ALL STUNT AND NO STORY



Saaho Story: A huge empire, crores at stake and too many villains. No one can be trusted. So will the balance of power be restored and can one man do whatever it takes to restore the balance of power and defeat the bad guys?



Saaho Review: You probably know the answer to the above question, but writer-director Sujeeth takes you through a maze of twists and turns before he gets there. Pegged as India's biggest action thriller, 'Saaho' gets into the action mode pretty early on. The film begins with signature wide angles of massive structures and grim-looking men, who mean serious business. All through the first half, the narrative travels through cities trying to connect high-stake robberies in Mumbai and the search of a missing black box that is the key to a fortune. Enters the film's leading man, Prabhas, with a loud, high-octane fight scene that sets the stage for many more such confrontations. With his towering screen presence, Prabhas fits the bill perfectly in this larger than life role. However, if you're expecting his 'Baahubali' charm to rub off again, then his avatar in this one is a far stretch. His dialogue delivery seems deliberately slow, but for most part, the way his character unfolds, it keeps the viewer guessing. Shraddha Kapoor looks glamorous, but her character is poorly sketched. Introduced as a tough-talking cop, she soon becomes a damsel in distress, who often needs to be saved rather than she saving the world. Even the chemistry between the lead pair is missing.



Among the many villains, Chunky Pandey as Devraj stands out with a very convincing portrayal of his evil character. The rest come off as mere caricatures, who fail to make an impact. The songs are untimely placed in the narrative, only adding to an already long runtime. Attempts to infuse humour fall flat as none of the jokes land.



'Saaho', surely delivers well as an action extravaganza with a climax that compensates for its many flaws. Thanks to the action choreography by internationally acclaimed stunt directors like Peng Zhang and Kenny Bates.



The film's second half picks pace, but is marred by a weak narrative that requires constant suspension of disbelief. Also, the special effects and CGI often lack the finesse that a film mounted on such a grand scale deserved.



Overall, 'Saaho' attempts at being a potboiler that fires in all directions to entertain the audience. There are so many twists and turns that it leaves you more exhausted than excited.



