Champion is a Telugu period romantic drama starring Roshan and Anaswara Rajan in the lead roles. Directed by Pradeep Advaitham, the film is set during the Razakar movement in the pre-independence Hyderabad State. After the success of Pelli SandaD, this film generated decent curiosity among the youth, especially with Malayalam actress Anaswara Rajan making her Telugu debut. The movie was released in theatres today.

Plot Summary:

Even after India gains independence, Qasim Razvi refuses to merge the Hyderabad State with the Indian Union. To impose control through violence, the Nizam’s authoritarian regime unleashes the Razakars. Many villages live in fear, while a few like Byran Palli resist bravely.

During this time, Michael C. Williams (Roshan) arrives in the village along with his friend Shabbir. Michael is a talented football player who earns an opportunity to play for Manchester in England. However, to secure his travel, he gets involved in illegal arms transportation. While escaping from Patwari Rangarao’s men, Michael ends up helping a young villager named Bhikshapathi and, on his advice, reaches Byran Palli.

The village is led by Pedda Rajareddy, whose word the villagers respect deeply. Michael realizes that the Razakars have targeted this village. Though he dislikes violence and war, circumstances force him to hide in the village for a few days to escape the police.

Chandrakala (Anaswara Rajan), who performs street plays with her father, lives in the same village. Michael and Chandrakala grow close, and love blossoms between them. Soon, the Razakars attack the village. What will Michael do, given his hatred for violence? What is the reason behind his aversion to war? Will he choose his ambition over love, or will love change his path? The rest of the film answers these questions.

Analysis:

This is Roshan’s comeback film after a long gap and Anaswara Rajan’s first Telugu movie. Set against the Razakar era, Champion was expected to be a village-based love story with strong emotional depth. However, the narrative may leave such expectations partially unfulfilled.

The core conflict—of a hero who dislikes violence being forced into a situation where he must fight—has good emotional potential. The dilemma between personal ambition and standing up for love and humanity is well-conceived. While the idea is interesting, the execution does not fully explore this emotional depth.

The film struggles with pacing, especially in the first half. The hero’s introduction and the scenes that follow lack grip. It takes too long for the hero and heroine to meet, and the sequences in between are not impactful enough. A lot of runtime is spent before getting to the core conflict, which can test the audience’s patience.

Performances:

Roshan and Anaswara Rajan deliver sincere performances and do justice to their roles. Kalyan Chakravarthy and Archana add strength to the narrative with their supporting characters. However, the love story, which is expected to be the emotional backbone, gets limited screen time, leading to a sense of dissatisfaction.

Technical Aspects:

The production values are decent. Micky J Meyer’s background score stands out and enhances the emotional moments. Songs like “Gira Gira” and “Sallangundale” are pleasing and memorable. Madhu’s cinematography effectively captures the village atmosphere, while Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao’s editing is neat.

Final Verdict:

The Telangana backdrop and the Razakar period add historical weight to the story, but the inclusion of football in this setting feels slightly out of place. Even the title Champion does not fully align with the period and theme. If the love story had been given equal importance alongside the Razakar backdrop, the emotional impact could have been stronger. Champion remains a partly engaging film that connects only in certain moments.