Peddi’ Movie Review: One Man’s Fight to Put His Forgotten Village on the Map

Director- Buchi Babu Sana
Writer – Buchi Babu Sana
Stars – Ram CharanJanhvi KapoorShivarajkumar
Rating – 3.5

UNN @ Varsha Parikh : Set in the heart of Vizianagaram, Peddi follows the journey of Peddi (Ram Charan), a fearless “aata coolie” — a player hired to win cricket matches for the highest bidder. While rival teams from Vizianagaram and Bobbili compete to have him on their side, Peddi’s real battle lies elsewhere. He comes from an unnamed village of 1,500 people that lacks even the most basic recognition—no voting rights, no railway station, and no government attention. Determined to give his people an identity and a voice, Peddi turns sports into a powerful weapon for change. What begins as a personal struggle soon transforms into a fight for the dignity and future of an entire community.
The film takes its time to build the world and its characters, testing the audience’s patience in the first half. However, once the emotional core and the high-stakes sports drama kick in, Peddi delivers a powerful and inspiring story about resilience, pride, and belonging.
This film wouldn’t be what it is without Ram and his physique doing half the work for him. That is not to shortchange his acting, because in the scenes where his character keeps getting backed into a corner, he brings a kind of tenacity to his body language rather than his speech. But the heart of the film lies in its kushti (traditional wrestling) portions, even if it’s the sprinting scenes that are meant to tug your heart.