They Call Him OG (2025) Telugu Movie Review

I watched They Call Him OG today inside the theaters. Starring none other than Pawan Kalyan, the film had somehow slipped under my radar until three days ago, when its trailer suddenly dropped. At first glance, it looked like a typical South Indian mass action masala – heavy punches, heavy dialogues, and even heavier background music. But then my comment section started spamming, “Brother, review OG!” So, I said, okay fine, let’s do it – and in my sleep-deprived state of dal-chawal intoxication, I even wrote “They call me OG” instead of “They call him OG.” A true beginning to chaos.

The Theater Experience – When Ears and Eyes Both Gave Up

The moment I sat down with popcorn in hand, the film didn’t even wait five minutes before testing my patience. Within those first five minutes, I realized this movie wasn’t going to go easy on my eyes. And within ten, my ears joined the protest. The film bombards you with visuals so abrupt that your brain starts buffering like an old Wi-Fi connection.

The action sequences are supposed to be stylish, but what we get instead is a confused mix of rapid cuts and invisible hits. The sword swings, the punches fly, but you never actually see the impact. A man waves a weapon in the air – cut – someone falls dramatically. Repeat that formula fifty times, and you have OG’s entire fight choreography.

It feels like someone edited KGF, Saaho, and Salaar together at 1.5x speed and forgot to include the “sense” part of it. My brain was pleading – “Brother, stop registering visuals before it explodes.”

Thaman’s BGM – The Real Hero of OG

But wait. There’s one thing that actually saves your soul from the chaos – Thaman S’s background score. The man doesn’t just compose; he launches an assault of sound that practically drags the movie on its shoulders. The opening 3D title sequence hits like a storm. It’s that rare kind of energy that makes you sit upright and say, “Okay, maybe this won’t be so bad.”

Throughout the film, the background music works overtime, adding intensity and emotion that the scenes themselves fail to deliver. In short – when the visuals fall flat, Thaman’s beats rise tall.

What’s the Story? Or Should I Say, the Confusion?

The title character OG stands for Ojas Gambhira – a man born in Japan who grows up learning martial arts, only to find himself returning to India after a mysterious incident. Once home, he becomes involved in running a port business that isn’t exactly his own. The real owner has a family – two sons, internal politics, power plays, betrayal – the usual ingredients of an underworld recipe.

A rival gang, a few revenge murders, and whispers of “OG” being an unstoppable legend – that’s the framework. The film tries desperately to give him that “Baba Yaga” mystique, just like John Wick, where even mentioning his name causes tremors of fear. The Hindi dubbed version hilariously translates one of his nicknames as “Bagul Bua has arrived.” I still don’t know what that means, but it had the whole theater giggling.

The Familiarity Problem – KGF + Saaho + Salaar = OG

If you’ve seen any of the recent South Indian “mass” movies, OG will feel like déjà vu. The color palette screams KGF, the storytelling rhythm mimics Saaho, and the tone flirts with Salaar. The problem isn’t homage – it’s overdose. The movie borrows so many tropes that you start playing mental bingo. Slow-motion walk – check. Dust flying in the air – check. Hero entering through smoke – check. Random dialogue about fear and loyalty – double check.

At some point, you start wishing the film would surprise you. But it doesn’t. Instead, it keeps reusing every formula that’s been proven successful – only here, it feels tired and uninspired. If you take all those blockbuster movies, mix them, and divide by three – you get OG. A middle-of-the-road masala entertainer that wants to look epic but ends up being “average plus noise.”

Logic Went on a Vacation

There’s one scene that perfectly sums up OG’s writing quality. A lady is narrating about a mysterious protector who once ruled the underworld – “There was an empire. It had a protector.” Then a villain asks, “Who is he? Could it be him?” Now, the twist? This same villain had literally explained the hero’s identity one hour ago. He himself gave that same introduction earlier! The self-forgetting syndrome is strong in this one.

Moments like these make you wonder if the writers were just having fun confusing the audience. They spent all their creative energy on style and left common sense at the editing table.

Japan Connection – Stylish but Pointless

Now let’s talk about that Japan angle. It’s introduced with so much drama – Japanese dojo, katanas, martial arts, snow – but none of it adds real meaning to the plot. You could remove the entire Japan backstory, and nothing in the film would change. It exists purely so our hero can swing a katana in slow motion later on and look cool doing it. That’s it. Even anime fans would say, “Brother, this subplot was unnecessary.”

Still, credit where it’s due – the visuals of Japan portions are well-shot, and Pawan Kalyan pulls them off with conviction. But beyond that, it’s style for the sake of style.

Cinematic Universe – Or Just Rumors?

Here’s the juicy gossip. There’s a small spoiler that They Call Him OG might be connected to Prabhas’s Saaho. Whether that’s intentional or just fan theory fuel, it feels like the makers are trying to create a South Indian action cinematic universe. Imagine a crossover of OG, Salaar, and Saaho – that would either be epic or totally chaotic. But looking at the current writing, it’s safer to say they’re still testing the waters.

The Two Real Positives

Let’s not be too harsh – OG does have two things going for it.

1. Thaman’s Music:
As said earlier, the music keeps the heart of the movie beating. Without it, the film would’ve flatlined long ago. The score adds intensity, energy, and emotion that compensates for weak storytelling.

2. Pawan Kalyan’s Presence:
He’s not just an actor – he’s literally the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. Watching him on the big screen feels like a celebration in itself. His aura, his swag, his voice modulation – everything fits the mass hero image perfectly. Even if the movie stumbles, his performance holds the fort. There’s a certain charm in seeing him deliver dialogues that feel like political punches too.

But unfortunately, even his presence can’t completely hide the movie’s flaws. The rest of the characters – villains, sidekicks, emotional supports – are all surface-level. They appear, they shout, they disappear.

Cinematography and Style – All Flash, No Fire

Visually, They Call Him OG tries hard to look international. The lighting is dim, the shots are glossy, and the frames look stylized. But too much slow motion and fast-cut editing make it exhausting. Every time the camera zooms in on Pawan Kalyan’s eyes, you expect a goosebump moment, but the emotion never lands.

If the action scenes were clearer, the experience would’ve been much better. You can’t appreciate choreography when every punch is hidden behind dust and darkness. It’s like watching a stylish PowerPoint presentation with background music.

Writing and Emotion – Missing in Action

Beyond all the style and swagger, a movie needs emotional connect – something OG forgets completely. There’s no emotional depth, no real reason to root for anyone. The father-son angle, the revenge plot, the tragic backstory – all feel like items on a checklist. Nothing hits your heart. You don’t cry, you don’t cheer – you just sit there thinking, “When is the next BGM drop?”

Fan Service Mode: Activated

Now, let’s be honest. If you’re a hardcore Pawan Kalyan fan, this film is made for you. The slow-motion shots, heroic poses, punch dialogues – everything screams fan service. You’ll clap, whistle, and maybe even stand up during his entry scene. The rest of us? We’ll just sit quietly, appreciating the dedication of fans who treat the man like a one-man army.

It’s not a bad thing, actually. Mass cinema is about emotion, not logic. And OG delivers that raw energy in doses – even if it’s loud, chaotic, and exaggerated.

Final Verdict – A Stylish Mess with a Loud Heart

At the end of the day, They Call Him OG is the kind of movie that looks grand, sounds powerful, but feels hollow. It’s not terrible, but it’s not memorable either. Think of it as that flashy Instagram reel – all filters, no content.

It’s a “time-pass” entertainer – one that you can enjoy if you switch off your brain and just let Thaman’s music guide you through the chaos. If you’re going for story or freshness, this isn’t it. But if you’re going for swag, loudness, and a full dose of fan service, then yes – this is your mocktail of madness.

Rating: 2.5 / 5 – Time-Pass

Watch it for Pawan Kalyan’s charisma and Thaman’s music.
Skip it if you’re looking for a strong story or clear action.

As I walked out of the theater, my brain was still vibrating from the bass, but one thought lingered – they might call him OG, but after this ride, I just call him Over Glorified.