Without an iota of doubt, Pawan Kalyan has returned with a bang in AD, a film that has broken almost every record held by previous films from the industry. Congratulations to him as well as the makers of the film, which comes from the factory of Trivikram. It’s truly a commercial entertainer strictly made for the fanboys of Pawan Kalyan, while not catering to the enthusiasts of a Trivikram film.
Pawan Kalyan was at ease, showing what he is best at, without having to worry about what the critics might have to say about his performance. He is an actor of the masses and he makes films for them and that’s something I absolutely adore about him.
However, the film had its share of flaws throughout. We could start by pointing at the introduction scene of Pawan Kalyan on the beach. This was a poorly choreographed stunt sequence that reminds of the opening scene in Athadu. Both the sequences were shot in a very similar fashion. We see what actually happens in the scene when the stunt is rewinded in slow motion.
The opening song once again reminds us of the one in Athadu. Both the songs give us a glimpse of our heroes and their personalities. Both the songs have sequences where our heroes save women from being molested or robbed. It is so clichéd yet that’s all we get to see from Trivikram, whom I personally adore.
I also felt AD was bit long, and I know it doesn’t matter to most who don’t mind watching Pawan for over three hours, but I point this out for the benefit of theatre owners. The shorter a film, higher are the chances for the screening of more shows across screens in a multiplex. In a way, AD could have made more money than it has already made provided it was shorter.
Brahmanandam is brought in too late. I think AD is as commercial as Baadshah, but I liked the latter more because Sreenu Vaitla used Brahmi to perfection. He introduces him soon after the interval and the rest of the film is a laugh riot. Trivikram could have extracted more from his favorite comedian.
Finally, if you look at AD as Trivikram film, then you might not like it because the filmmaker seem to have definitely compromised on his strengths to make a film to please the fans of Pawan Kalyan. However, if you’re a fan of Pawan Kalyan, then you’ll enjoy AD more than any of his previous works.
