The hero Ram

Turf trauma. Our winner boy is waiting for the grand entry. In the meanwhile, we have the extended prologue (that went out of fashion with Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra). Fortunately, it is not about calf love but filial connect.

Bad dad Dharam (Mukesh Rishi) and his son/good dad Mahender Reddy (Jagapathi Babu). Bad dad plans a conspiracy, makes peace with son who had left palace, prosperity, horses and wealth for lady love.

On invite the son returns with his son in tow. However, the good dad and son soon part ways. Loving son grows up to being equinophobic and a dad hater. Soon he is ‘mega power’.

First the baddies are introduced. The hero Ram (Sai Dharam Tej) is then brought in amidst din and dust and a few reels dedicated to his multifaceted talent which predictably includes the entire gamut from bash to blush.

Next move to the pub to run into the ‘the most beautiful Sitara’ (Rakul Preet Singh) and from here it is song, dance, neigh and yeahs and the one-liners of the sidekick Padma (Vennela Kishore).

Three songs, foreign locales and we are still waiting for the story to move on. Time for the second comedian to enter, so we have Singham Sujata (Pridhvi) and just when you think your ticket is for comedy, we have the villain Siddharth (Thakur Anoop Singh) enter and establish his evil credentials.

The gal is steadily falling in love with the guy who destroys furniture with single-minded devotion and answers the ‘DDLJ’ look back test positively.

Now as the film is getting too linear, time for a twist: loud bang background score and Cola time just as baddie claims to be the heir apparent of the Derby crazy family.

The battle lines are drawn. The bad guys vs the good have their territories marked. So, winner is busy consolidating his hero position and villain digging his grave.

Meanwhile heroine is going through her well choreographed presence. Hero is busy establishing himself in enemy territory soliloquies, kicking, boxing, beating and threatening… With the script writer not confident with the skill sets enter comedian III Peter Heins (Ali).

Don’t miss the sick horse humour with double meaning suggestions. Now since the humour does not work, the director reverts to the choreographer.

Actually, the editor would have been the best bet. The logic appears to be at least this choice keeps the costume designer and the teen maar specialist in place. Head straight to the finale.

All eyes on the nail biting finale race between good and evil, hero and villain, polka dots vs broad stripes, money vs pappa...

Beware the editor (Prawin Pudi) has taken a holiday. Everything shot is on display and most of it is what finds its way on the wrong side of the editing table. If this can be a winner, then be sure it is fixed.

There is not much one can recommend about this formula-stricken tale. Here every moment is template dictated. So, forget the tale or the treatment. Let’s look at the cast to save the day. No luck here either.

Mukesh Rishi is larger than life in size. Anoop Singh (like Gulshan Grover) believes that hairstyle maketh a villain. No luck. The three guys for comedy try their best. Jagapathi Babu has a script written for him: brood, keep the salt and pepper stubble and flex muscle.

Task accomplished. Rakul waltz through and is willingly a victim to gender objectification. She quickly needs to change her dress designer too. Sai Dharam Tej is fine when asked to dance and punch but cannot save his life when called to emote.

‘Winner’ is a misnomer. There is not a horse worth betting in this race. Go for it only if you are addicted.