OGReview:
By anrwriting✍
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Cast: Pawan Kalyan, Priyanka Arul Mohan, Imran Hashmi, Prakash Raj, Arjun Das, Shreya Reddy
Director: Sujeeth
Producers: D.V.V. Danayya, Kalyan Dasari
Music: S.S. Thaman
Cinematography: Ravi K. Chandran, Manoj Paramahamsa
Editor: Naveen Nooli
Fans who have been waiting impatiently for a Pawan Kalyan film finally have OG in theatres. Directed by young filmmaker Sujeeth, this sensational project generated enormous hype right from the teaser to the trailer making it one of the biggest anticipations in Pawan’s career. Here’s how the film shapes up.
Story:
Set around 1993 in a Mumbai port dominated by don Saty Dada (Prakash Raj), Gambheer Ojas (Pawan Kalyan) is his trusted lieutenant. For reasons that force him to break away from Saty Dada, Ojas distances himself and that sends ripples through the port. Why did Gambheer leave Saty Dada? Why does Arjun (Arjun Das) want to kill him? What happened to the ORDEx containers belonging to Omkar Vardhman (Imran Hashmi), aka “Omi,” after they reached Saty Dada’s port? What has Gambheer lost in the meantime? Who is Gambheer really, and what is his past? To find those answers you need to watch the film in theatres.
Plus Points:
Fan service & style: For viewers who’ve been longing to see Pawan Kalyan in a stylish gangster avatar, OG is like a jumbo-biryani pack packed and satisfying. Director Sujeeth gives fans exactly the presentation they craved.
Pawan’s screen presence: As a powerful gangster, Pawan owns the screen with swag and dominant presence. Every scene involving him is staged to maximize impact and enjoyment. His performance evokes the vintage “power star” energy fans expect; the film’s action is a definite highlight.
Action design & martial skills: Pawan’s martial-arts ability and his action choreography are showstoppers. Compared to his recent solid action in Hari Hara Veeramallu, OG delivers a different but equally magnetic action person sometimes samurai-like, sometimes brutal always stylized and surprising.
Supporting cast: Priyanka Arul Mohan pleasantly surprises and holds her own opposite Pawan. Imran Hashmi’s villainous role has meaningful, powerful scenes both solo and opposite Pawan. Arjun Das has an important, well-written role; Shreya Reddy glows in a solid performance. Prakash Raj is excellent as Saty Dada.
Cinematic universe & surprises: Sujeeth’s cinematic-universe links are a treat and deliver a few satisfying surprises.
Technical strengths: The camerawork and music are notable high points; cinematography and Thaman’s score add strong value.
Minus Points:
Predictability / template: From the outset the film follows a familiar gangster backstory template with a hero’s flashback so viewers seeking originality may be partially disappointed. The plot unfolds largely as expected.
Story weaknesses beyond the hero: Apart from one powerful flashback episode focused on Pawan, much of the narrative feels routine and could have been stronger and more gripping.
Technical / Craft:
Production values: High makers appear to have spent heavily; each frame looks rich and polished.
Cinematography: Ravi K. Chandran and Manoj Paramahamsa deliver peak level visuals and solid presentation.
Music: Thaman is terrific; his work especially elevates the film’s second half.
Editing: Naveen Nooli tightens the screenplay and gives the narrative more grip.
Direction: Sujeeth successfully crafts the elements Pawan’s fans want well designed fan moments and a cinematic tone. However, the screenplay needed stronger planning and a firmer grip to match the film’s visual and set piece ambitions. At times the pacing feels slow and the story doesn’t always match the scale.
Verdict:
Overall, OG is a solid treat for Pawan Kalyan fans. Sujeeth’s presentation of Pawan is crowd-pleasing and packed with action, swagger, and fan service. With Thaman’s score and high-quality cinematography adding polish, the film impresses technically. If you can set aside the feeling that something is “missing” in the deeper narrative, OG satisfies as a stylish, powerful gangster-action drama.
(Note:The review is given from the viewer’s perspective)
