Released on december 25 2025, Champion is a Telugu period sports action drama brought to us by Pradeep Advaitam - a guy with a vision for something different. At first, it was looking like a nice Christmas special that the whole family could enjoy, but things took a turn and it ended up being something a lot more.
Lead roles are taken on by Anaswara Rajan (making her Telugu debut) and Roshan Meka - Srikanth's son - who's also making a name for himself as an actor. With a runtime of close to 3 hours, the movie was made on a sizeable budget by Anandi Art Creations and Swapna Cinema. No spoilers from me - but I can say that the story's set in post-independence Secunderabad, and follows the life of Michael (Roshan Meka) - a teenage footballer who just wants to visit London.
Then, out of the blue, he gets drawn into the 1948 Bhairanpalli (Bhairampalli) massacre, otherwise known as the "Jallianwala Bagh of Telangana". The story shows you the bravery and sacrifice and love that exists even in the darkest of times, set against the backdrop of the horrors of the Razakars.
It's a bit of an action-packed historical drama with a dash of romance and sports - all wrapped up in a neat little package. Kovai Sarala Murali Sharma , KK Menon, Vennela Kishore and Avantika Vandanapu all make a special appearance to boot.
Strengths:
The Performances: Roshan Meka really brings it home, he's so convincing in all of the tough scenes, and you can see the emotion playing on his face. And Anaswara Rajan is just as good, she really brings out the best in her character.
The Production Values: The look and feel of a 1940's Telangana is really well done. I mean, the artwork and cinematography (by R. Madhi) is just superb.
The Music: Mickey J. Meyer's soundtrack really adds to the emotional highs of the movie, and the songs are catchy too.
Historical Significance: I think it's bloody brilliant that they've made an effort to show some of the history of Telangana that's kind of been lost. It's like they're really proud of where they come from, and that's really cool to see.
Weaknesses: Now, I know some people are going to say this, but I heard that some people in the audience found it a bit hard to connect with the characters. they said the writing and execution were a bit lacking. Some people also said that the pacing was a bit slow and the plot was a bit flat. And some scenes were a bit drawn out, so it didn't really keep them on the edge of their seat.
First Impressions: Listening to some of the opinions on Twitter and at the premiere shows, its fair to say that opinions are a bit divided. Some people said its a "decent watch" and the visuals were "amazing". Flat and forgettable film on the other hand. I did hear that Roshan Meka's performance was really good, and he stole the show a bit.
On first reviews from the audience, I'd give it 2.5 to 3 out of 5. The full critic reviews will be up on IMDb and BookMyShow soon. If your into history and action I reckon its worth a watch - and whats a Christmas holiday without a good movie to go to right ? go see this one and let me know your thoughts.