Champion (2025) Review

A stunning lead pair (Roshan Meka and Anaswara Rajan), a surprise cameo (Dulquer Salmaan), and a superbly talented ensemble (Piyush Mishra, Ranveer Shorey, K K Menon and Prakash Raj); there's fantastic acting by almost everyone (including the extras), and posh filming standards. But Champion meanders endlessly and has so many plot holes that it reminds me of a dialogue from V For Vendetta: "Why don't you die?" I mean, why doesn't the movie (Champion) end? The fault lies squarely with the script and the direction.

Right after India gained independence, Michael Williams (Rohan Meka) chases his dream of migrating to England and playing for the Manchester United football team. However, he cannot officially travel to England because of his father (Dulquer Salmaan), who was a soldier in the British Raj but later rebelled against it. Williams is then forced to undertake a task for a British pilot in exchange for passage to England.

All this unfolds against the backdrop of the Bhairanpally revolt, at a time when Hyderabad had not yet merged with newly independent India. Caught in the turmoil, Williams gradually stands up for the people and takes up arms against the Deccan Raj, controlled by the Razakars.

When the movie begins and starts setting its tone, it already starts losing its novelty, because much of what you see early on feels like bits lifted from Razakar. Of course, this film has better production standards and stronger casting across the board.

As it progresses, however, the contention between the hero and the villain becomes utterly confusing. You can't really make out what the conflict is about. Is the Nizam's police seeking revenge on Williams because he defeated the Deccan police football team? Or is it about the Nizam wanting to control the region with an iron fist and remain independent from India, represented by a football-playing Deccan police officer who lost to Williams in a match?

Believe me, this confusion runs throughout the movie, and the climax is even more bewildering for the same reason.

And on top of all this, the characterisation is poor - something even someone who doesn't know the A, B, C of cinema can tell. For example, our sweet boy Williams is introduced as a football champion wannabe. Fine. But as the situation flips, he also turns out to be a great dancer, an expert shooter who can hit a bull's eye while riding a horse and handling two semi-automatic guns - one in each hand. He is also a good lover and a great actor, quite literally, as shown in a picture-in-picture format where he performs in a theatre within the film.

At first, the movie feels like a sports-prodigy underdog story, with Williams taking on a ruthless opponent. Then he is branded as the son of a traitor. After that, he finds shelter in a place that feels completely at odds with his character. And then it's suddenly "GTFO football" - the true spirit, apparently, is standing up for those who care for him. Not a bad idea, but none of these transitions feel natural.

Now, about shooting with two semi-automatic guns while riding a horse galloping at full speed. I remember competing in a shooting camp during my college days. The rifle fired a very low-calibre bullet, and only one round at a time. The recoil was so strong it almost shook my shoulders off, and I was firing from a safe position, securing the rifle against my shoulder and a sandbag. I honestly want to smoke whatever Tollywood is using to justify this sequence - and many others like it.

Now, back to the Bhairanpally story. Factional protests against an evil regime and the revolt that follows are nothing new - we've seen them many times before. But this theme was perhaps better filmed in Chittagong. That film stayed largely true to history and depicted how an unassuming group of patriots revolted against the British Raj. They took up arms, but it all felt organic and credible.

By contrast, the revolt shown in this movie - and the face-offs that follow - feel more like 300 than an actual uprising in a region of Secunderabad against the Nizam. The climax, especially, is so out of sync with the plot that it feels like watching a Marvel or DC comic rather than a movie inspired by the history of the Deccan.

The performances are superb across the board, but I'd put my money on Roshan. He puts far more effort into this movie than his father Srikanth ever did in any of his films. Unfortunately, the story and screenplay backstab him. The same is true of the ensemble cast. They are all fine actors but have fallen victim to a bad - or rather, directionless - movie.

Technically speaking - if by that you mean framing, visual effects and set design - the film is top-notch. The background score, however, is mediocre, and the songs are entirely forgettable. In fact, you'll end up wondering who the genius (of course, the director) was who decided to force-fit these songs.

The rating you see here is solely for Roshan's efforts; otherwise, the film could just as well be left unrated. Now the decision of whether you want to sit through this movie is yours.