Peddi Review: Ram Charan Delivers Career-Best in a Flawed Gem

Ram Charan's Peddi arrives as one of the most anticipated Telugu films in years — a big-canvas sports drama from the director of Uppena, backed by AR Rahman's music and a cast that reads like a who's who of Indian cinema. The result is a film that soars when it matters most but stumbles under the weight of its own ambition.

Peddi Review: The Story That Telugu Cinema Needed Right Now

There is a specific kind of Telugu film that works not because it is perfect, but because it makes you feel something real. Peddi, directed by Buchi Babu Sana and released on June 4, 2026, is that kind of film. It is imperfect. It is uneven. And yet, when it hits, it hits hard enough to make you forget every complaint you had in the first hour.

Set in 2016, the story begins with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports launching a nationwide search for exceptional sporting talent, following India's disappointing Olympic performance. Sports official Paiswal, played by Boman Irani, arrives in Vizianagaram and hears about Peddi — a jaggery worker from an unrecognized village who has built a reputation for excelling across multiple sports. Curious about the man and his extraordinary abilities, Paiswal sets out to uncover the full story of Peddi's journey.

That framing device — an outsider learning about a legend — is a familiar cinematic language. What makes Peddi compelling is what lies underneath: a story about village identity, social recognition, and what it means to fight not just for personal glory but for an entire community's existence on the map.

First Half: Conventional but Purposeful

To establish the emotional conflict that takes center stage from the interval onward, director Buchi Babu spends nearly an hour on conventional commercial elements. Ram Charan is introduced as a cricketer-for-hire, followed by his romantic track with Janhvi Kapoor, along with a couple of songs.

This opening stretch will test the patience of some viewers. The romance, while pleasant, does not carry the weight the film wants it to. The songs, though accompanied by AR Rahman's consistently immersive score, slow the narrative momentum. However, Buchi Babu is doing something deliberate here: he is building the texture of Peddi's world so that when the real conflict arrives, you understand what is at stake.

The interval sequence corrects the course sharply. The interval block stands out with Ram Charan delivering a fierce and physically commanding performance. By the time the lights go up for the break, the audience is fully invested. 

Second Half: Where Peddi Becomes Something Special

The second half is where Buchi Babu unleashes the film's true purpose. Although the film falls in the sports drama genre, and Telugu cinema has seen several sports-based films in recent years, Peddi offers a variation by incorporating multiple sports rather than focusing on just one. More importantly, Buchi Babu uses sports as a backdrop to tell a social drama about identity, recognition, and the development of a neglected village. 

This is the film's biggest creative gamble — and it mostly pays off. The scenes set in the village, where Peddi fights not with his fists but with his grit and sporting achievement, carry a genuine emotional charge. The pre-climax and climax are the strongest portions of the entire film, delivering the kind of cathartic release that mass entertainers promise and rarely fully deliver.

Heroism, elevation moments, village issues, sports, emotions, victories, defeats, inspiration, and sacrifice — everything audiences typically expect from a mass entertainer is present.

Ram Charan: After Rangasthalam, This Is the One

Let us be direct: this is Ram Charan at his absolute best since Rangasthalam. After Rangasthalam, this is one of those rare roles that allows him to showcase both his acting prowess and emotional depth. He delivers a committed performance throughout and completely owns the character of Peddi. His portrayal is convincing and impactful, allowing the audience to connect with the character's journey. The emotional maturity he displays during the pre-climax and climax portions stands out as one of the film's major highlights.

There is a physical authenticity to his work here — the way he carries himself in the sports sequences, the rawness in the village scenes, and the quiet dignity he brings to a man who has been invisible to the world. This is a performance built on craft, not charisma alone.

Supporting Cast: Hits and Misses

Shiva Rajkumar plays an important role and leaves a strong impression with his screen presence. His scenes with Ram Charan carry real weight and will likely be among the most-discussed moments of the film's theatrical run.

The entire framing device involving Boman Irani is one of the film's weakest aspects. Irani, a performer of considerable ability, is not given material worthy of his talent. The role functions more as a narrative device than a fully realized character, and the film suffers for it.

Similarly, talented actors such as Rao Ramesh, John Vijay, and Ajay Ghosh are not given enough opportunities to leave a lasting impression. In a film of this scale and budget, that feels like a missed opportunity. Janhvi Kapoor handles her role adequately but remains at the periphery of the central drama.

Technical Excellence Across the Board

Ratnavelu's cinematography deserves its own paragraph. He shoots the Vizianagaram landscape with a painterly reverence, giving the village sequences a visual identity that distinguishes Peddi from the generic sports drama template. The wide-angle shots during the sporting events have the energy of a live broadcast, pulling the viewer into the action.

AR Rahman's score is, predictably, one of the film's greatest assets. The songs may slow the first half, but the background score in the second half is a different beast — propulsive, emotionally precise, and occasionally overwhelming in the best possible way.

Editor Naveen Nooli keeps the second half tight where it counts, though a firmer hand in the first half would have served the film considerably better. At 189 minutes, Peddi carries approximately 20 minutes of fat that a more ruthless edit would have trimmed.

What Works and What Does Not

The Bigger Picture: What Peddi Means for Telugu Cinema

Peddi is the kind of film that reminds you why regional cinema in India continues to punch above its weight. Buchi Babu Sana mounts the story on a much larger canvas than his debut Uppena, and though the film falls in the sports drama genre, it offers a variation by incorporating multiple sports rather than focusing on just one. That creative ambition — using sport not as the subject but as the lens — is a maturity of vision that deserves acknowledgment.

While Peddi aims to balance sports drama with strong emotional storytelling, a few emotional scenes do not achieve the desired impact. Although they have the potential to be deeply moving, the writing and execution make them feel somewhat ordinary. 

That is ultimately the tension at the heart of this film: the gap between what it could have been and what it is. But the gap is smaller than most films of this scale ever manage to close.

Our Verdict

Peddi is not a perfect film. The first hour is too conventional for a filmmaker who has already proven he can do better. Some of the supporting roles are written as outlines rather than characters. And the framing structure adds little to what should have been a more direct, immersive narrative.

But when Buchi Babu locks into the heart of his story — the village, the struggle, the identity — Peddi becomes something genuinely moving. Ram Charan carries the film with a performance that is raw, committed, and emotionally mature in ways that will surprise even his most loyal admirers.

If you are a Telugu cinema fan, this is not a film you miss in theatres. The second half alone earns the price of the ticket.

Rating: 3/5

Film Details at a Glance

Telugu cinema's summer of 2026 now has its defining film. Peddi will divide audiences — those who demand consistent pacing throughout will find the first half frustrating, while those willing to stay with the story will be rewarded handsomely. Either way, Ram Charan's performance is not optional viewing. It is a reminder of what this actor is capable of when given the right material and a director who trusts him completely.

Watch it. Debate it. But do not miss it.