Peddi Review: Ram Charan's Career-Best Performance

Released: June 4, 2026 | Director: Buchi Babu Sana | Language: Telugu | Runtime: 189 minutes | Music: A.R. Rahman

After RRR and Game Changer, Ram Charan returns to solo screen territory with Peddi — a film that has been generating conversation since its very first glimpse dropped over a year ago. Director Buchi Babu Sana, who made a quiet but impactful debut with Uppena, now takes on a much larger canvas with a bigger star, a bigger budget, and considerably bigger expectations. The result is a film that does not always match the scale of its ambition but earns its emotional moments genuinely.

In Telugu, "Peddi" is derived from the word "Pedda," which means "big," "elder," or "important" — and the film carries the weight of that meaning throughout its nearly three-hour runtime. 

The Story

Set in a rural village in Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh, during the 1990s, the story follows Peddi, a gifted athlete skilled in cricket, wrestling and sprinting. The film focuses on Peddi Pehelwan, who uses sports — especially wrestling and cricket — to reunite his villagers. Paiswal, played by Boman Irani, arrives in Vizianagaram and learns about Peddi, a jaggery worker from an unrecognised village who has earned a reputation for excelling in multiple sports. Curious about the man and his extraordinary abilities, Paiswal sets out to uncover the story behind Peddi's journey and his deep connection to his village.

The movie is a confluence of sports, struggle for village identity and social justice. At its heart this is not just a sports film — it is a story about a man fighting for his community's dignity and recognition, using whatever athletic talent he possesses as both weapon and shield. 

Ram Charan — The Film's Biggest Strength

There is no ambiguity here. Ram Charan is undoubtedly the film's biggest strength. After Rangasthalam, this is one of those rare roles that allows him to showcase both his acting prowess and emotional depth. Several early reviews described him as "terrific" and credited him with elevating the material even when the narrative experiences uneven patches. He disappears into the role completely — the physicality, the rural dialect, the quiet dignity of the character all feel lived-in rather than performed.

Film industry tracker AmuthaBharathi praised Charan as a performer who carried the film perfectly, noting that the emotional sequences worked very well and that A.R. Rahman's music was a perfect fit. 

The Supporting Cast

Jagapathi Babu, who played a ruthless antagonist in Ram Charan's Rangasthalam, appears in a completely contrasting role here. As a villager fighting for the development of his community, he brings considerable emotional weight to the narrative, particularly in the pre-interval portions. 

Shiva Rajkumar plays Gournaidu, Divyenndu plays Ram Bujji, and Boman Irani and Upendra Limaye appear in supporting roles. Shruti Haasan makes a special appearance in a song. The ensemble is well-cast and each supporting actor has a clearly defined role in Peddi's world. 

Janhvi Kapoor as Achiyamma is where the film falls slightly short. Her episodes are underwritten, which is a recurring problem in big Telugu productions — the female lead gets sidelined once the main dramatic machinery kicks in. Kapoor does what she can with the material but the writing does not give her room to make a real impression. 

A.R. Rahman's Music

A.R. Rahman's music received particular appreciation, with many viewers calling it one of the film's standout elements. For a film rooted in rural Andhra Pradesh with themes of community pride and sporting grit, Rahman brings exactly the right emotional vocabulary — folk-influenced, earthy, and occasionally soaring when the story demands it. His background score elevates the sports sequences significantly. 

What Works and What Does Not

The film's highlights are Ram Charan's performance and remarkable transformation, two sports episodes that land well, and an emotionally powerful final 20 minutes. The climax, in particular, has been generating conversation. Some audience members described it as unconventional compared to typical commercial Telugu cinema — which in a landscape of predictable masala endings is actually a point in the film's favour. 

On the other side, there is a noticeable lag in both halves and the screenplay loses momentum in stretches. At 189 minutes, Peddi asks for patience and does not always reward it evenly. Some critics pointed to pacing issues and a screenplay that occasionally loses momentum. 

Box Office Picture

The total worldwide business of Peddi is said to be around ₹220 crore, the second-highest solo deal for Ram Charan after Game Changer. To break even and emerge as a box office hit, the film needs to gross around ₹450 crore worldwide. That is a steep target, and the mixed-to-positive critical reception means the film will need strong word of mouth through its first weekend to build the momentum needed to reach those numbers.

Premiere pre-sales in North America surpassed the $300K mark, signalling strong buzz among overseas audiences, and the film opened with solid occupancy across Telugu-speaking markets on Day 1. 

Verdict

Peddi is a film of genuine highs and noticeable lows. It is not the complete, flawless package that the pre-release hype suggested it might be, but it is far from a disappointment. Buchi Babu Sana has crafted a film with a real emotional core, and Ram Charan has delivered a performance that will be remembered as one of the finest of his career. The pacing problems are real and the film's length tests patience in the middle portions. But the final stretch earns its tears honestly, and that counts for something.

Watch it for Ram Charan. Stay for the last twenty minutes. Tolerate the slow patches in between.

Rating: 3.25 / 5

Director: Buchi Babu Sana | Cast: Ram Charan, Janhvi Kapoor, Shiva Rajkumar, Jagapathi Babu, Divyenndu, Boman Irani | Music: A.R. Rahman | Cinematography: R. Ratnavelu | Production: Vriddhi Cinemas, Mythri Movie Makers