Winner Review – Outright Loser

BOTTOM LINE
Outright Loser

OUR RATING
2/5

CENSOR
‘U/A’ Certified, 155 mins.

What is the film about?
Winner is about Siddhu (Sai Dharam Tej) who runs away from his father as a child. Why did he run away and how is it related to horse racing? How does Sitara (Rakul Preet Singh) bring them together is what the film is all about.

How is Sai Dharam Tej’s performance?
Sai Dharam Tej is going in only one way as far as acting is concerned. He is developing ease for sure but this one-dimensional act is going to get repetitive pretty soon. There are a couple of emotional scenes, he did try but they are below par, they can be done far better. As far as dances are concerned, Sai Dharam Tej looks stiff in most songs.

Direction By Gopichand?
Gopichand Malineni is a definition of a guy who just directs and does his job well. He also handles screenplay. In terms of direction, the movie is fine but it’s the screenplay that is a big let down here. There are a couple of engaging moments but overall, Winner is an extremely dull and boring due to the screenplay.

Both the halves are below par but the fast half feels somewhat better due to the entertainment quotient and the interval block. The second half has some neat moment involving Jagapathi Babu and Sai Dharam Tej but they are not enough to make the movie engaging. The climax needed some magic like Balupu but it was completely missing. In fact, his last film Pandaga Chesuko, which itself was a poor fare, feels better compared to the boredom on offer here. At times the movie feels too outdated for the current tastes.

Bad screenplay with predictable narration and outdated feeling generated in the end, make Winner a below average fare. There are few moments which might appeal to the smaller centers crowd but overall Winner is far from a winning proposition.

Rakul Preeth and others?
Rakul Preet Singh has almost a typical heroine role where she really has nothing much to do. The concentration majorly has been on her glamor side and it is well utilized. Jagapathi Babu is the best performer in the movie by a distance even though he gets less footage. Mukesh Rushi is alright. Thakur Anoop Singh is decent in what little he has been given. Vennela Kishore, Prudhvi, and Ali are given the major comedians. Prudhvi clearly stands out among the three.

Music and other departments?
Music by SS Thaman is very routine. The background score too is nothing special. The cinematography by Chota K Naidu is alright. Editing could have been better. Dialogues are good in parts.

Highlights?
Interval block
Few entertainment scenes
Father-son bonding scenes

Drawbacks?
Screenplay
Extremely boring
Outdated feeling

Alternative Take
Since the films of these type keep getting made no matter what, at least care should be taken to have better comedy block. In Winner, a better comedy block in the second half would have salvaged it.

Did I enjoy it?
No

Will you recommend it?
No
Winner Review by Siddhartha Toleti