GodFather Review: Chiranjeevi’s Best Work Since Shankar Dada MBBS!

Starring ‘Megastar’ Chiranjeevi in the titular role, GodFather, directed by Mohan Raja, is a remake of the 2019 blockbuster Malayalam film Lucifer and co-stars Satyadev Kancharana, Nayanthara in supporting roles with Salman Khan in a power-packed cameo appearance. The story kicks off after the State Chief Minister’s untimely death, and the internal pressure of the ruling party to pick a new candidate to be the next leader reaches a tipping point when two contrasting personalities with alternative motives clash against each other.

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First off, let me confess that I never watched Lucifer, the original movie. Therefore, I couldn’t draw any comparisons nor examine the plentiful of additional story bits which are included to seemingly beef up the story by Mohan Raja, the screenwriter, and director of GodFather. So, having not watched much of the promotional content (a tradition I follow for almost all movies these days), I was pretty surprised with the gripping storyline that this film had to offer. Narrating power struggles, internal spats, and the ugly side of Indian politics (which is extremely close to reality), Murali Gopy’s story had that depth and thrill to keep you entirely invested from start to finish.

Also, Mohan Raja, with his presentation, made it very clear from the get-go that his film doesn’t lean more into the typical Tollywood traditions of infusing unneeded distractions of romance or comedy. Instead, he made sure to carve out his characters more, which helped the narrative in the long run. However, with 152 minutes, I felt that the film could’ve utilized a crisper runtime as they were a few scenes with pacing issues, especially when you’ve seen different iterations of stories revolving around the CM drama. Furthermore, I understand that there should be some sort of fan service, but the over-the-top action didn’t really suit the vibe or the timing. Let’s not make Salman Bhai launch mini rockets left and right.

Moving on to the performances in GodFather, for the first time in a long time, Chiranjeevi got showcased in a role that works with his age and in the way his millions of fans want to see him. Being a former politician in real life, his character Brahma perfectly suited his persona and swagger and complemented his acting ability. I also liked the fact that Raja, the director, restrained his aura a little and kept it more subtle on the whole. However, whatever de-aging technique they are using to make him not look 66 is, more often than not, very distracting.

Satyadev, who is a proven actor and impressed a wide variety of viewers with his latest films like Uma Maheswara Ugra Roopasya, stood toe-to-toe with Chiranjeevi as the antagonist and stole the show in quite a few scenes. Nayanthara portrayed a substantial character remarkably, and it is refreshing to see her do more of a serious role in a Telugu film. Salman Khan felt like a good addition, mainly for his introduction scene, and his appearance alone (for the first time in Tollywood) felt something out-of-the-ordinary. Also, Thaman’s background score is one of the backbones of the film and is one of the reasons why this movie worked at crucial moments.

On the whole, GodFather, in my opinion, is Chiranjeevi’s best work since Shankar Dada M.B.B.S. in 2004. Nearing his late 60s, this movie had that subject and narrative structure that matches his age and persona, and he did his best to do justice to a perfectly designed character. Despite a few pacing issues, Mohan Raja’s screenplay and direction made sure that the story maintained some suspense and hit those highs whenever required. I had a perfectly good time, especially when I walked into the theater with fairly low expectations.

‘GodFather (2022)’ Rating – 3/5