Bhairanpally village in Telangana is known for its revolt against the Razakars, the private army, during the Nizam’s rule in Hyderabad. While the whole of India gained Independence in 1947, Hyderabad State did not. Kasim Razvi founded the Razakars, a private militia, and tortured those who opposed him, and the villagers of Bhairanpally resisted the Razakars and fought back bravely — this is how the village became historically significant, as one of the first to stand up against Razakar atrocities.

Director Pradeep Advaitham chose this historic revolt of Bhairanpally as the backdrop for his film Champion, adding a fictional narrative to it.  Though the story idea is promising, it should have been narrated in a gripping and engaging manner. Even though the director has taken cinematic liberties, the film needed strong emotions, as it is based on one of the most important historical movements in Telangana’s history.

Director: Pradeep Advaitham

Cast: Roshan Meka, Anaswara Rajan, Nandamuri Kalyan Chakravarthy, Kay Kay Menon, VK Naresh, Vennela Kishore

Champion largely revolves around Michael Williams (Roshan Meka), a football player from Secunderabad, who dreams of going to London to play for a Manchester club. However, since his father fought against the British, Michael is denied entry into London. Later, Michael gets another opportunity to go to London, but only if he smuggles weapons without letting the Razakars know about it. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Michael ends up in Bhairanpally village. Kalavathi (Anaswara Rajan) writes and performs stage plays with villagers, spreading awareness and resistance against oppression. Though Michael is still focused on his dream of going to London, he gets involved in the villagers’ fight against Razakar atrocities. Whether he continues to help them and achieves his dream forms the crux of the conflict.

While the story by Pradeep Advaitham, who makes his directorial debut here, looks good on paper, the execution leaves you wanting for more — especially when the film tries to mix historical events with fiction. Razakar (2024), which deals with a similar subject, stayed closer to history, portraying Kasim Razvi’s brutality and the revolt against him, including the Bhairanpally massacre. On the other hand, Champion fails to capture the emotional depth.

The director takes too much time to unravel the story, indulging in scenes that barely connect to the central narrative. The opening football sequence lacks impact. The Kovai Sarala episodes do not work. Even after Michael reaches Bhairanpally, the narrative doesn’t get to its core point, dragging on till the interval. Michael’s secret mission to transport weapons is an interesting idea, but it is not handled in an engaging manner. The romantic track between Roshan and Anaswara brings some interest through the stage-play portions, but it appears only in bits and pieces. Anaswara’s entry arrives disappointingly late, nearly 45 minutes into the film. Additionally, Several village characters mysteriously disappear in important scenes and reappear later. For example, Muralidhar Goud is missing during the villagers’ introduction but suddenly shows up later. VK Naresh, who plays Anaswara’s father, is also absent for major parts of the film.

While the first half suffers from heavy lag, despite a good interval scene, the second half completely falters in storytelling. The director takes excessive cinematic liberties, such as an army officer threatening to kill innocent villagers unless Michael scores a goal within a limited time — such scenes are highly unbelievable. The film loses its core conflict and focuses on irrelevant elements. Most importantly, the emotional depth is entirely missing. The song ‘Gira Gira’ is the only highlight, having been a chartbuster before release, but even that is mostly used as a background track, which is disappointing.

Technically, the film looks rich, with a few standout visuals. However, the climax is predictable and boring. Action scenes in the second half are overly cinematic and lack impact. Champion should have been an emotional and gripping historical drama, but instead, it ends up dull and stretched.

Coming to performances, Roshan Meka performs sincerely. However, the role is demanding, and carrying such a character requires more intensity. His physicality is not convincing enough for someone leading a revolt against the Razakars. Anaswara looks pleasant, but her role is minimal, offering little scope; a lacklustre debut. A talented actor like Kay Kay Menon is completely wasted; his portrayal of Kasim Razvi lacks depth and impact. Nandamuri Kalyan Chakravarthy’s comeback is underwhelming — his character is poorly written, emotionally flat, and despite being the village leader, he appears weak. None of the supporting cast stands out. Kovai Sarala’s character is annoying, Vennela Kishore’s performance is too familiar, and VK Naresh and Muralidhar Goud offer nothing new. 

The background score fails to elevate key moments. Cinematographer Madhie is the biggest asset of the film, delivering grand and rich visuals despite weak content. The film desperately needed tighter editing. Production values are solid, and it’s evident that the producers invested heavily.

Overall, Champion offers very little beyond a few scattered moments. A powerful real-life incident that deserved emotional storytelling is completely diluted by weak writing and poor execution. With no emotional connection and dull narration, Champion ends up being a disappointing watch.