GAME CHANGER (TELUGU) (2025)

A sort of return to form for Director Shankar who stumbled badly and delivered a disaster in Indian sequel which was his previous outing. The story from director Karthik Subbaraj pits an upright and dynamic bureaucrat against a power hungry politician buttressed by a corrupt system.

The writing and execution follows Shankar's familiar template with some contemporary updates. Yet, it largely works and delivers the wares for a commercial potboiler, thanks largely to Ram Charan firing on all cylinders and powering it through a double role. He gets able support from an ensemble cast including SJ Suryah as a menacing antagonist, a goofy Jayaram, Srikanth, Samuthirakani, Anjali, and Kiara Advani besides several others who appear in a blink-n-miss minor roles like Achyuth Kumar, Vennela Kishore, and Brahmanandam.

Shankar has continued to splurge on the making including songs mounted on grandiose scale with eye popping colours that saturate the large screen from edge to edge. Ditto for his mandatory emotional flashback stretch which is at best average and is utterly predictable despite dramatic gravitas of Ram Charan and Anjali trying their best. Nevertheless, the cat and mouse game between the leads has enough drama and punchy twists to sustain momentum and interest.

While Shankar has upped his game from his previous debacle, this is still a far cry from his yesteryear blockbusters which find several echoes through the movie. If you keep your expectations limited, this is a fairly engaging game.

WORTH A ONE TIME WATCH !

RATING - 3/5