सैंधव

This movie feels like déjà vu with its overly simple storyline that brings nothing new to the table. We've definitely witnessed this plot somewhere before. The screenplay tries to be a trailblazer in Telugu cinema, but it's like trying to make a sandwich with just one slice of bread - not very satisfying. The first half-hour is a snoozefest, the last half-hour manages to redeem the film a bit, and the middle is just meh.

Venkatesh's character is like a well-cooked dish - written properly with a side of great looks and a dash of impressive performance.

Navazuddin as antagonist is the spice we needed; his performance is like a firecracker. Arya and Shradda are like those tasty appetizers you wish you had more of - limited screen space, but they deliver.

The child actor Baby Sara and the rest of the cast are like the supporting actors in a play - doing their job well without stealing the spotlight.

Cinematography and background score play nice, but the songs are like a bad karaoke night - better skipped. The action sequences are a rollercoaster of thrills, but it gets a tad too violent.

Sailesh's direction is a mixed bag - some scenes are like a chef's kiss, while others leave you wondering if they used salt.

Watching this in theaters might not be the best use of your time, but if you're patient, it could be an okay OTT watch.

Saindhav (Victory Venkatesh) has temporarily retired his Saiko avatar to work as a crane operator, supporting his family consisting of a wife and a daughter. There is a cartel illegally training kids by giving them arms and trading them to terrorist outfits. Saiko used to work for this cartel before quitting. After knowing the cartel's dirty operation, Saindhav steals their containers and in the meantime finds out his daughter is suffering from a medical condition which requires an expensive treatment. The story is set up with the baddies wanting the containers and targeting the ailing girl to get it which only allows Saiko to come out of retirement. Bloodshed ensues and how Saiko serves up cold blooded justice forms rest of the story.

Saindhav has the right idea but it falters immensely with the weak screenplay that fails to engage till the end. I wouldn't say overstuffed but it has all the ingredients this particular genre demands to churn out a blockbuster action entertainer. The execution is simply not there as the flow keeps getting jarring and the scene transition end up having no impact. There are bunch of baddies and an over the top Nawazuddin Siddique who tries to entertain throughout but his character arc is messy, a casualty due to the hype lead character gets. For a thriller it's uneven and the baddies are shown to be no match to Saiko even with the setbacks he receives. The dialogues felt weak and too much bloodshed couldn't elevate the bland narrative.

With no arrogance at all, I felt that the director took lot of liberty for nothing. He thought he could deliver core emotional drama packed with action by doing too easy to guess plot and lot of repeated dialogues for no reason. It felt instead of focusing on drama it went more about world building. And to be honest its boring. None of the locations look real. And most importantly all the actors did fine job but on the over the top plot. It's so reckless of the writer, director and producer for extent. They could have bring much better product having all the star cast and crew. A big yawn at the end of the day.

Disappointing experience with the movie "Saindhav." It seems like the film tried to emulate the style of "John Wick" with an Indian twist but fell short in several areas.

Direction and Execution: Despite the director Sailesh's previous success with "HIT," "Saindhav" didn't live up to expectations. The action-packed approach lacked the depth and storytelling that audiences appreciate.

Acting: Victory Venkatesh's performance seemed one-dimensional, with the same expressions throughout the movie, which detracted from the overall impact.

Storyline: The movie's pace was too fast, making it difficult for the audience to engage with the story. It seemed like the focus was more on action rather than developing a compelling narrative.

Positive Aspects: The appearance of Arya and the showcasing of luxury cars like Lamborghini, Mustang, and Bentley were some of the few highlights.

It's clear that a well-balanced movie needs more than just action sequences to be successful. Storytelling, character development, and emotional depth are crucial elements that resonate with the audience.

Seriously, what a downfall of Sailesh Kolanu From HIT: The First Case to Saindhav! Saindhav is a cliched movie with cliched characters, cliched treatment, and cliched storytelling in a cliched setup.

I remember coming out of HIT: The Second Case's premier show with bit of a disappointment. But, now in comparison with Saindhav, it seems like an absolute masterpiece.

I don't know why all these young directors make the same mistake of making these outdated scripts when working with the senior actors. I get it that these senior actors have large fan bases, etc., but, you need to understand that these large fan bases have brains too. They dont want outdated content especially when paying premium to get the tickets for the whole family and making an effort to move to the theatres.

I hope and wish Sailesh will comeback with an absolute gem like HIT Chapter 1.