Game Changer Review

When Shankar made his signature anti-corruption themed films in the 90s, society seemed less jaded about the prospect of meaningful change. Back then, it was almost plausible to imagine a vigilante skilled in Varmakalai dismantling the political system, and the lofty tone of Bharatheeyudu (1996) stirred righteous fury in audiences. But in 2025, a protagonist like Ram Murthy - an idealistic IAS officer determined to combat cronyism and vote-buying - feels painfully outdated, if not outright naive. Perhaps that's why Game Changer gives up trying to be anything more than a breezy, low-stakes popcorn entertainer.

In classic Shankar fashion, Game Changer revels in spotlighting obscure political loopholes and bureaucratic quirks. Did you know the Disaster Management Act permits an IAS officer like Ram to demolish a public mall in broad daylight, paperwork be damned? Or that an IAS officer can't magically ascend to the role of Chief Minister without resigning from the service - a feat impossible while suspended for, say, slapping a politician?

The film also serves up a delightfully odd tidbit about IAS travel restrictions: Ram needs special permission from the Chief Secretary to visit his girlfriend, Deepika (Kiara Advani), because the old-age home where she works (of course, what good are heroines if they're not helping the old and sick?) is located just a few feet outside his district boundary. Most amusingly, the Indian Constitution in Shankar's universe is suspiciously silent about whether Ram can sit guard at a polling office with an army of JCBs which he then uses to haul and fling goondas like bags of cement.

In a relentless game of one-upmanship, Ram faces off against Bobbili Mopidevi (S J Suryah), a career politician and straight-up murderer who eyes the CM seat currently occupied by his sincere step-father. Yet, the film's tone is lighthearted, not least because every comedian currently working in Telugu finds their way into it. There is Sunil playing "Side" Satyam, Ram's aide/butler/guard, doing a slapstick bit about only being able to walk and look sideways like a crab. The iconic Brahmanandam drops in for a whole thirty seconds. Most perplexingly, at least five "comedians" including Viva Harsha, Satya and Priyadarshi show up in a drinking scene to play Ram's friends and are never seen again.

Mostly, though, it is S J Suryah, who plays Bobbili with his particular brand of eccentricity, that gives the film a comical edge. In one scene, Bobbili through a series of unsavoury acts grabs the CM post only to be kicked out by Ram a mere hour later. "But I just sat down (on the seat)," Bobbili says with the same manic goofiness that Suryah brought to antagonist Daya in Saripodha Sanivaaram (2024).

S J Suryah and Ram Charan share little chemistry. This disconnect is partly because Ram has the unenviable task of trying to thread together a consistent performance amidst the film's inconsistent tones. For instance, during the high-stakes cat-and-mouse game in the third act, he must abruptly pivot from playing a smug officer to a teary-eyed man sharing overly sentimental moments with an elderly woman, played by Anjali.

Speaking of absent chemistry, Kiara Advani gives a stifled performance in the thankless role of the on-again, off-again girlfriend. She appears primarily for the film's grandly staged songs - like Jaragandi Jaragandi - which, despite their lavish sets, fail to be anything other than insufferably dull.

Perhaps the defining experience of watching Game Changer is realizing how little the film lives up to its title. There's nothing remotely game-changing about a filmmaker recycling the same tune for thirty years with diminishing returns. The characters, even their quirks, feel like watered-down, more politically-correct versions of their predecessors. The songs echo past hits without the spark, and the entire film carries a washed-up quality - as if it's aware of its own obsolescence but unwilling to admit it.

In the end, Game Changer is less a bold move and more a tired shuffle in familiar territory. The so-called Rajamouli curse may have hit Charan, too.