Review of They Call Him OG: Pawan Kalyan Struggles Against a Weak Narrative

*They Call Him OG* does not meet expectations for a film meant to bolster Pawan Kalyan’s career. The film is a messy combination of gratuitous violence and unchecked aggression. Sujith’s direction fails to impress, presenting characters as uniformly antagonistic. The absence of musical interludes is notable, perhaps due to Kalyan’s preference. Kalyan’s character is a man of few words, trapped in an illogical script, yet maintains a formal appearance even in casual settings. He embodies a Japanese samurai, seeking retribution against Omi, played by Emraan Hashmi. The clashes between Kalyan and Hashmi are underwhelming, with poorly executed fight scenes. The director struggles to manage the action, prioritizing the hero’s image through excessive dialogue. The screenplay appears to have been written without proper structure, leading to unintentionally humorous moments. The chaotic nature of the film, with numerous fleeting villains, and the editing by Navin Nooli, contribute to its problems. The film suffers from over-the-top elements, using a pounding background score and saturated cinematography, which don’t compensate for the narrative’s flaws. Despite these weaknesses, the film avoids some conventional Telugu elements. Kalyan’s willingness to embrace a violent, bleak world is ultimately undone by the film’s hackneyed and predictable storyline.