Written by: Team NaThing
Once Upon A Time… There Lived A Ghost!
Goes the theme of the recent Kamal Haasan’s blockbuster Vikram. The Tamil film in a way reimagined Kamal Haasan as an action hero keeping in mind his age and stature. It’s a timely reinvention when all the senior stars barring the Mollywood legendary duo are going through a lean phase in terms of box office returns and critical acclaim.
On the other hand, in Telugu Cinema, their Mega Star is still in confusion as to what type of stories and films suit him. Box office result doesn’t matter, in actuality, if one is a big star.
The reining generation is populated with highly talented and mightily commercial minded lead actors who can deliver local flavoured and universally consumable subjects. But the industry lacks a proper action hero in the age group of 50 plus who can pull the audience of the yore to the theatres alongside convincing the younger audience. Just like Keanu Reeves did in Hollywood. Here comes Nagarjuna who can do both. Just like Reeves, if not in the level of Tom Cruise with Top Gun.
The Ghost Review: The Expectation
This is where the lead critic and one of the brains behind Team NaThing pinned his hopes on today’s release The Ghost starring Akkineni Nagarjuna. As the director of this film is Praveen Sattaru who has yet to deliver a badly made film, the expectations are placed on the proper team.
Let’s check Nagarjuna’s Ghost review if the Indian version of Keanu Reeves arrived and delivered a worthy success that can continue the legacy of Tamahagane.
The trailer and the promos have already given away in the way of the story. So, no need to meditate on something that’s already known and in circulation. Let’s concentrate on the essentials.
The Ghost: Analysis – writing and direction
The film starts with a fantastic action episode which makes you sit on the edge of the seat. Nagarjuna convinces you that he’s not just a capable action hero but The Action Hero. He’s believable in the stunt sequence. Sonal Chauhan matched his energy and charms. Their chemistry too worked very well. But the action sequence doesn’t have much to do with the film, so we cannot invest much in it. Still the way it’s shot and executed is simply first rate and acts as a trailer for what’s more to come.
It’s followed by a song sequence giving vibes that it’s going to be another regular action film Nag has done in the last decade. But once the story comes to the basic plot in the duration between 20 and 25 minutes, you’ll understand you’re going to witness something different. The basic storyline is so common in action films worldwide but the way it’s narrated visually made all the difference.
Without adding unnecessary Masala coating, Praveen Sattaru injected subtle but intense emotions in the plot to keep us invested in the characters. This leads to an extremely well shot and mightily executed interval block that scored a few brownie points from the fans of the genre too. The second act continues with similar intensity but starts to go down steadily till the so-called pre-climax moments. Then as a musical symphony which lulls the audience suddenly delivers high notes, the film quickly picks up pace.
This is a tougher way to bring the audience to their feet, but the director of The Ghost didn’t falter.
The Ghost Video Review (Our Sister Project)
The Ghost Review: Crew
The music by Mark K. Robin is good overall but doesn’t always give you highs. He should have taken cues from Vikram on how Anirudh did a fabulous job of creating a texture. The climax is violent and heavy. So, his score should have kept the proceedings more upbeat than going with the same intensity of the director’s work. The cinematography by Mukesh G is excellent and deserves a special article on a few things.
Editing by Dharmendra Kakarala is fine. The art department did a fantabulous job keeping in mind the director’s vision, cinematography scheme, and the mood and scale of the film. Production values are top notch and Praveen Sattaru’s visual sense is on complete display here.
The Ghost Review: The Cast
Nagarjuna is at his best in action sequences and his screen presence and body language exuded the aura of a typical action hero. He’s equally good in tender moments and emoted decently. Subtlety is the key word here. Sonal Chauhan did a decent job in the lead actor’s romantic interest and partner in crime. Gul Panag is okayish. rest of the actors are good in various degrees (from really good to okay).
To conclude
This type of filmmaking and execution aren’t too popular here in recent times. Also, sticking to the core of the subject and lacking in humour may dampen the feel for a section of the audience. But this is a must watch for genre film lovers who love to watch films like Reeve’s latest John Wicks and Liam Neesham’s best works.
The Ghost is a near flawless film for a neutral eye. Of course, there are moments where logics are left in thin air (this is what willing suspension of disbelief is meant for), the first 40 minutes of the second half lacking in high energy moments. But as a whole package…
The Ghost is an epic action thriller that reinvents Nagarjuna. But the box office success of this film decides if this Avatar (which is so good) of Nagarjuna continues onward march.
Rating: 3 out of 4
Genuine review…..