Director: Prashanth Neel
Cast: Prabhas, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Shruti Haasan, Tinu Anand, Eshwari Rao, Jagapathi Babu, Sriya Reddy, Garuda Ram
Available in: Theatres
Duration: 172 minutes
Besides all its visual patterns (like the grandeur of sets and the aesthetic gore), several other elements such as the power of promises and narrative strength in Salaar tell you that it's a Prashanth Neel film. All such factors are found in equal measures in Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire, lending a certain simplicity to a complex narrative. A 10-year-old boy makes a promise to his friend, and this drives the central narrative of the film, which seamlessly shifts between the streets of Assam, New York, Khansaar and a few other places.
When he creates a new world in his films, Neel’s biggest advantage is he decides the rules that restrict him. Khansaar is a country that has its own history, tribes, leaders and reasons for revenge. As a viewer, this helps you buy into his narrative without scepticism or questions. It is how Neel uses this advantage with utmost care that interests you. The film, especially the second half when we completely move into Khansaar, fills you in on a lot of details. It is easy to feel exhausted by the bombardment of information. However, it is crafted with such effort that you are wowed by the features even if it comes at the cost of feeling overwhelmed.
Salaar has given Prabhas the comeback he needed the most. He is at ease in Neel’s world as Deva, a mechanic who doubles up as the powerful hero who equals a single army. When you think about it, Deva is a very simple man and Salaar is a simple story. Deva is bound by his love for his friend (Prithviraj Sukumaran as Vardharaja Mannar aka Vardha) and mother (played by Eswari Rao) and would go to any extent to save them. If Prabhas brings his usual tenderness to the macho man Deva, Prithviraj Sukumaran brings a certain power to the vulnerable Vardha.
The action in Salaar hasn't got too much to do with innovation or style. In fact, not many of the action sequences get registered. However, the emotion that drives these sequence makes it intriguing. The fight sequences featuring Prabhas and Prithviraj are entertaining because of their camaraderie. Neel also uses humour to make the action unique, which is organically built through their friendship. Their bond is the heart and soul of the film. They stand up for each other no matter what the situation demands — be it attacking hundreds of gangsters, sacrifising a kingdom or even falling on someone’s feet.
Besides the drama that helps the action sequences, it’s the intercuts that Neel’s films have come to be known for and the editing choices that keep you engrossed. Right from the introduction sequence, every mass moment in the film is powered by Ujwal Kulkarni’s edits. There are a lot of little details Neel uses to establish certain points. Some sequences like Deva’s mother literally holding an India map to see where else they can move to live in peace, far away from the violence, may come across as silly. However, many others like the sounds made by a vehicle engine’s starting trouble used as a metaphor for a roaring comeback and a still of Prabhas in the mining area with “Danger” highlighted on the board nearby are details that add more masala to the drama.
What Salaar doesn’t get right though is a powerful narrator, which the KGF films enjoyed. We have Mime Gopi who narrates Prabhas’s past to Shruti Haasan. But whenever the film cuts back from the flashback to show us sequences of their conversations, it feels distracting. The only reason for the cuts seems to be a way for them to remind us that this is being narrated.
Prabhas and Prithviraj may lead the film, but the side characters are written with equal depth. We may have villains who hardly get a minute's worth of screen presence but the character’s need and influence in the overall purpose of the film is much larger, and even those five minutes seem to matter. Multiple people are fighting to rule Khansaar and you get a glimpse of each of them — even a group praying and vowing to seek revenge is done with skill and drama. Actors like Easwari Rao and Sriya Reddy (who play some of the leaders in the Khansaar kingdom) own the screen with their presence and dialogue delivery.
As a result, you can’t dismiss most of these scenes as just an add-on and it’s satisfying when they get wonderful pay-offs. But a few scenes drag out the narrative. For instance, there is a long stretch in the second half where Prabhas’s Deva rises as a hero in Khansaar. A group of women are being tormented and abused, and both the lead protagonists are silenced because of politics. It takes a long time to establish this sequence that even if it’s delightful to see Deva break the norms and indulge in heroism, backed by some amazing dialogue, the sequence that builds up to this tires you. Although Neel's visuals are sensitive enough, why, in 2023, do we still have long sequences to have women tortured by men in power when it hardly adds anything to the plot?
All said and done, you have to give it to Neel for the fascinating world he's built. Even if the film is 172 minutes long, you're given an enough amount of story and are always curious. The film feeds you a lot of details and also leaves several things unsaid. The best part though is that none of Salaar's flaws leave you frustrated. It only makes you interested to know what it has in store with its sequel.