Balakrishna Shines in This Banal, Pathetic Chinese Biowar Story

Cast: Nandamuri Balakrishna, Samyuktha, Aadhi Pinisetty, Harshaali Malhotra, Saswata Chatterjee, Ronson Vincent, Achyuth Kumar, Sangay Tsheltrim, Ravi Mariya, Shamna Kasim, Murali Mohan, and others

Director: Boyapati Sreenu

First things first — Nandamuri Balakrishna once again impresses as the fiery Aghora, with both his look and his emotional performance standing out. But the fictional Chinese biowar plot is too far-fetched to digest.

In the first instalment, Balakrishna took on the mining mafia and villains who tried to destroy temples — a conflict that felt relatable to audiences. But in this sequel, director Boyapati Sreenu goes overboard, bringing in Chinese generals who terrorise Tibetans, launch a biowar on India, and try to destroy people’s belief in God. While these ideas may have sounded dramatic on paper, they fail to deliver the emotional depth needed to hold viewers’ attention.

There is also another Balakrishna — an MLA who punishes wrongdoers — but this track is brief as the film shifts to the Himalayas. The goal seems to be to give the Aghora version of Balakrishna space to showcase invincible combat skills and chant the glory of Lord Shiva. Meanwhile, Aadhi Pinisetty appears as a black magician performing dark rituals, adding more chaos to the narrative.

Boyapati mixes multiple genres and ends up presenting a hotchpotch mass entertainer with political touches. The Prime Minister of India reacting to a biowar situation and waiting for a saviour to cure a pandemic feels forced and out of place. Balakrishna is also used to preach Sanatana Dharma, likely with an eye on North Indian audiences.

The story begins with a ruthless Chinese general who kills Tibetans and vows revenge after losing his son in the Galwan Valley clash. He teams up with another officer (Saswata Chatterjee) to unleash a biowar in India and create doubt about God’s existence. But they soon encounter the all-powerful Aghora (Balakrishna) living in the Himalayas. Will he save humanity and restore people’s faith? That’s what the film attempts to answer.

After the success of Akhanda, Balakrishna returns with another Aghora-centric drama, but the idea of him defeating enemy armies is hard to swallow. While he passionately preaches the principles of Sanatana Dharma and encourages people to lead righteous lives, the film offers nothing substantial beyond this.

Samyuktha Menon is wasted in a limited role. Debutant Harshaali Malhotra has a few good moments as the scientist who develops a bio-shield to protect soldiers. Aadhi Pinisetty plays the menacing black magician convincingly. Others like Poorna and Murali Mohan appear briefly.

After a misfire like Skanda, Boyapati Sreenu seems to have lost his narrative balance. He attempts to elevate heroism by mixing multiple genres, but the result falls flat. He seems to believe that preaching Sanatana Dharma and glorifying divine existence is enough to keep audiences hooked, but instead, he leaves them squirming with unbelievable scenes, over-the-top action, and an illogical storyline.