemas

Rating: 4 stars 

Set in the era of the Bombay underworld, 1980, crime syndicates are growing strong, and the streets are turning red. As the crime rises, a feared gangster returns after years in exile. His comeback frightens the overlords, and they want to send him back into oblivion forever. While protecting his family, and later the city, Ojas Gambheera (Pawan Kalyan) proves why ‘They Call Him OG’. 

It has been two months since the failure of Hari Hara Veera Mallu, and Pawan Kalyan is back with another pan-India masala entertainer. This time, he’s lethal, he’s dangerously stylish, and surprisingly entertaining in the gangster flick that goes beyond the mundane storytelling. 

Over the years, the vintage underworld crime dramas have caused fatigue among the audience. We still enjoy movies such as Vaastav, Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai, Shootout at Lokhandwala, Shootout at Wadala, and the KGF franchise. Some films left us deeply heartbroken, disheartened or simply disappointed (read: Kabzaa, Thug Life, Mahaan, and Malik). OG, also titled They Call Him OG, has a template storytelling, but what made it an entertaining watch is the stylish presentation and smart writing, adding twists and turns that will keep you glued till the last frame. 

Honestly, as a viewer, I didn’t go for the film with many expectations. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was having flashes of Rocky Bhai or even Coolie. I stepped into a 70-80% packed cinema hall, thinking that it might be an average fare, satisfying only the die-hard fans. But by the end of the film, I was proven wrong, and I’m glad about it. OG have a few similarities with recent flicks, but it stands out due to its own merits. 

OG isn’t just a gangster film where we see bloodshed, gang war, violent killings, gunshots, explosions, but it’s also layered with a human drama, betrayal, inner-family conflicts, loss, and a redemption that will keep you hooked. Writer-director Sujeeth (who has earlier helmed Prabhas’ Saaho) has also redeemed himself as a storyteller. OG is balanced with eye-popping action set pieces, gruesome violence and drama, sprinkled with twists and turns that will surprise you. 

Speaking about the performances, OG belongs to one and only Pawan Kalyan. He will make you cry, be thrilled, and leave you amazed with his justice to the character arc. Pawan speaking Marathi after storming a police station is one of the highlights of the film. He’s smooth in action, slays an army of baddies with a katana and nunchucks seamlessly, and makes you believe in his terror. Apart from action, Pawan gets a chance to display his emotions and score full marks in it. 

Emraan Hashmi is the second-best factor of the film after Pawan. The Bollywood actor made a debut in Telugu cinema, and boy, what an entry. Whenever Emi turns bad, he makes evil look good. I must admit that after ages, someone has presented Emraan so stylishly sinister. This year, Aryan Khan and Sujeeth (both young filmmakers) have established how to present an actor of his calibre. Emraan plays Omi, the young blood who wishes to take revenge on Ojas. Emraan’s measured tone and ruthless expressions do the talking. The clash between Omi and OG will leave you amazed to the core. Other than these two, Arjun Das puts up a fine performance, adding the unpredictability factor high. Prakash Raj and Tej Sapru lend good support as the elder-most members of the two gang families. Priyanka Arul Mohan is good, but still underutilised. 

The movie does have a few shortcomings, with VFX being the first negative factor. There are a few shots of bloodshed, helicopter amputated hands, and heads that still look a little cartoonish. Thaman does well in BGM, but sadly fails to give a memorable soundtrack. Also, the cliffhanger ending looks unnecessary. However, despite these drawbacks, OG is definitely a must-watch and does full justice to Pawan Kalyan and the gangster drama genre. The film will surely do well in the Telugu markets. 

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