Junior Movie Review: A Tedious Star Launch with No Spark

Cast: Kireeti, Sreeleela, Genelia, Ravichandran, Rao Ramesh, Harsha, Sapthagiri
Director: Radha Krishna Reddy
Young hero Kireeti, son of politician and mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy, makes his entry with Junior, a film that sadly feels more like a stitched-together showreel than a meaningful cinematic experience. Despite the backing of big names and strong technicians, the film collapses under a weak, formulaic narrative.

The story opens on an odd note—a middle-aged couple (Ravichandran and his wife) receive news of a late pregnancy. Ridiculed by their village, they leave, and en route, their son is born. Years later, that son (Kireeti) grows up resenting his father, laying the foundation for a supposedly emotional father-son story that never truly lands.

Set mostly in a college and later shifting to a corporate setup, the film drags through uninspired sequences. Kireeti’s college adventures—where he makes his friends do silly stunts in the name of "memories"—are neither funny nor engaging. Attempts at humor by Harsha and Sapthagiri fall flat due to stale writing. The romantic subplot with Sreeleela feels forced and lacks any emotional weight, though she impresses briefly with her dance in the catchy number Viral Vayari. Genelia, in a rare comeback as a tough boss, adds some flair but gets limited scope. Veteran Kannada star Ravichandran impresses as a doting father.

The second half tries to pivot toward sentiment, setting the stage in a village with melodrama and emotional reconciliations. However, these moments are poorly executed, making the latter half more exhausting than the former. Despite top-tier technicians like cinematographer Senthil Kumar and stunt choreographer Peter Hein, the film fails to rise above its outdated writing. Director Radha Krishna Reddy banks on old-school formulas that have long gone out of style.

At the end, Junior is a dull, outdated launchpad that sacrifices storytelling for hero projection. With no novelty, emotional depth, or engaging drama, it ends up as a tedious watch, even for die-hard fans of commercial cinema.