Film: Peta
Directed by: Karthik Subbaraj
Produced by: Kalanithi Maran
Written by: Karthik Subbaraj
Starring: Rajinikanth, Vijay Sethupathi, Simran, Trisha, M. Sasikumar, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bobby Simha, and others
Music by: Anirudh Ravichander
Cinematography: Tirru
Edited by: Vivek Harshan
Production Company: Sun Pictures
Distributed by: Ashok Vallabhaneni
Release date: 10 January 2019
Running time: 172 minutes
Country: India
Language: Telugu
Censor: U/A

Rating: 3/5

Keeping '2.O' aside, it has been a long time since Rajnikanth scored a decent hit at the Telugu box office. The actor is all set to test his luck again with his action entertainer 'Peta.' Karthik Subbaraj of 'Jigarthanda' fame wielded the megaphone for this movie. The stellar cast of the movie including Vijay Sethupathi, Simran, Trisha, Bobby Simha, M Sasikumar and Nawazuddin Siddiqui has created enough buzz around the movie. Sun Pictures pooled resources for the film. The expectations are very high in this movie. Let's see how far the film succeeded in impressing the audience.


Story:

Kaali (Rajinikanth) is appointed as a hostel warden to bring control over the ragging issues. Within a less time, Kaali makes his mark and becomes close to the students over there. As the days are passing smoothly, the students come to know that Kaali's actual identity is Peta and he hails from UP. On the other side, Simhachalam (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) tries to kill Peta. Why did Peta change his identity to Kaali? WHat is the conflict between Peta and Simhachalam? What happens in the end? Forms the story of the movie.


Performances:

Rajinikanth's character will have two different shades, and the actor succeeded in showing variations in both. When he looked charming and energetic as a hostel warden, in the flashback scenes he looked powerful and stylish. Vijay Sethupathi will grab the attention with his performance. His power-packed performance will be delightful to watch. Simran looked younger in the movie, and she also delivered a beautiful performance. Trisha not only looked gorgeous but also offered a mesmerizing performance. M Sasikumar and Nawazuddin Siddiqui also played crucial roles in the film, and they went under the skin of the characters. Bobby Simha delivered his career-best performance in the movie.


Technical Aspects:

Production values are rich. Music by Anirudh Ravichander will get extra brownie points. Cinematography by Tirru is like icing on the cake. His camera angles are fantastic. Editing by Vivek Harshan could have been better, and Rajshekar Reddy's dialogues are well written. The run time is crisp. Overall, the technical team did a fantastic job.


Analysis:

Karthik Subbaraj who delivered an exciting movie like 'Jigarthanda' tried to prove his talent again with this movie. He did a decent job in executing the script. However, his slow-paced generation will make the audience struggle. Also, the Telugu audience might not connect well with that with the film because of the Tamil nativity in the movie. The movie started on an interesting note. However, the pace gets reduced in the first half itself. Karthik subbaraj handled the script well. The first half is all about some action sequences and some romantic elements. The interval bang is interesting. The second half also has a slow-paced narration. When compared to the first half, the second half felt a little bit dull. However, Rajinikanth's performance is an interesting element about the film. The Tamil nativity in the movie might become a problem for the Telugu audience. The technical team did a good job. On the whole, the movie will be an exciting watch for Rajini fans.


Plus Points:

Performances
Rajini's Style
Direction
Cinematography
BGM


Minus Points:
Nativity Appeal
Boring Scenes in Second Half


Final Verdict: Peta - Thumbs Up for Rajinikanth's Style


Review By Ram