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'Bro' movie review: A fantasy drama on time that makes two hours feel like forever

Ten minutes into the film, Markandeya alias Mark (Sai Dharam Tej) dies in a car accident that he is seemingly responsible for. A shot of a white car tumbling across a highway cuts to darkness. We slowly see Mark emerge, unharmed, crying out for help. We then see the silhouette of a man, the superstar himself. Mark yells, “Who are you? Where am I? Show me your face.” No response. Then we get the cue. “Power ledha.” The lights shine on, revealing the power star himself, dressed in his famous Vayyari Bhama garb, dancing to the song. Then we see something downright farcical. The man is dancing, well, swaying lightly, as we see him morph into double, triple and multiple identical translucent figures, moving along to the acoustic hook from Vayyari… All the build-up and tease, followed by that one meta line acting as an OTP for the hero to emerge. Phata poster, nikla hero. Phir kya? It is all downhill from here, my friends, as the rest of the film goes on to replicate the heartbreaking mediocrity the Ameerpet edit of VFX Pawan Kalyans displayed. 

For the most part, Bro is Mark’s story. He gets the Arjun Reddy style unlikeable-but-successful character arc. He finishes an entire workout but leaves his breakfast halfway. He will pay for his sisters’ education but never pays attention to them. He is also extremely fastidious with his time. He fires people on a whim because they have dared to waste his time. He sees his girlfriend Ramya (Ketika Sharma) as an appointment to be squeezed in between work and more work. Mark’s loved ones are the opportunity cost he voluntarily incurs for a coveted promotion in his company. Bro, in that way, is quite the apt title here, considering the whole ‘time is money, money is success’ mantra that drives Mark is also the beloved gospel of our podcast ‘bros’.  

Samuthirakani and his writer-collaborator Trivikram are more inclined to present Mark in a grudgingly positive light, but more on that later. Pawan Kalyan is time, here. If Anne Hathaway suggested that time can be a physical dimension people can climb up and down like a hill in Interstellar — Samuthirakani wants us to know that time can also be reimagined as this demigod superstar we have all grown up loving. 

But who really is this personification of time? This is where the movie entropies rapidly. Trivikram steps in to deliver some philosophical one-liners, which quickly turn into unsubtle digs against a certain Chief Minister. We also have Thaman’s rousing Sanskritised background score trying its best to defibrillate this otherwise comatose film. When we combine Thaman’s contributions with the fact that Bro is alternatively titled Bro The Avatar — we might just be talking about Kaala Bhairava, the Shaivite manifestation of time, reality and retribution. But this is a wasted conclusion since we see Pawan Kalyan’s character borrow his character traits from his own film-mythos-graph. In OMG (Pawan Kalyan features in this film’s Telugu remake), Akshay Kumar’s Sri Krishna apes the character traits of the latter. So we see this actor play the flute, carry a peacock feather keychain and inhale blocks of butter from Paresh Rawal’s fridge. But here, Pawan Kalyan’s Time mowa bro is a highlights reel of the actor in his prime. He prefers chai from a cutting glass (like his character from Thammudu), sings Aadavari Matalaku Ardhale Verule in a car and dances to Jalsa Jalsa in a pub. Costume designer Neeta Lulla chimes into the film’s overall meta-ness, her costumes are an ode to the actor’s clutter-breaking, forever cool fits from the 2000s. 

At this point, a senior star paying meta lip service to his older, more iconic roles is not new. Lokesh Kanagaraj did it with Kamal Haasan in Vikram. Closer home, Bobby Kolli pulled it off with clap backs to vintage Chiranjeevi in Waltair Veerayya. But the trick misfires with Bro, especially considering Kushi, Jalsa and Tholi Prema had some wide and successful re-releases at a time as recent as last year. Speaking of which, how did a song from  Bheemla Nayak feature in this vintage mix? I get that time is relative and stories are subjective, but the only way ‘one year back’ would count as vintage is if human beings had a lifespan of three years. The shtick feels a lot more tired when you realise that Pawan Kalyan is running his own experiments with time, using his past career to propel his future one — cinema be damned.

The rest of the film does little to help its own case. Bro is a remake of a Tamil feature that was once originally a play, but that never meant actors should continue to stay in a single place, swapping the stage for endless green screenshots. Sai Dharam Tej is equally immobile in his acting, as he pantomimes in tandem with Pawan Kalyan’s sluggish and disinterested demeanour. 

Surprisingly, Mark’s family left a greater impression on me than Tej and Pawan Kalyan. There is a sister who knows she is unfairly resented, but still respects her brother. The other sister and brother hide their own relationships, despite Mark being open with his. The film’s only redeeming grace is the way it treats patriarchy. Now when I say patriarchy, I don’t mean it in the way that word has earned its demonic status today. I mean it quite literally. Mark is the oldest child of his family, its sole breadwinner and patriarch after their father’s demise. When he rises to lecture the women in his household, the girls see their father. The mother sees her own father. Mark is riddled with anxiety, about getting his siblings ‘settled’. Turns out, his family needs no help from him. In one of the film’s only aha! moments, we see the ‘nobody needing Mark’ angle take a deterministic turn.

And when Mark realises that it is he who needs his family more than the other way round, he begins to redeem himself. The film though, not so much. This is an interesting time for Pawan Kalyan fans, to watch him transition from a place that made him the power star to a place that could give him actual power. We have seen him build a meta-narrative beneficial for politics in both Vakeel Saab and Bheemla Nayak. But Bro is a slippery beast. Star power means showing greatness, something mortals cannot achieve. But we have Pawan Kalyan in a film that has come down to our level, instead of us wishing to reach theirs, with all the Jaya Surya and Mavayya meme clapbacks. 

It is not easy at all to watch this ‘torchbearer’ feature in a rather torturous film. It feels much more insulting when the star is content with scheduling this piecemeal effort film between politics the way Mark scheduled his time between work for Ramya. We have had 25 glorious years with Pawan Kalyan. Maybe, our time is over.

Cast: Pawan Kalyan, Sai Dharam Tej, Ketika Sharma, Priya Prakash Warrier, Rohini Molleti Director: Samuthirakani 

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'Bro' Movie Review: What The Hell, Bro!

Movie: Bro Rating: 2/5 Banner: People Media Factory, Zee Studios Cast: Pawan Kalyan, Sai Dharam Tej, Priya Prakash Varrier, Ketika Sharma, Brahmanandam, Subbaraju, Urvashi Rautela and others Screenplay and dialogues: Trivikram Srinivas Music: S Thaman Director of Photography: Sujith Vaassudev Editor: Naveen Nooli Production design: A.S. Prakash Producer: T G Vishwa Prasad Directed by: Samuthirakani Release Date: July 28, 2023

Although there isn't as much hype surrounding it compared to Pawan Kalyan’s previous films, "Bro" is certainly one of the most anticipated films of the year. In the film, Pawan Kalyan played a god, and it also starred his nephew, Sai Dharam Tej. 

Let's see how this film turned out.

Story: Mark (Sai Dharam Tej) is the oldest of three siblings, with two sisters and a younger brother. He lives with his mother and sisters, and he is always looking for ways to make money, never giving his time to anyone, not even his girlfriend Ramya (Ketika Sharma). In addition, he is a control freak.

He gets killed in a car accident on his way from Vizag to Hyderabad.

Mark begs Time, also known as Titan (Pawan Kalyan), the god of time, for more time so that he can complete his duties. Titan agrees, but only for the next 90 days.

How will Titan teach Mark the true meaning of life in the next 90 days, and what will Mark do in those 90 days?

Artistes’ Performances: Pawan Kalyan appears throughout the movie. Despite denying being God and referring to himself as Time, Pawan Kalyan's role is intended to be another version of "Gopala Gopala." His style, reminiscent of some of his older films, seems okay at first, but the role becomes more casual after a while. Pawan Kalyan's only activity in the film is walking or sitting and mouthing philosophical dialogues.

Sai Dharam Tej fits the bill. The main road accident in the story resembles his real-life accident. However, his performance is fairly routine, and he appears to be out of shape.

The banter between Pawan Kalyan and Sai Dharam Tej contains moments of laughter, which may appeal more to fans than to the general audience.

Priya Prakash Varrier portrays Sai Dharam Tej's sister. Ketika Sharma's screen time is limited. Vennela Kishore, Prudhvi, as well as Tanikella Bharani play irrelevant roles. Raja Chembolu is okay.

Technical Excellence: Among the technical departments, cinematography is one that stands out. Sujith Vasudevan's work is especially noticeable in the sequences of Pawan Kalyan's entrance and the final scenes.

Thaman's songs aren't particularly catchy. The dialogues are merely adequate, nothing to write home about.

Highlights: The message

Drawback: No strength in the second half Pawan Kalyan’s character design Lack of strong emotions Weak songs

Analysis "Bro" is a remake of the Tamil film "Vinodaya Sitham," which was also directed by Samuthirakani. Simply put, it's the tale of a man who, after dying, is given the opportunity to make amends for his mistakes. The storyline is extremely familiar.

There are two major changes in the Telugu adaptation. In the Tamil version, the protagonist is a middle-aged man with a wife and two daughters. Here, the protagonist is a young man played by Sai Dharam Tej. Another difference is the casting of a major star like Pawan Kalyan in the part of "time." In the Tamil version, Samuthirakani played the role of "time."

Although these two alterations may have held promise on paper, they are not effective on the screen.

The first half of the film moves quickly, establishing Sai Dharam Tej's family and life, as well as the accident and his meeting with time. Time agreeing to give Sai Dharam Tej another 90 days to live, and so on, are narrated with a dose of comedy. Pawan Kalyan recreating some of his popular songs sounded funny at first. However, after the intermission, the film takes a complete 180-degree turn. It becomes too simple to take the proceedings seriously.

The writing's hollowness comes to life in the second half. All of the incidents or sequences are overly predictable. Furthermore, Pawan Kalyan and Sai Dharam Tej's bar conversation and Tanikella Bharani's comedy track look ridiculous. The character of Prudhvi has no significance in the story.

Pawan Kalyan's re-enactment of old songs has also grown tedious at this point. In one scene, Pawan Kalyan simply rolls on top of a vehicle and laughs. Such sequences demonstrate that the team does not have enough material for the runtime.

Though the story's philosophy and message - everything happens for a reason and that we should treat others with kindness and compassion - are admirable, the resolution is too formulaic. 

Attempts to make Pawan Kalyan's character more commercial have backfired and hurt the story. The soul of the original movie is gone. This is why the story loses its momentum in the important and final act.

Plus, the soundtrack is not the film's strong suit.

Overall, "Bro" has a promising start, and Pawan Kalyan's early sequences are entertaining, but the film loses steam as it becomes more routine. It also has plastic emotions. There is a lack of strength in the writing, and the important sequences feel rushed.

Bottom Line: Poor Writing

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Bro… What happened?

What it's about

Remaking his own 2021 Tamil film, director Samuthirakani presents BRO, a Telugu adaptation that doesn’t compare to its original. The premise itself had proven potential, but instead of understanding Mark’s struggle as a breadwinner who took care of his family after the death of their father, the film offers spectacle in response. The larger-than-life, supernatural scenes could have worked, had the film dedicated them for character development (and a bit more time on the VFX). With the backing of the global giant Netflix, and the critical acclaim towards the original film, it’s a wonder how a film like BRO could end up this way.

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An arrogant man is given a second chance to fix his mistakes after death. An arrogant man is given a second chance to fix his mistakes after death. An arrogant man is given a second chance to fix his mistakes after death.

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• Trivikram Srinivas
• Urvashi Rautela
• Pawan Kalyan
• 33 User reviews
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BRO Review: Sai Dharam Tej's film celebrates Pawan Kalyan more than the story

Director samuthikani's 'bro', starring pawan kalyan and sai dharam tej, is a telugu remake of the tamil film, 'vinodhaya sitham'. while the story remains the same, the telugu version is an ode to pawan kalyan, says our review..

Listen to Story

• 'BRO' released in theatres on July 28.
• The film features Sai Dharam Tej and Pawan Kalyan.
• The film is directed by Samuthirakani.

Release Date: 28 Jul, 2023

If there’s one film family that is dominating the Telugu film industry, it is the Konidela family. Nearly 10 members of the family have a market of their own in Tollywood. When two stars of the family, Power Star Pawan Kalyan and Sai Dharam Tej, join hands together, it intrigues the audience. For their first film together, they chose a Tamil film, 'Vinodhaya Sitham', directed by Samuthirakani. Let’s find out if ‘BRO’ has lived up to expectations!

Markandeya AKA Mark (Sai Dharam Tej) is a man weighed down by the responsibilities on his shoulders. Due to the demise of his father, Mark had to step up and lead the family and be the patriarch. He has three siblings (two sisters and a brother) and a mother to take care of, apart from his work and love life. However, life is mysterious and he meets his end way sooner than he thinks.

Enter Titan (Pawan Kalyan), a God of time of sorts, who gives Mark a second chance at his life to turn things over. Mark is given an ultimatum of 90 days to fulfil all his wishes. He always lacked time for his loved ones. But, with just 90 days in hand, Mark puts his family first and tries to undo a lot of things he regrets.

Samuthirakani’s 'Vinodhaya Sitham' was a film that was showered with love. The fantasy film was loaded with questions about life. It makes you wonder about the control we have over our family and our life. And the thought of what would happen to our family after our demise is something we’ve all thought about. 'Vinodhaya Sitham' answered all of them. One of the main reasons the film worked was because of its taut screenplay and solid performances from Samuthirakani and Thambi Ramaiah.

This is where the Telugu remake, ‘BRO’, falters. The Telugu version is too long, courtesy Samuthirakani, who had decided to give in to the demands of a commercial film. He included special numbers and umpteen references to Pawan Kalyan’s career and his political ideologies. In fact, ‘Bro’ becomes a star worship vehicle instead of what it was supposed to be.

Pawan Kalyan is in supreme form and has had maximum fun here. When he dances or performs his songs, such as 'Emi Sodara' or 'La La Bheemla', you cheer for him unknowingly. That’s his charm! That’s his swag. These extra additions act as a speed breaker, thereby diluting the emotional core of the film. What worked in the Tamil version failed to work in the Telugu reboot because of its commercialisation.

Sai Dharam Tej, as a man who is racing against time, is good for the most part. When it comes to emotional sequences, his performance could have been better. The women in the film, Rohini, Priya Prakash Varrier and Yuva Lakshmi, have solid roles. Their character arcs make us feel involved and you tend to root for them when the film is working.

‘BRO’ could have been a faithful remake, had it toned down the extra additions. With special numbers and references, it becomes a watered-down version of ‘Vinodhaya Sitham’.

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BRO Movie Review & Rating

• July 29, 2023 / 04:00 PM IST

Cast & Crew

• Pawan Kalyan , Sai Dharam Tej (Hero)
• Ketika Sharma (Heroine)
• Priya Prakash Varrier , Brahmanandam , Subbaraju (Cast)
• Samuthirakani (Director)
• T. G. Vishwa Prasad , Vivek Kuchibotla (Producer)
• Thaman S (Music)
• Sujith Vaassudev (Cinematography)
• Release Date : July 28 , 2023

BRO is Pawan Kalyan’s latest film, where he plays a key role. Sai Dharam Tej is the main hero and the film has been directed by Samuthirakani, who has directed the original. The film has released today, and read our review to find out if the film is worth that hype or not.

Story: Mark(Sai Dharam Tej) is a family man who has the responsibility of getting his siblings settled. But he passes away in a tragic car accident. He then goes to the heavens and meets Time God played by Pawan Kalyan. Upset that he could not do anything for his family, Mark asks for one more chance to set things right. The Time God, not only gives him a chance but also comes along with him back in life. How Mark uses this opportunity to set things right is the story.

Performances: Sai Dharam has the major role but he does not do well with his performance. He had a very good role to showcase his emotions but Tej looks clueless in the film and gives the same funny expression for all the major scenes.

But it is Pawan Kalyan who steals the show with his histrionics. Be it his dialogue delivery or fun mannerisms, Pawan kills it and his fans will love his solid avatar. Rohini was good in her role and Ketika Sharma was impressive. The rest of the cast was just okay.

Technicalities: Thaman has given a very disappointing score for the film. Not one song impresses us. But his BGM was decent and lifted the film in key areas. The manner in which the film is edited looks good but in that a key emotional angle also goes missing. The screenplay by Samuthirakani is decent only in the second half. The camerawork and production values are decent.

Analysis: BRO is the official remake of the Tamil film, Vinodhaya Sitham. Trivikram Srinivas has given the dialogue and has added his touch to the film. While the adaptation is good, the execution is not that great. The key emotions in the film go for a toss. There are many scenes which could have been elevated well but that does not happen at all. One gets an empty feeling seeing all the family scenes. They look forced in many areas and the second half is rushed.

When compared to the second, the first half of the film is good. There are enough fan moments that the fans will enjoy and this part has been neatly pulled off. A lot is going through Sai Dharam Tej’s mind and he needs to show the pain which he got as a second chance in life. But as the film is rushed, the pain is not conveyed properly.

There are many ways to showcase realization scenes but the director Samuthirkani did not elevate this aspect. As Sai Tej holds the key, his performance would have lifted the film well. But in the end, he disappoints and hams in the film. But one should give credit to director Smauthirakani as he has showcased Pawan Kalyan superbly and that will be loved by the fans.

Verdict: Overall, BRO is for ardent Pawan Kalyan fans. The star hero does not disappoint the fans and he is a show stealer. But the rest of the emotions and execution in BRO is half-baked and ends as a rushed affair.

Rating: 2.5/5

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