Acharya
2022, NR, 136 min. Directed by Koratala Siva. Starring Chiranjeevi, Ram Charan, Keerthy Suresh, Trisha Krishnan, Sunil Varma Indukuri, Sonu Sood.
REVIEWED By Josh Hurtado, Fri., April 29, 2022
Telugu blockbuster director Koratala Siva returns with Acharya, his latest big-name star vehicle featuring the legend Chiranjeevi and his son, Ram Charan, sharing significant screen time for the first time ever. Chiranjeevi took a decadelong break from acting in the late Aughts to pursue politics before returning in 2017 with Khaidi No. 150, and then in 2019 with the period action spectacular Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy, the latter of which really turned some heads with its explosive approach. Unfortunately, Acharya never quite reaches those bombastic heights, but what it does, it does just fine, at least if you’re willing to endure quite a bit of very culturally specific pontificating on dharma and Naxalite rebels.
The bucolic twin towns of Dharmasthali and Paadaghattam have a history of a Shangri-la-like peaceful existence; that is, until Basava (Sood) decides to take over the former and turn it into a den of sin. When he sets his sights on the temple town of Paadaghattam, it looks like it will succumb to his wickedness as well, until Acharya (Chiranjeevi) shows up and begins putting rowdies in their places – most frequently the hospital, occasionally the morgue.
Acharya is new in town, and no one knows exactly who he is, but he quickly becomes a local hero, commanding the attention of the local religious leaders – and the ladies. It turns out, however, that he has a bond with Paadaghattam that no one knows, and it has to do with his relationship with one of the town’s favorite sons, the dear departed Siddha (Charan).
For those unfamiliar with typical Telugu film structure, it’s a bit of a slog, but Acharya actually fits perfectly into the Tollywood mold. A first half that is 90 solid minutes of setup with a few fights and a few out-of-place dance numbers – interval – and then a second half that is mostly flashback explaining how we got here. The problem here is that the first half buildup is supposed to be exciting and get us wondering about the action already in motion, but sadly here, Siva doesn’t do much to rev our engines.
Apart from the beautiful production design and stunning locations, Acharya is a mostly predictable potboiler. Siva relies heavily on the novelty of Chiranjeevi and Ram Charan working together, which is not a bad place from which to start, but he does almost nothing with it, and since Charan doesn’t even appear until the second half, that gimmick leaves the first half rather flaccid.
Beyond the lack of excitement for the bulk of the first half, Acharya also relies heavily on a very specific understanding of Hindu religion, Telugu culture, and Indian politics that could be alienating for a lot of outsiders. If one were to host a drinking game in which you took a shot every time the word “dharma” is uttered, you be blitzed before the first song finishes. Add to that the major storyline in the second half having to do with Acharya and Siddha’s time with Naxalite rebels, and you’re sure to lose a few newbies along the way.
With the meeting of the mega movie stars that forms Acharya’s raison d’être, this really was Siva’s race to lose, and while it nearly redeems itself in a ludicrously violent, decap-happy climax sequence, it will surely be too little too late for many viewers. Chiranjeevi and Ram Charan seem to do the best they can with what they’re given, but everyone else appears to have sleepwalked through their jobs, which is a shame, because Acharya should have been awesome. Instead, it’s just fine.
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Acharya, Koratala Siva, Chiranjeevi, Ram Charan, Keerthy Suresh, Trisha Krishnan, Sunil Varma Indukuri, Sonu Sood