'GodFather' review | Salman Khan's hat-tip to Chiranjeevi stands out in this spoon-fed version of ‘Lucifer’

Chiranjeevi as Brahma in Mohan Raja’s 'GodFather'.

In Raj B. Shetty’s Kannada movie Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana (2021), a cop named Brahmaiah gets two gangsters killed without getting his hands dirty. Brahmaiah, in that sense, is a creator. In Mohan Raja’s GodFather, Chiranjeevi plays Brahma, who’s again a creator. However, unlike Brahmaiah, Brahma does all the fighting. We’re talking about a mainstream Telugu action drama, after all. This is the land of the masala.

Lucifer (2019), the Malayalam movie upon which GodFather is based, had deliberately left some blanks unfilled. It was a meticulous thriller and was treated as one. But Raja doesn’t seem to be interested in that. He makes his version a lot more sentimental and gets the question regarding the father of the male protagonist out of the way within the first 10 minutes itself – Brahma and Satya (Nayanthara) are half-siblings and the latter is not at all comfortable with that fact.

Mohanlal and Chiranjeevi are equally big stars in their respective states and they have both been shining for more than four decades now. Why do only actors in Telugu cinema then feel the need to bend over backwards to show that their characters are the ones in control of everything? Whether it’s Pawan Kalyan in Bheemla Nayak (2022), or Chiranjeevi in GodFather, the heroes blatantly rise above the contours of the original scripts. It’s not that the adapted screenplays are bad; they have their own feathers to flaunt. But the remakes certainly raise more eyebrows than questions.

That said, I really was surprised by the scene in which Brahma’s true power comes into focus. It’s loaded with the quintessential factor of awesomeness. I’m also singling it out because the rest of the freshly added material is passé. Okay, the scene that I’m establishing comes at a time when Jaidev (Satyadev), the prime antagonist, invites all the members of his political party to get their support in writing in order to become the next chief minister. Jaidev thinks there’s only one black sheep in his room, but he has no idea about what’s going to hit him. You have to watch it to believe it. This is the kind of hero worship that gets the maximum number of whistles in a movie hall.

Brahma is not a bigger beast than Stephen Nedumpally (Mohanlal) in Lucifer. And since there’s no mysterious air around him, he comes across as a regular gang leader who doesn’t want the party that he’s associated with to take money from the manufacturers of drugs. In Jaidev, again, there are no layers beneath his persona. He’s just a baddie whose only dream is to sit in the biggest political chair. Satyadev truly plays his part with the arrogance that’s required of a cunning man. He’s excellent in places where he throws challenges against his rival even though he doesn’t win any prizes.

Chiranjeevi, though, I’m afraid to report, looks zoned out when he’s not talking. Does he not want to take part in the listening aspect of a conversation? In the scene where Jaidev offers a deal to get Brahma, who’s been arrested under a false accusation, out of prison, the hero doesn’t utter a word. But that’s not an issue. He doesn’t as much as turn his head properly to indicate that he’s absorbing the message he’s being given.
Of course, Brahma doesn’t break down anywhere because he has friends and admirers all over the world. He can get out whenever he wants to.

However, it would have been a little better if the actor had shown some involvement. Also, I’m glad that he doesn’t have a sidekick who praises him at every opportunity. Yes, the bar is too low. My expectations have gone down considerably.

Oftentimes, thrillers open up like a game of chess where the good guy and the bad guy keep making moves till the climax. Since GodFather is a remake, there’s no scope for suspense. But there’s Salman Khan to set that right. Khan, also, doesn’t fail to tip his hat to Chiranjeevi in the final moments. And, I think, it comes from a place of respect. And though it’s merely a cameo, he reminded me of Shah Rukh Khan in Kamal Haasan’s Hey Ram (2000). The Khans didn’t do these movies to broaden their fan bases. They are, without a doubt, tokens of appreciation for the superstars from the South. It’s also a small step that helps to bridge the gap between the numerous industries of the country. And I’m all for it.

GodFather does what the other Chiranjeevi starrer, Acharya (2022), couldn’t do – hold your attention. Nevertheless, with all the changes that have been made, I wish Nayanthara had a bigger piece on the chess board.