Peddi Movie Review: Is Ram Charan’s Big Sports Drama Worth the Massive Hype?

Movie Name: Peddi

Release Date: June 4, 2026
Starring: Ram Charan, Janhvi Kapoor, Shiva Rajkumar, Jagapathi Babu, Divyendu Sharma
Director: Buchi Babu Sana
Producer: Venkata Satish Kilaru
Music Director: A.R. Rahman
Cinematographer: Ratnavelu ISC
Editor: Navin Nooli

Related Links: Trailer

Ram Charan’s highly anticipated sports drama Peddi has finally hit theatres amid sky-high expectations. Directed by Buchi Babu Sana and backed by a star-studded cast, the film built strong buzz through its promotions. Promising intense emotions, thrilling sports moments, and a powerful performance from Ram Charan, does Peddi truly deliver? Let’s find out.

Story:

Set in 2016, Peddi begins after India’s disappointing Olympic performance, prompting the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to search for exceptional sporting talent across the country.

During this mission, sports official Mr. Paiswal (Boman Irani) arrives in Vizianagaram and hears about Peddi (Ram Charan), a jaggery worker from an unrecognised village who is known for excelling in multiple sports. Intrigued by the mystery surrounding him and his remarkable talent, Paiswal starts digging deeper into Peddi’s story and his powerful connection to his village. The rest of the film unfolds around this journey.

Plus Points:

Ram Charan easily emerges as the film’s biggest highlight. After Rangasthalam, this feels like one of those rare characters that gives him enough room to showcase both his acting strength and emotional range. He delivers a deeply committed performance and completely slips into the role of Peddi. His portrayal feels believable, emotionally grounded, and impactful, helping audiences connect with the character’s struggles and victories. His emotional performance during the pre-climax and climax portions turns out to be one of the strongest aspects of the movie.

Shiva Rajkumar plays a significant role and leaves a solid impression with his screen presence. His scenes alongside Ram Charan are engaging and add weight to the narrative. Jagapathi Babu, despite having limited screen time, makes a strong impact as Appalasoori. Boman Irani is also effective and handles his role with ease.

The sports portions are executed well, especially the cricket episodes, which provide several entertaining moments. Ram Charan’s physical transformation and dedication to playing such a demanding role deserve appreciation.

Though a few emotional moments don’t land as strongly as expected, the climax delivers the emotional punch effectively and stands out as one of the film’s best moments.

Minus Points:

While Peddi tries to balance sports drama with emotional storytelling, some emotional scenes fail to leave the intended impact. Despite having the potential to be deeply moving, the writing and execution occasionally make them feel ordinary.

The movie also follows certain familiar sports drama templates, making some portions predictable and slightly reducing the emotional impact.

Even though the casting works well on paper, several supporting characters feel underused. Janhvi Kapoor has very limited importance in the story and mostly appears in songs and a romantic track that lacks emotional depth. Similarly, talented actors like Rao Ramesh, John Vijay, Ajay Ghosh, and others don’t get enough scope to make a lasting impression.

Some viewers may also struggle with a few dialogues due to the Uttarandhra dialect and the way they are delivered. Additionally, the placement of the special song Hallallallo feels forced and doesn’t naturally fit into the storyline.

The promotional material also seems to have revealed more than necessary, reducing the surprise factor of a few important moments that could have worked better if left undisclosed.

Technical Aspects:

Director Buchi Babu Sana picks an ambitious subject for only his second feature film and largely succeeds in making it engaging. He understands Ram Charan’s strengths and uses them effectively throughout the narrative. That said, a tighter screenplay and sharper pacing could have made the film even stronger.

A.R. Rahman’s music and background score elevate many important scenes. While his work overall is effective, a few emotional moments could have benefited from a stronger musical push. Cinematographer Ratnavelu presents visually rich frames and beautifully captures both the rural atmosphere and sports sequences with scale.

Navin Nooli’s editing is decent, although trimming certain portions could have made the storytelling crisper. The production values remain impressive throughout and reflect the film’s grand vision. The visual effects are satisfactory but could have been better in a few scenes.

Verdict:

Overall, Peddi turns out to be an engaging sports drama powered heavily by Ram Charan’s outstanding performance. His portrayal of the title character keeps the film emotionally grounded and delivers several memorable moments, especially during the emotionally charged climax.

Shiva Rajkumar, Jagapathi Babu, and the supporting cast also play their parts effectively. However, predictable storytelling, underused supporting characters, and emotional scenes that don’t always hit the mark stop the film from reaching greater heights. Still, thanks to its mix of sports, emotions, and an inspiring story, Peddi remains an entertaining watch. Fans of Ram Charan and emotional sports dramas are likely to leave satisfied.