‘Ustaad Bhagat Singh’, starring Pawan Kalyan, finally hit theatres on March 19, aligning with the festive occasion of Ugadi. The film opened across India after premiere screenings in North America on March 18. Directed by Harish Shankar, the action-comedy generated massive buzz ahead of release.As expected, social media platforms, especially Twitter, were flooded with audience reactions within hours of the first shows.
Criticism over ‘Outdated’ commercial treatment
A section of viewers expressed disappointment with the film’s writing and execution.One review read,“#UstaadBhagatSingh A Completely Outdated Commercial Entertainer! A commercial film like this doesn’t necessarily need out of the box writing, but it atleast needs some freshness. This one feels outdated to the core from the start to end. A few elevation blocks work, but the film lacks flow, feeling like a stitched together compilation of commercial scenes. Harish Shankar falters on both comedy and commercial writing. Thaman tries to elevate with his BGM but has little scope. PK tries in parts, but this one misses his trademark energy. Boring! Rating: 2/5.”Another viewer echoed similar sentiments, writing, “#Ustaadbhagatsingh My rating 2/5 Below average movie.”
Praise for Pawan Kalyan’s screen presence
Despite criticism, many fans highlighted Pawan Kalyan’s charisma as a major strength.One tweet noted, “#UstaadBhagatSingh – PK’s look, Screen presence & Dialogues r the positives in this Routine, Outdated Drama. Parthiban Naidu as weak villain. Sreeleela ok. Raashi Khanna has no scope. Thaman does a Anirudh work in BGM. One melody track nice. Narration is a Patience Tester. BORE!.”Another review appreciated specific portions of the film, stating, “#UstaadBhagatSingh Pawankalyan’s childhood portions were very well written Entry worked out well Dialouges are too good. 1st half is going very well Sorry @harish2you thakuva anchana vesinamduku.”
Humour and mass moments get mixed reaction
The film’s humour and mass appeal sequences received a divided response. One viewer found the comedic elements effective, writing, “Humor that plays on Pawan Kalyan’s limited dancing abilities lands effectively. Pawan Kalyan performing popular songs in his own style was absolutely hilarious.”Meanwhile, another audience member highlighted a standout moment, stating,“Police station sequence started off second half with a bang PK’s aggression.”
Fans celebrate ‘Vintage Kalyan’ comeback
On the other hand, die-hard fans were thrilled with the film’s mass elements. One enthusiastic tweet read, “Best Commercial Entertainment of ths Decade Thats it ! A True Fanboy Sambavam From @harish2you Vintage Kalyan is Back B , C centres lo ticket Mukka Dorakadu #UstaadBhagatSingh #PawanKalyan.”With Sreeleela and Raashii Khanna in key roles, along with R. Parthiban in a supporting part, the film continues to generate strong chatter online.As mixed reviews are pouring in for the film, it remains to be seen whether the Pawan Kalyan starrer will do wonders at the box office or not.
