Premium'Ugramm' over 'Salaar Ceasefire'? - Kannada audiences take their honest pick
Prashanth Neel and Prabhas' maiden collaboration has been receiving a lot of love, but a section of the audience has brought Salaar Ceasefire under the scanner.
Last Updated: 02.31 PM, Dec 22, 2023
The all-important 'Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire' release day is finally here and needless to say, social media is buzzing with conversations, reviews, opinions and whatnot. For Prabhas' fans, especially, the film meant a great deal considering that he hasn't been in the best "forms" of late and a collaboration with the KGF filmmaker Prashanth Neel seemed just the order of the day.
Well, they would all be happy to know that the initial responses are largely positive and encouraging with critics and audiences alike noting that he is, indeed, back at his best. More importantly, it would seem that he is finally part of a film that really understands his "mass appeal" and complements it with the right blend of style and substance. That is to say that Prashanth Neel, the writer-director of the film, too, has delivered on the expectations.
That said, a section of the audience has brought Salaar Ceasefire under the scanner and opines that the latest film does not fare very well in comparison with Ugramm. The latter, of course, is Prashanth Neel's own directorial which released in 2014 and has since then gained cult status among Kannada movie buffs. And Salaar is a "retelling" of that film.
Here's a deep-dive into why 'Salaar' isn't a mere remake but a retelling of the 'Ugramm' story:
Salaar Part 1 Ceasefire - Is Prashanth Neel, Prabhas' film a full-blown remake of 'Ugramm'? Let's find out...
Kannada audiences have their say on the Ugramm v/s Salaar debate
As expected, the initial few shows on the opening day of Salaar Part 1's theatrical run have produced interesting reactions, to say the least. The action sequences, the heightened drama and the performances by Prabhas and Prithviraj Sukumaran seem to be attracting positive reviews, but the fact that the film has a strong echo of Ugramm hasn't pleased a few Kannada viewers on social media.
"Just big scale nothing more in #Salaar. No emotions connected like Ugramm and bgm was not good by RB. And it’s boring at some points," wrote one user on X, before mentioning that the colour grading of 'Salaar' is impressive.
"@RaviBasrur weakest work I think...😭😭 ugramm bgm sound effects was on another level anna," wrote another user who brought the Ugramm comparison to the fore under a different light. Ravi Basrur, of course, is one of Prashanth Neel's chief collaborators along with cinematographer Bhuvan Gowda and production designer Shiva Kumar.
On the other hand, many viewers have come in support of the Prabhas starrer and have said that while there is a strong Ugramm connection, Prashanth Neel still offers something new and exciting regardless.
'Salaar Part 2' gets a title
But more importantly, the focus is now set to slowly shift towards 'Salaar Part 2' which, the makers reveal, is titled 'Shourayanga Parvam'. Without revealing much, the story of 'Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire' halts at a cliffhanger with the second instalment billed to taking things forward and lend a new edge to the Varadha and Deva dynamic. 'Salaar: Part 1 - Shourayanga Parvam' is yet to go on floors.