Liger Movie Review: Liger tries hard to roar loud but coughs midway

The first thing that's intriguing is the word "Liger". Protagonist's mother says he is a crossbreed but, when two species mate (inter-species), the offspring is a 'hybrid', not a crossbreed (breeds are intra-species). Hybrids include Liger, Tigon, Mule etc. They are usually born sterile. This same sterility of broiler/layer chicken eggs makes some vegetarians claim Egg is Veg. 

Liger is also sterile in a sense. Key takeaway from the movie is nothing. 

Director Puri Jaganath connects with Karan Johar to produce something which is only remarkable in the body building and performance of Vijay Deverakonda. 

Movie starts as a mother son duo Chai wala on the streets of Mumbai, then our liger - the fighter storms up the place. He tries to get classed by coach Ronit Roy and make India proud by being a MMA fighter in international championship and that's it. His love comes on and off and done. Pack up. The movie is old curry reheated and packaged and delivered online, even after waiting for long the curry (movie) is neither spicy, sweet nor filled with vegetable chunks but a lifeless pond of gravy with same old Masala smeared here and there. 

The film does have a stammering hero and that's a progressive sign but it doesn't make you feel for him nor shows his struggles. Why does most of Indian movies need a funny sidekick always, Why can't hero be flawed and funny himself. 

Film has all build ups other than the actual stamina build up of Liger. He has a strong body but nobody knows how. He is inspiring but film never unfolds his layers. 

A son who's mom inspires him to be a fighter like his dad and stay away from girls and sends up getting the girl and about the championship not only the audience but even the writer and director doesn't know. 

How can a boxing/MMA/fighting movie not show Mumbai basti by the sea and also not go to Las Vegas. This one too goes to both the palaces and there is nothing you wouldn't have seen in a boxing movie before. 

Coming to the casting, Balamani from Karimnagar is played by Ramya and played as Ramya from Bahubali she does perform extremely well but it's all the repetitive and at some place unwanted. 

Ananya Pandey plays Tanya in the movie but Taniya is nothing but Ananya Pandey IRL totally unlikable. She is not only dumb in real life but dumb in movie too. 

Ali and Ronit Roy are reduced to just some speaking clichés and Makarand Deshpande only comes like chief guests come for deep prajwalan. Writer should have given them depth and director some screen space. 

"Liger doesn't stand out but will surely make you stand and go out".

The biggest plus point of the movie is it's BGM. In the theater it sounds even more nice. Sunil Kashyap deserves much appreciation for that. At the same time the music really sucks and was totally unwarranted and avoidable. 

At one point in the movie you can see a board in Gujrati saying "Patel fal kendra" and what does this roadside vendor do sell panipuris, I guess panipuris are the new age fruit then. And at a fight sequence in Mumbai train you can see a Gujrati saree wearing aunty suddenly speaking in Marathi. But the worst part is none of the Hindi actors are speaking in Telugu and that's easily identified by audience and that sets the mood off. Director should have had some thought while filming it. 

Also unrealistic frames of a floating shack in Mumbai, Vijay Deverakonda appearing in a ranch just out of Las Vegas on a bike and no GPS. 

Chunky pandey sends a private jet to pick someone.. That's the biggest joke in the movie. Also the scenes with Mike Tyson were so funnily shot that the essence of humour or the devotion of action is all gone. 

There isn't a climax but an anticlax in the movie which makes you think if the movie name is Liger or Linger. Because it leaves at nowhere and leaves with nothing. There's one last Coka song which the audience sits through because it thinks there will be spoilers like Avengers but there are extremely disappointed when the song ends and the titles start showing up with the making of the movie. As if the audience din't have enough of the subtle torture the making is a big no and people start leaving with absolutely nothing. The makers could have just played the titles side by side with song but they dint. The movie will stream on Disney Hotstar soon if it doesn't perform well or later even if it does so tame the Liger within to enjoy it on OTT or if the Liger in you is roaring for Vijay Deverakonda then rush to the nearest cinema. 

Let's see if this Pan India film pens well in numbers or is the audience hitting it with a flying pan. 

Also let's wait to see if audience appreciate this movie just because it's a Telugu movie ya boycott gang wale iski "Watt Laga Denge"...

P.S : Don't wait for the koka song and just leave..