Major movie review: Adivi Sesh is on a winning streak

Language: TeluguSandeep Unnikrishnan (Adivi Sesh), in one of the early scenes, puts his life in the line of danger to save a woman from the wrath of her drunken husband. In another scene that pretty much looks similar to this episode, he steps in front of his younger sister when he spots a ferocious dog in his backyard. There’s a difference between these two important sequences, though – because when he surrenders to the gaze of the dog, he’s a kid, whereas he’s a grown-up when he confronts the wife beater. So, here’s the bottom line – he’s always saving the day with his presence and, quite emphatically, with his presence of mind.These not-so-subtle character establishing shots add some layers of reverence to the person on whom the movie is based, and they come back later in different, and invigorating, forms when Unnikrishnan is in the Taj Mahal Hotel. The first hour of Major is somewhat impressive, as it captures the moments that make the hero work towards his goal of joining the Indian Army. But he’s not alone in this journey. He roams around the city of Bangalore with his girlfriend, Isha (Saiee Manjrekar). From the clothes they wear to the theatres they frequent, these portions are a gentle throwback to the 1990s. And, honestly, they’re nicely done.[caption id="attachment_9520491" align="alignnone" width="640"] Still from Major[/caption]You get a sense of Unnikrishnan’s life at home and the world outside. But it doesn’t take too much time for him to come into his own. In the army, he’s trained to hold his breath underwater, crawl under barbed wire, throw quick punches, and so on. These are standard scenes for a film in which the action is centred on fighting terrorists. But, by focusing on such a mundane routine, the screenplay (written by Sesh) allows Unnikrishnan’s strengths to grow. The dialogues are certainly on the nose in many places. Thankfully, however, the film doesn’t school us about the various meanings and synonyms of patriotism.

We’re not told to bleed for our country in any manner and that’s a great thing. It is solely Unnikrishnan’s passion that we’re following.

Although initially, the romantic texture of Major seems novel, it becomes a trope that interrupts the flow of the flying bullets in the second hour. I’m not saying that I don’t care for what happens between Isha and Unnikrishnan. But their parallel story of love and longing isn’t so important considering the situation he’s stuck in. There’s a message here for people who aspire to work in the armed forces – it won’t be possible for them to be with their loved ones whenever they wish to.What starts off as an adorable tale ends up robbing the tension from the claustrophobic quarters of the hotel and I was bummed about it. I wanted to see more of Pramoda Reddy (Sobhita Dhulipala), as she’s the one who walks into a room across from hers to put her arms around a child she’s not related to. Reddy doesn’t have any weapons in her hand other than her will. And all she wants is to help a child whose father has been shot dead. Tragedy, after all, brings us together. If she had chosen to stay locked up in her room, nobody would have blamed her. Despite the risk attached to her adventures, she goes out and does her best to keep the child and herself out of harm’s shadow. And that’s why Reddy stands as a tower of hope.One of the better things about Major is its action choreography. And this is where Sashi Kiran Tikka’s movie scores the highest. There’s even a hand-to-hand combat scene, which has been aesthetically designed, thrown in for good measure. How can a Telugu action drama not have a scene where the hero defeats his opponent with his bare hands? This is as much a requirement to test his abilities as the one in Mahanati (2018) where Savitri (Keerthy Suresh) sheds two teardrops from the cup of her left eye.[caption id="attachment_9881671" align="alignnone" width="640"] Adivi Sesh in Major. Twitter @taran_adarsh[/caption]And, boy, I was surprised by the touch of gravitas that Prakash Raj brought to his character. Watch out for the scene where he runs after an auto thinking that his dear son has forgotten an important letter. Even after all these years, Raj continues to fascinate me. I should mention that all the actors are really convincing in their respective roles. And the movie reminded me of As the Ice Melts, a short story written by Damodar Mauzo that I read recently in which a character laments about the futility of war.The climactic battle leaves nine people dead – three soldiers and six infiltrators. Mauzo writes, “They, too, were the sons of some people. They, too, were brothers and husbands!” Well, what can I say? War is for nobody.Whether it’s 26/11, or the one being fought in Europe currently, it’s horrible.Rating: * * *Major is playing in cinemasKarthik Keramalu is a writer. His works have been published in The Bombay Review, The Quint, Deccan Herald and Film Companion, among others. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.