Salaar: Part 1 — Ceasefire starring Prabhas (Left) as Deva and Prithviraj Sukumaran (Right) as VardhaIn 1985, the dystopian kingdom of Khansaar was ruled by the mighty king Raja Mannar (Jagapathi Babu). His son, Prince Vardha (Prithviraj Sukumaran), was close friends with the son of a local tribe leader, Deva (Prabhas). When Raja Mannar ordered the extermination of the local tribe, Deva and his mother got caught in the crossfire. Before leaving Khansaar, Deva promised Vardha that he would return whenever Vardha would need him.Jagapathi Babu as Raja Mannar in Salaar: Part 1 — CeasefireTime passed and it was the year 2017. The tension begins as Deva’s love interest Aadhya (Shruti Hassan) gets kidnapped by her father’s rivals. Deva rescues Aadhya. In the meantime, Vardha’s relatives and ministers plan to overthrow the leadership at Khansaar. Vardha then calls for his “One Man Army”, Deva to demolish his rivals to become the undisputed ruler of Khansaar.Dear readers, today I am going to review an epic action movie from KGF-fame writer and director, Prashanth Neel. This masterpiece titled “Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire” is the first part of the newly produced Salaar franchise. The film stars South India’s action star Prabhas opposite Prithviraj Sukumaran as the antagonist.Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire Official Trailer (Hindi):The Good:A thrilling story about friendship, rivalry, hatred, and power! “Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire” is an out-and-out action film. Prabhas wastes no time talking. He delivers dialogues with immense kicks, punches, and body power rather than words. His pairing with Prithviraj Sukumaran as the lead antagonist adds a mass appeal to this movie.Prashanth Neel has tried to portray Prabhas’ character similar to KGF’s Rocky Bhai (played by Yash) in terms of violence and deadliness. Jokes apart, this movie actually looks like Prabhas’ KGF! After severely flopping as Lord Ram in Adipurush, Prabhas has made an energetic comeback in a lethal character.The film contains powerful and intimidating dialogues along with high-octane raw action and fight scenes. The supporting cast of this movie is immense. It features several popular stars of the South Indian film industry such as Jagapathi Babu, Ramachandra Raju, and Shruti Hassan.Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire Official Trailer (Telugu):The screenplay of “Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire” is highly engrossing and is laden with action, thrill, and melodrama. Prabhas demolishes loads of henchmen all at a time! There are several twists in the screenplay which will require you to watch attentively. The drama will keep you on the edge of your seats till the end. Prashanth Neel’s engaging narrative style coupled with an outstanding action choreography makes Salaar a lifetime cinematic experience.The cinematography of Salaar is unique. It has been filmed using “Dark Centric Theme” technology to enhance its cryptic essence. The film has dark-shade visuals that make its narrative even more mysterious. Hollywood movies like “Batman Trilogy”, “Matrix”, and “Tenet” have been filmed using the same DCT technology. Salaar happens to be the first Indian film to use this “dark theme” in its cinematography. The high-definition dark cinematography is accompanied by terrifying background music which adds a petrifying element to its screenplay.The Bad:A drawback with this tortuous screenplay is that if you don’t watch attentively, then you might get confused. To add to it, there is no climax. The sequel “Salaar: Part 2 – Shouryaanga Parvam” is in development and is expected soon. The climax will happen in the sequel. Watching Part 1 may leave a lot of questions unanswered as the story in Part 1 is incomplete. This may leave you wondering and may add to your frustration. However, I guess, this is just a strategy to retain the thrill and make the audience eagerly anticipate the sequel.Shruti Hassan as Deva’s love interest Aadhya in Salaar: Part 1 — CeasefireThe Verdict:If you are in to watch yet another heated action movie, then don’t miss out on Salaar: Part 1 and wait for the story of Part 2 to unfold! Salaar has gained mass appeal and is on its way to becoming a gigantic blockbuster. This mega-budget action movie is by Prashanth Neel who has excelled in the directorial world with his blockbuster KGF. His classy directional style makes his action movies the biggest hits in Indian cinema. Acting – 9.5/10 Cinematography/Visual Effects – 9.8/10 Plot/Screenplay – 8/10 Setting/Theme – 9/10 Watchability – 8.5/10 Rewatchability – 6/10