Movie: Liger
Rating: 2/5
Banner: Puri Connects & Dharma Productions
Cast Vijay Deverakoda, Ananya Panday and Ramya Krishna, Mike Tyson and Ronit Roy, Vishureddy, Ali, Makarand Dash Pandey, Getup, and other
Stunts: Kecha
DOP Vishnu Saarma
Editor: Junaid Siddiqui
Art: Jonny Shaik Basha
Producers – Puri Jagannadh and Charmee, Karan Johars, Apoorva mehtas, Hiroo Yaash Johar
Screenplay, Story, Dialogues, and Direction by:Puri Jagannadh
Date of Release: August 25, 2022
The movie “Liger” has received a lot of attention. Recently, the media and social media have been occupied by director Puri Jagannadh as well as Vijay Deverakonda, a young sensation. Another reason is Mike Tyson, boxing legend.
This pan-Indian movie has generated buzz in the United States, along with other big-ticket films like “RRR”, Radhe Shyam and “KGF”. Let’s see if the film lives up the hype.
Story:
Liger (Vijay Deverakonda), and his mother Balamani, (Ramya Krishna), move to Mumbai from Karimnagar.
Balamani wants to see her son win a MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), as her husband passed away without achieving his dream of winning a championship in boxing.
Mother and son own a chai shop in Mumbai. Liger is trained by Ronit Roy, an MMA guru.
He falls in love with Tanya, a rich girl (Ananya Pandey), and his life is forever changed by this romance.
He will be a champion or get in trouble because of his love story.
Artistes’ Performances:
Nothing will hold if you remove Vijay Deverakonda. This film shows such a powerful magnetic force. He had a remarkable makeover that resulted in a fantastic body for the role of “Liger”. Although his stuttering isn’t always flawless, his sincerity as well as hard work are admirable. The script does not allow him to do more than the surface.
Ramya Krishna’s role of a strong mother is lacking in material. The senior actress does what she can. Ananya Panday portrays a typical role for a heroine.
In the finale, Mike Tyson, boxing legend, makes an appearance. Puri’s role is only half-baked.
Ronit Roy, Ali and Getup Seenu do a good job. Vishu Reddy is a good fit for his role.
Technical Excellence:
The film was made on a large scale. The film’s rich look is due to the Las Vegas sequences as well as the high production values. Vishnu Sharma’s cinematography has been praised.
While “Coka 2.0” (and “Aafat”) are stunning on the screen, they both fall flat in the film. Puri’s signature dialogues are very effective.
Highlights:
Performance and presence of Vijay Deverakonda
The beginning sequences of VD and Ronit Ray
Drawback:
Manufactured without a story
No emotional high
There is no strong villain or conflict
Final moments
Mike Tyson’s presence was wasted
Analysis
Puri Jagannadh’s career as a director of sensational blockbusters is inconsistent. “Liger” seemed like a chance to return to the glory days of “Pokiri”. The movie’s scale (a pan-Indian film with Karan Johar joining forces) and the rising star playing the lead role made it the perfect platform for him to express himself. It was a waste of effort, as “Liger”, which is based on a script that has been written poorly, looks like a sloppy exercise.
The film is set in Mumbai. It would have been very different if Puri had written a story like Vadapav. The storyline is thin as a paper doily. The film lacks a strong antagonist, strong conflict, or an emotional quotient that is high. This is a problem for mass-produced movies. Puri Jagannadh’s script writing here is poor.
It is annoying to see a protagonist who has a stammering issue. This actor’s USP is his ability to deliver dialogue. The director made a huge mistake in limiting his strength by giving the character a disability. This deficiency does not make any difference to the main story.
Puri Jagannadh opens this film with an inspiring story about a man who rose from humble beginnings. He cuts to the boring love story midway. In the chaos, it becomes difficult to see the main point. It appears at one point that it was written by an amateur writer, but not Puri Jagannath. It’s shocking!
It is exhausting to watch the MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), fights and sequences that come one after another. Despite being called MMA, the fights look very similar to other boxing dramas. No difference! Both the film and the fights aren’t great.
When the film shifts to Las Vegas, it continues to slide. Poor scenes written to introduce Mike Tyson, boxing legend, make things awkward. Another mistake is a long fight scene featuring lady fighters. The final act is a complete disaster and loses its meaning. Tyson, a legend, should have provided better scenes.
Puri misses out on the chance to be a pan-Indian celebrity, despite Vijay Deverakonda working hard.
Overall, “Liger”, while it delivers a punch but not thundering moments, is not a great choice. This only shows that Puri Jagannadh has not returned to his former self despite delivering iSmart Shakar’ just recently.
Bottom line Bo..Bo..Bo..Boring
