Veera Simha Reddy review: An out-and-out formulaic mass entertainer

After a publicity blitzkrieg and fight for screens during the Sankranti festival season, Nandamuri Balakrishna’s Veera Simha Reddy is finally out in theatres today, 12 January.

Director Gopichand Malineni is directing Balakrishna for the first time in this action flick. It also features actors Duniya Vijay and Shruthi Haasan in key roles.

Read through if you want to know if this high-decibel action drama is worth the hype:

As the title suggests, Nandamuri Balakrishna plays the titular role of Veera Simha Reddy, a powerful and popular leader from the Rayalaseema region.

The popularity and people’s confidence that the character commands are a result of the sacrifices he made and the struggles he underwent for the greater good of people.

While Veera Simha Reddy stays away from marriage, thus dedicating his life to the region’s people, Pratap Reddy (Duniya Vijay) and Bhanumati (Varalaxmi Sarathkumar) are determined to seek revenge. They leave no stone unturned to kill him.

Oblivious to all these, Jay (Balakrishna in a dual role) enjoys a luxurious life in Istanbul.

Why Pratap Reddy and Bhanumati hate Veera Simha Reddy and how Jay is related to him form the plot of this mass entertainer.

Gopichand’s screenplay

Does this sound like a regular commercial formula that we have been watching in innumerable films for years? Well, yes. But what makes Veera Simha Reddy engaging is the way writer-director Gopichand Malineni has narrated and presented it as a sister-sentiment drama.

Though the story has the trappings of a formulaic film, Gopichand Malineni overcomes the shortcomings with an interesting screenplay.

The shocking revelation during the interval bang turns an ordinary story into a good film. Barring a few scenes in the first half, most of the movie is gripping.

Further, the story has many sub-plots and action episodes. As a result, the audience does not feel bored. It has a lengthy runtime of 172 minutes though.

It’s #VeeraSimhaReddy Day 🔥
Now in cinemas 🔥

The Roar of God Of Masses will be High💥💥

Book your tickets Now 💥
– https://t.co/SzgoK7HjZV

Natasimham #NandamuriBalakrishna @megopichand @shrutihaasan @varusarath5 @OfficialViji @MusicThaman pic.twitter.com/AEzW1OycgE

— Mythri Movie Makers (@MythriOfficial) January 12, 2023

Balakrishna’s dialogues & action

Veera Simha Reddy is an out-and-out Balakrishna film. He plays dual roles and worked hard for both action sequences and dance numbers.

Also, the punch dialogues of Balakrishna land really well. The actor has got his style of dialogue delivery and his fans will love them all.

Varalaxmi Sarathkumar plays a very crucial role. She excels in it.

Kannada hero Duniya Vijay debuts in Telugu as a villain and is impressive.

Honey Rose also gets to play an important character and she does it with grace.

However, there is not much for Shruthi Haasan to do in the story. She only appears as eye candy and shakes a leg in songs.

This mass masala entertainer also features Lal, Eshwari Rao, and Naveen Chandra in supporting roles. They all do their bit perfectly.

The GOD OF MASSES 🦁MASS JATHARA from today #VeeraSimhaReddy 🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/3GdcoQYZNZ

— Gopichandh Malineni (@megopichand) January 11, 2023

Also read: As Pawan cosies up to TDP, brother locks horns with Balayya at Sankranti box office

Thaman adds emotion via music

In terms of technical crafts, music director Thaman is the pick of all. He deserves credit for coming up with such engrossing background music.

He composed a couple of groovy, foot-tapping numbers for the film and they went down really well with the viewers. In fact, his music plays a key role in adding emotion and pace to the movie.

Cinematographer Rishi Punjabi shot both action episodes and song sequences with equal poise. However, editor Navin Nooli should have made some changes. A runtime of 172 minutes, surely, is a demanding job for the audience.

Final take

Veera Simha Reddy is a quintessential mass-action entertainer. Not just Balakrishna fans but even the general audience will find it enjoyable this festival season.