Pradeep Ranganathan

Movie Name : Return of the Dragon

Release Date : February 21, 2025
123telugu.com Rating : 2.75/5
Starring : Pradeep Ranganathan, KS Ravi Kumar, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Mysskin, Vj Siddhu, Harshath Khan, Anupama Parameshwaran, Kayadu Lohar, Mariam George, Indhumathy Manigandan, Thenappan others

Director : Ashwath Marimuthu
Producers : Kalpathi S Aghoram, Kalpathi S Ganesh, Kalpathi S Suresh
Music Director : Leon James
Cinematographer : Niketh Bommi
Editor : Pradeep E Ragav
Related Links : Trailer
Pradeep Ranganathan made a name for himself with the film Love Today which was a big hit in Telugu. He is back with yet another film titled Enter The Dragon. Anupama Parameswaran plays the female lead in this film which has been directed by Ashwath Marimuthu and has hit the screens today. Read our review here.

Story

Dragan(Pradeep Ranganath) is a college dropout who failed in 48 subjects. This is also the time when his girlfriend Keethy(Anupama Parameswaran) ditches him for good. To take revenge, he uses fake certificates and gets into a higher position. Just when is about to settle down in life with another girl(Kayadu Lohar), his principal comes back into the scene and challenges him to get to college and finish his studies failing which he would expose him and his career. Left with no choice, Dragon enters college again, and whether he succeeds in life and completes his studies, is the basic story of the film.

Plus Points

Ashwath Marimuthu, who directed Oh My Kadavule in Tamil, has helmed this film as well in Tamil. The Telugu version has been released with good hype and features a highly relatable subject that instantly connects with the youth. The film delivers a strong message that there are no shortcuts in life and that one must go through the grind to achieve a position. This message is presented in a highly engaging manner in the last half hour of the film.

The hero’s character, how he takes shortcuts in life, attains a position and marries the person of his choice—is well established. Just when you think the film is going bland in the first half, the interval bang keeps you engaged and is handled with great intensity. The fun factor in the film is limited, but when the comedic scenes unfold, they work well.

Pradeep Ranganathan once again delivers a solid performance. His appearance, tension-filled performance, and emotional expressions in the climax are commendable. Anupama Parameswaran plays a mature role and performs well, while Kayadu Lohar is impressive. Mysskin, the noted director, plays the college principal and is outstanding in his role.

The rest of the cast also delivers strong performances. One of the biggest highlights of the film is the college scenes showcased in the second half. The transformation of a fraudulent man as he changes his life and endures hardships is depicted effectively.

Minus Points

One of the biggest drawbacks of the film is its slow pace and lengthy runtime. Director Ashwath takes too long to get to the actual point. There was no need to showcase in such detail how the hero fakes things and attains a higher position. Since so much time is spent on this, the actual emotional content is left with little time to be fully developed.

The first half lacks many standout moments as well. The love story between Anupama Parameswaran and Pradeep should have been given more depth. The film needs about fifteen minutes of trimming to improve its pacing. Additionally, there are no strong emotional moments between the hero and his approach to studies in the second half.

A more gripping second half with intense scenes could have made a world of difference. The film feels great in parts but contains numerous redundant scenes. One good scene is often followed by a lackluster one, diminishing its impact.

Technical Aspects

Leon James has composed the music, but the songs are not very impressive. Not a single song stands out, but the background score (BGM) is quite good. The Telugu dubbing is effective. The production values of the film are top-notch, and the dialogues are well-written. However, the editing is patchy and needs to be crisper.

Coming to the director, Ashwath Marimuthu has done just a passable job with the film. He narrates a very contemporary issue—how students take the wrong paths in life and face severe consequences. However, the conflict is stretched out with overly detailed narration, which is unnecessary. The comedy factor should have been elevated a bit more as well.

Verdict

On the whole, Return of the Dragan has a good subject which is dragged for no reason. The slow pace and lengthy runtime dominate the few good aspects of the film. If you ignore the above aspects and want to watch a youthful drama this weekend, give the film a shot but keep your expectations low.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.75/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team