Reflecting on Shankar’s past films, Sridhar added, “I couldn’t believe this political potboiler was made by the same director who gave us Bharateeyudu and Oke Okkadu, where the characters felt genuine and carried an air of honesty.”
However, in Game Changer, Shankar portrayed key figures such as the Chief Minister (Srikanth), a corrupt minister (S. J. Suryah), and a collector (Brahmanandam) in an exaggerated, almost caricatured manner. Sridhar found a particular scene—where a collector (Ram Charan) is threatened with arrest for stepping outside his jurisdiction—unconvincing. “I’m not even sure if a collector can be arrested for simply visiting his lover in another district. The film took too many cinematic liberties in the name of commercial entertainment, which ultimately diluted the clash between the IAS officer and the corrupt politician,” he observed.
Sridhar also speculated that Shankar might have drawn inspiration from real-life corrupt ministers in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. “But he failed to breathe life into these characters. If the villains aren’t strong enough, a star-centric film won’t be compelling,” he added. “Instead of a gripping narrative, we got a haphazard mix of masala elements that failed to make an impact.”
Despite his criticism of the film, Sridhar praised Ram Charan’s performance, noting that the star effectively showcased his versatility in multiple roles. “Charan looked dashing and energetic as a student and delivered a powerful performance as Appana. However, his dancing skills were underutilized, with uninspiring songs like Jaragandi. Imagine a high-energy track like Chikku Bukku Raile (Gentleman) or Neeku Naaku Nokiya (Aparichitudu)—it would have been a feast for Mega fans.”
He also pointed out that the background score felt underwhelming at times and lamented the absence of A. R. Rahman. “Shankar’s collaborations with Rahman—from Gentleman to Robo—always had a way of elevating the film’s mood. That magic was missing here.”
In closing, Sridhar suggested that Shankar should stick to Tamil cinema, where he has a strong command over audience sensibilities. “We’d prefer to watch his Tamil films dubbed rather than see another direct Telugu attempt,” he concluded.
