Ustaad Bhagat Singh Falls Flat with Weak Story and Outdated Treatment

Director: Harish Shankar
Rating: 1.5/5 stars

Ustaad Bhagat Singh turns out to be a disappointing outing that once again raises concerns about Pawan Kalyan’s choice of scripts. Despite his strong screen presence, he is let down by a weak and outdated storyline that fails to offer anything fresh. Playing a fearless cop, Pawan Kalyan is shown taking on everything from religious tensions to terrorism and political corruption. However, the narrative becomes overcrowded and loses focus, making his larger-than-life heroism feel excessive rather than engaging.

Director Harish Shankar, who once struck gold with Gabbar Singh, goes overboard here by relying heavily on formulaic hero-elevation scenes. Instead of crafting a gripping story, he strings together predictable moments that lack novelty and emotional depth. The screenplay feels dated, and the narration struggles to hold attention, as most scenes unfold exactly as expected. In trying to mix elements of politics, religion, and commercial entertainment, the film ends up as an incoherent blend that never truly comes together.

The writing also falters in its treatment of sensitive subjects. A particularly disturbing scene involving a rape victim is handled in a regressive manner, seemingly included only to provoke an emotional reaction from the hero. Such moments feel unnecessary and out of place in today’s context. Additionally, the film leans on nostalgia by reusing old songs and dialogues, but instead of enhancing the experience, these callbacks feel forced and contribute little to the narrative.

Pawan Kalyan does his best to carry the film, but even his efforts cannot overcome the shortcomings in writing. His dialogues often resemble political sermons on life, relationships, religion, and patriotism, which feel imposed rather than organic. Sreeleela brings some liveliness to her role as a radio jockey, but her character is underdeveloped. Raashi Khanna has very little to do, while Parthiban delivers an average performance as the antagonist. K.S. Ravikumar appears underwhelming, lacking the impact expected from an actor of his stature.

The music by Devi Sri Prasad offers only brief relief, with “S.G. Dekhenge Saala” being mildly engaging. However, the repeated use of nostalgic tracks like “Manase” from Tholi Prema feels excessive. The childhood episode of the protagonist serves little purpose other than slowing down the narrative, and the forced references to Bhagat Singh, intended to justify the title, feel superficial.

In the end, Ustaad Bhagat Singh is a predictable and outdated mass entertainer that fails to capitalise on its star power. With a weak script and inconsistent execution, it struggles to leave any meaningful impact.

Pawan Kalyan should avoid working with directors like Harish Shankar, who seem to prioritise fan-service moments over a solid script. Scenes such as Pawan dancing to songs of his contemporaries like Chiranjeevi and Mahesh Babu come across as forced and reduce the overall impact of the film.