‘Peddi’ review: Cricket, wrestling, running – and hyperbole

Peddi possibly started out as the simple, straight-forward account of a poor labourer using his sporting talent to help his community. But since this story has been told many times before, the makers of Peddi went in for addition and then multiplication.

Made in Telugu and also dubbed in Hindi, Buchi Babu Sana’s Peddi is several plotlines packed into one narrative.

Peddi (Ram Charan) excels at cricket even as he battles his circumstances. Peddi belongs to a village with no name, whose residents are all undocumented and severely exploited. Yet, Peddi has managed to acquire an enviably muscular body and bravura batting skills.

Peddi is snapped up by the small-town equivalent of the Indian Premier League. He also falls for Achiyamma (Janhvi Kapoor), the daughter of a local politician. Correction: Peddi initially falls first for Achiyamma’s waist, without even seeing her face.

So far, so typical. Professional success plus icky romance equals progress. Peddi’s dream of ensuring that he and his community will be given identity papers, and that his village will get a railway station, is getting somewhere.

But there’s more, much more, in store. Based on a story by the director and a screenplay by five writers, Peddi uses as a framing device India’s poor showing at the Olympic Games in...

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