Peddi, the much-talked-about and highly anticipated film, is finally out in theatres. Marketed as a honest, rustic, rooted sports drama by director Buchi Babu and Ram Charan before release, the film has now opened to extreme mixed talk.
Looking at the overall feedback so far, one common opinion emerging is that the execution did not justify the effort that went into the film, especially from Ram Charan.
There is hardly any debate about Ram Charan’s commitment. The physical transformation, the effort put into the role, and the performance underneath all that hard work are visible on screen. But when the writing and execution of a sports drama do not land, individual performances alone cannot carry the film.
That seems to be where Peddi is drawing severe criticism.
Many viewers feel Buchi Babu’s approach leaned more toward a familiar hero-driven Telugu masala template rather than creating a deeply rooted and believable sports drama. Peddi’s sports portions feel designed around typical Telugu hero elevation moments instead of organically building emotion and conflict.
What makes the debate more interesting is that some people have started placing Peddi alongside memorable sports dramas like Sultan and especially Dangal. That comparison itself has become a talking point online.
But films like Dangal are remembered for not just performances. There is a reason it became one of India’s biggest cinematic successes and went on to create extraordinary impact internationally, including in China. Those films worked because the filmmakers stayed brutally honest to the story they wanted to tell.
That is where words like “rooted,” “honest,” and “memorable” become important.
When directors repeatedly describe a film using those words, audiences expect that honesty to reflect on screen, not just in promotions.
Dangal would not have become what it became if the filmmaking itself was not honest to the script, characters, and emotions.
At the same time, a section of audiences felt Peddi recovered somewhat in its final stretch. The last 40 minutes, particularly the concluding run of the story, gave the film some emotional closure and prevented the overall impact from dipping further. Even though that hero’s ‘running race’ portion arrives abruptly, many felt it worked emotionally better than what came before it (Cricket and wrestling).
This also brings up a larger discussion around star heroes taking risks. Roles involving physical sacrifice, vulnerable character arcs, or unconventional journeys require complete trust in the director’s vision. These are the kinds of films actors hope will become defining moments in their careers.
Peddi becomes an example of how ambition alone is not enough. The effort was visible, the intention was there, but the execution did not match the attempt.
Forget the lack of drama or emotional depth for a moment, one of the biggest criticisms is the way the sports portions were designed. Buchi Babu approached several of those blocks in an amateurish, overly straightforward manner.
Instead of building tension, setbacks, struggle, and payoff, many moments play out like easy sixes, where the hero walks in and wins without facing enough resistance or believable challenges.
That approach hurts a sports drama more than any other genre because sports films thrive on uncertainty, emotional investment, and earned victories.
That is why many are calling Peddi a half-baked sports drama that ended up wasting the hard work and commitment Ram Charan put into the film.
