Game Changer (Telugu)
I was mildly worried when director Shankar revealed that his political drama Game Changer was designed with the short attention span of the new-age audience in mind, catering to those who thrive on instant gratification through Instagram reels. As promised, the movie is fast-paced albeit patchy, but entertaining nonetheless.
The film stars Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, SJ Suryah, Anjali, Srikanth, Jayaram, and others. Ram Charan plays Ram Nandan, an upright IAS officer appointed as the District Collector of Visakhapatnam. The story follows the predictable route of an honest officer confronting a corrupt politician. However, this politician, Mopidevi (played by SJ Suryah), is a Minister and heir apparent to the Chief Minister. While the setup for this confrontation isn’t staged well, the plot gains momentum when Mopidevi and Ram Nandan challenge each other.
Director Shankar, known for his anti-corruption films, satisfies audiences by turning the lead character into a ruthless extremist with zero tolerance for lawbreakers. However, unlike his earlier works, Shankar abandons his inventive methods of torturing and killing the corrupt. Instead, Game Changer focuses on how the protagonist uses the rule book to curtail illegal activities. The mind games and twists keep the proceedings engaging, with Thaman’s high-octane music amplifying the style and narrative.
Kiara Advani, who plays Deepika, does not have much of a role, but her character is a really important one as it redefines Ram Nandan from being a hot-headed man to a shrewd one. Owing to the fast-paced editing of the film, the female lead comes across as a disruption to the proceedings. A little more focus on the writing of her character would have given more heft to the film.
The emotional core of the film lies in the backstory of Appanna (Ram Charan in a double role) and Parvathi (played by Anjali). Ram Charan delivers an impressive performance as Appanna, an aspiring politician with a speech impediment, capturing the character’s pain and frustration. Coincidentally, his portrayal is reminiscent of his brilliant performance in Rangasthalam, where he played a character with a hearing impairment. Anjali, even with limited screen time, leaves a lasting impact with her heartfelt performance.
The writing, however, has several loopholes. For instance, there is no clear explanation of how Samuthirakani identifies Ram Nandan as Appanna’s son. If the recognition was based on appearance, he should have realised it upon first seeing him.
While comedic actors like Sunil, Priyadarshi, Vennela Kishore, and Brahmanandam disappoint, the film is largely carried by the performances of Ram Charan, SJ Suryah, Srikanth, Jayaram, and Anjali. Jayaram, in particular, provides much-needed humor in this political drama. Sunil’s character, who walks sideways for a bizarre reason, fails to evoke laughter. This is made worse by Anjali’s similar condition stemming from a traumatic incident, which makes it difficult to enjoy the intended humor.
The interval block is intriguing and promises an exciting second half. However, the climax feels overstretched, with Shankar abandoning restraint and indulging in over-the-top action sequences, resulting in a tiring and unconvincing ending.
Despite its logical flaws, Game Changer remains a fun film, thanks to the strong performances and engaging twists. If you can overlook its shortcomings, Shankar’s latest offering provides an entertaining cinematic experience, definitely better than his last outing, Indian-2.
Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither TNM nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the film’s producers or any other members of its cast and crew.