pachchis movie review and rating

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Pachchis Movie Review

Article by Satya B Published by GulteDesk --> Published on: 7:30 pm, 13 June 2021 | Updated on 11:44 am, 12 February 2022

Cast : Raamz, Swetaa Varma, Jay Chandra, Ravi Varma Director : Sri Krishna, Rama Sai Producer : Kaushik Kumar Kathuri, Rama Sai Music Director : Samaran Sai Cinematography : Kartik Parmar Editor : Rana Prathap

Many movies are releasing directly on streaming platforms during the lockdown, and ‘Pachchis’ is one film that had a release directly on Amazon Prime Video. The film was released on Saturday, and it has a lot of interesting elements. Raamz, Swetaa Varma, Ravi Varma and others played the leads. Sri Krishna and Rama Sai duo directed the film.

What is it About?

Abhiram (Raamz) is a carefree personality who is completely engrossed in gambling. To make quick money to settle his debts, he falls into a situation where he becomes the most wanted for the local casino owner RK (Ravi Varma). While escaping from RK, Abhiram steals an opportunity to loot big money by taking advantage of the political rivalry between Maganti Gopinath (Subhalekha Sudhakar) and Basava Raju (Vishwender Reddy). However, things do not work in his favor, and his life falls in danger. What did Abhiram do then? How did he escape from this situation? Did he settle his debts? Forms the crux of Pachchis.

Performances

Raamz plays the lead as Abhiram, and he suited the character very well. Without getting overboard, the actor displays a subtle performance. At times, he appears to be mysterious, but he managed to perform well within the limitations. Swetaa Varma, on the other hand, grabbed a serious character in the film. The young heroine earlier performed bubbly characters, but this one demanded seriousness from her. She has done a decent performance. Ravi Varma as a casino owner, is usual. Subhalekha Sudhakar, Vishwender Reddy, and all the other actors are good in their parts and made their presence felt. Every character that comes on the screen has a purpose, and all the actors did a decent job.

Technicalities

Kartik Parmar’s cinematography is exceptional. The tone of the film suits the mood of the characters. The production design is excellent. The film unit ensured that the audiences are engrossed in the environment where the story is taking place. There are no songs in the film, and the background score hardly makes any impression. Coming to the writing part, there is a great scope to explore a thrilling subject, but the film went wrong in execution. The screenplay confuses the audience at times and unfolds different threads to which the viewers find it hard to connect.

Camera Work Plot

Unimpressive screenplay Stretched theme

Pachchis has a good plot that the directors could have turned into an engaging thriller. However, the directors opted for a particular screenplay technique that just added boredom to the audience in the first half. The film opens with a very interesting sequence, but the directors could not hold the audiences’ curiosity immediately. The film appears stylish, dark, and technically sound.

The impressive aspect of the film is that the directors gave clear motivations to all the characters. Everyone has a motive, and it is laced with an emotional thread. The best instance for the same is Swetha Varma’s character. Still, unfortunately, the director failed to convert interesting situations into engaging scenes rather than spoils them with unnecessary conversations which look stretched. As a result, people hardly think about what’s happening in the next scene, which is a major drawback of the film. For any crime drama or crime thriller, the audiences should keep their guessing games on, but it hardly happens with Pachchis.

Pachchis is ood at technicalities. The film carries the mysterious tone perfectly while dealing with the underlying undercover cop theme. The film excites us when we hear it as a story, but it lacks the necessary elements to keep us hooked while watching it on the screen.

The film’s best parts are the stylish making, slick action sequences, no-nonsense attitude from the characters, and the directors driving the story without any deviations. Pachchis is one film that generates great interest initially, but it falls short of expectations towards the end.

Bottom line: Good in parts

Tags Pachchis Pachchis Movie Review Raamz Recommended

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Pachchis, On Amazon Prime Video, Is A Thriller That Works In Parts

Director: Sri Krishna, Rama Sai Cast: Raamz, Swetaa Varma, Jay Chandra

When a film opens with the brutal killing of a man, you can be certain about the shape of the narrative — it will vociferously revolve around the murder. The new Amazon Prime Video movie Pachchis takes this seemingly interesting route and introduces you to several characters via several busy scenes. 

Pachchis is a crime thriller where the protagonist is a gambler. Though he traverses the underworld, he's not a mighty man. He's a lamb in the skin of a cheetah. And his biggest skill is perhaps his ability to cook up stories on the fly. Come to think of it, he'd make a decent politician. He has all the qualities of becoming one – he's a greedy fellow who's never happy with what he has. And he puts himself first in line if it involves being at the receiving end of money. He's not too sentimental about losing his friends, either. 

While people who get into gambling to make a quick buck must be sharp in more ways than one, Abhiram (Raamz) is just not there yet. He terribly loses money every night. However, he doesn't let it bother him. He's confident about earning it back. For a man who borrows heavy sums to just squander it away, he's too cocky. Doesn't he know that karma will find a way to hit him where it hurts?

There are about half a dozen names that you'll keep hearing throughout the movie, such as Gangadhar, Basava Raju, Rakesh, and Mallikarjun. The actors playing these roles aren't that important, for they are mere blips on the radar. You should, nevertheless, keep in mind that Ravi Varma stars as a thug named RK. Whenever the camera rests on him, it gets mighty interesting. He issues warnings and punch lines in the same breath and it's a riot to watch Varma make the best use of his screen time. 

Unfortunately, RK is also a character whose name you hear more often than you see him. Since the thriller spins around the identity of a particular person, by and large, it's peppered with cat-and-mouse chases. And although there are a handful of twists, they don't land with the full force of a cyclone. They, instead, attain the allure of light showers. This shouldn't be taken as a statement to mean that the directors, Sri Krishna and Rama Sai, don't bend over backwards to make the film appear intriguing. They try a lot, but their methods aren't exactly innovative. 

If an indie motion picture doesn't pull you towards it entirely, there won't be the urge to know what happens next. Do you remember Kiran Kondamadugula's Gatham ? It was surprisingly good, as it was anchored to a feverish screenplay which made you question the motives of the principal characters. 

Why would you spend two hours watching guns going off randomly when you clearly know that you're going to have more fun with, say, Mindhunter or Mare of Easttown despite the longer runtime? It isn't fair to put indie projects on the same page as multimillion-dollar thrillers, but, at the end of the day, if your pleasure nerves aren't moved by the things you consume, you may feel a little ache in the heart. Pachchis wants to look fresh and yearns to be treated as an out of the box feature, which I sincerely admire, but it doesn't travel all the way to the end to achieve its goal. 

Most of the people who are not on Abhiram's side go down without making him pay for the damages he has caused. It makes his journey smoother than necessary. And even though he doesn't fire from his shoulder, he receives all the benefits without having to work for it. It's true that he uses his brain to do the heavy-lifting, but he wins too easily. 

A cop, who tries to connect the dots, doesn't seem to be too interested in digging into Abhiram's past. And another protagonist (portrayed by Swetaa Varma), who tails him to investigate the disappearance of her brother, doesn't knock down any of the bowling pins. She helps him when he's in danger and when he doesn't return the favor, she merely wonders helplessly. Why does she go soft on him deliberately in spite of knowing that he doesn't deserve any sympathy? 

And if you observe, the entire movie looks like it's dipped in some kind of a grey solution. Maybe, the filmmakers are telling us that Pachchis is populated by people who reside in the area between black and white, holy and evil, etc. But if such visual tropes aren't supported by the characters that carry the movie on their backs, they're not going to look good.

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Release date : June 12, 2021

123telugu.com Rating : 2.75/5

Starring : Raamz , Swetaa Varma , Jay Chandra ,Ravi Varma

Director : Sri Krishna , Rama Sai

Producer : Kaushik Kumar Kathuri, Rama Sai

Music Director : Samaran Sai

Cinematography : Kartik Parmar

Editor : Rana Prathap

Continuing the series of reviewing low-budget films and shows, today’s pick is Pachchis, which is now out on Prime video. Let’s see how it is.

Abhiram(Raamz) is a guy who loves gambling but ends up unlucky most of the time. A situation arises where he has to owe 25 lakhs to RK(Ravi Varma) who is the casino owner. To arrange this money, Abhiram enters a local political issue between Gangadhar and Basava Raju. This is also the time, he comes across Avantika(Sweta Varma) who is in search of her lost brother and gets connected to the crime angle. How will Abhiram come out of this problem cleverly is the whole story of the film?

Plus Points:

Raamz as the cunning young man was good. He suits the role perfectly and lives in his character well. All his scenes with Ravi Varma are quite good. Swetaa Varma, as the one who is looking for her lost brother impressive. Her emotional and tense expressions work for the film quite well and her thread looks engaging.

Ravi Varma gets a good role and is superb as RK. His dialogue delivery, Hyderabadi accent, and screen presence were quite good. Subhaleka Sudhakar is getting good in his serious role these days. The climax twist is also brought in well.

The film has a dark theme and has some tense moments of thrill which are handled well in the first half. The undercover cop angle in the film is handled well. The film’s theme is showcased so well by the cameraman as the visuals look quite gripping.

Minus Points:

The film starts on an interesting note but after a while, the excitement level dies down. There are a number of repeated scenes and just to create an interest, the scenes are added to give the screenplay a twist.

On paper, Pachchis is great but when it comes to execution, things should have been made easy for the audience. It takes time for the audience to understand the layers of the film and each character comes through. The film has an open ending giving a hint for the sequel which looks a bit odd.

Technical Aspects:

The production values of the film are top-notch as the locales, night effect, and props used are amazing. One of the biggest highlights of the film is the music and BGM by Smaran. It needs a special mention as it totally lifts the spirits of the film. The production design is good and a few scenes of crime should have been toned down to make the film crisp.

Coming to the directors’ Sai Krishna and Ram Sai, they have done a passable job. The film is good on paper and had the chance of becoming an edgy and dark thriller. But the makers drag things a bit and narrate it with a different kind of screenplay which is not that effective.

On the whole, Pachchis is a film that has a good premise and fine taking. But it gets dull with routine scenes and lacks novelty in the latter part. The film has some good performances but the screenplay is not that effective and makes it strictly an okay watch. All those who like crime thrillers can give it a shot and the rest can take it easy.

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

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Pachchis (2021)

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Directed by Sri Krishna , Rama Sai

A gambling addict's desperate need for money causes him to venture into an uncharted realm where it seems like things can only get much worse.

Swetaa Varma Subhalekha Sudhakar Ravi Varma Dayanand Reddy

Directors Directors

Sri Krishna Rama Sai

Releases by Date

11 jun 2021, releases by country.

127 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by 𝗡 𝗜 𝗞 𝗛 𝗜 𝗟 🍿 ★★★

Pachchis is a fresh and unique crime drama on paper. It revolves around a bunch of criminals and individuals, each with their own goals. Though the plot is interesting, the overall presentation is engaging only in parts and left a lot to be desired. 

Most of the film takes place at night and the lighting and camerawork are pretty neat and natural. Performances of all the actors were fine and they did what is expected of them. For some strange reason, it took me nearly 40 minutes to process what is happening and be familiar with the characters, their names and faces. Don’t know if I wasn’t paying enough attention or the character introductions lacked clarity. 

Pachchis has a few…

Review by likhith_21 ★★★★★ 3

Note to the makers( in case if anyone of their team witness ): This is something unique and really very fresh crime drama onboard until now. The kind of atmosphere, shots, controlled edit and performances awed me as I questioned myself as iam really watching something from here(TFI). These creators need a shout out man. No references totally pure. With Satya RGV sir had did it back then creating certain atmosphere throughout the film. This is cinema man🙏🏻. Please continue what you have established.

Review by Film Companion

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

When a film opens with the brutal killing of a man, you can be certain about the shape of the narrative — it will vociferously revolve around the murder. The new Amazon Prime Video movie Pachchis takes this seemingly interesting route and introduces you to several characters via several busy scenes.

Pachchis is a crime thriller where the protagonist is a gambler. Though he traverses the underworld, he’s not a mighty man. He’s a lamb in the skin of a cheetah. And his biggest skill is perhaps his ability to cook up stories on the fly. Come to think of it, he’d make a decent politician. He has all the qualities of becoming one – he’s a greedy fellow who’s never happy with what he has. And he puts himself first in line if it involves being at the receiving end of money. He’s not too sentimental about losing his friends, either. Read the full review on Film Companion, here:

Review by Vinay ★★★ 2

I always felt Telugu movies despite their constant trials to make some good films never were able to hit the mark. And I could never quite grasp what was wrong except for this feeling of.." its still not good enough". Watching Pacchis really cleared it. Atmosphere. And sticking to a consistent tone. No distracting bgms. This is the first film in recent times which really felt good- like everyone involved in the team knew exactly what they were making and they truly deserve a shout out. Of course it isn't some untouchable masterpiece,but it has some really clever moments. The film really captured the noir feel of the world they created. There are some fun original characters like RK who…

Review by Pruthveshwar ★★½

A decent enough thriller that failed to keep me engaged all through.

Though, it is very good in bits and pieces. Probably cutting down at least 25 minutes would have made it tighter.

Go watch this and encourage the indie-young crew.

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Where to Watch

Raamz (Abhiram Chekury) Swetaa Varma (Avanthi Katta) Jay Chandra (Jayanth) Subhalekha Sudhakar (Gangadhar) John Kottoly (Mallikarjun Devineni) Viswender Reddy (Basava Raju) Ravi Varma (R.K) Sunjit Akkinepalli (Akash) Dayanand Reddy (Shankar) Ram Sai (Venkat)

Sri Krishna, Rama Sai

Abhiram is losing control of his gambling addiction and needs a lot of money and quick. Desperate, he inserts himself into a political feud. He soon finds that it's a thin line between gambling with money and gambling with your life.

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Pachchis Story

Pachchis cast & crew.

Pachchis Crew Info

Director
Cinematography	NA
Editor	NA
Music
Producer
Budget	TBA
Box Office	TBA
OTT Platform	Amazon Prime Video
OTT Release Date	2021-06-12

Pachchis Critics Review

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Pachchis

In this Pachchis film, Raamz , Swetha Varma played the primary leads.

The Pachchis was released in theaters on 12 Jun 2021.

The Pachchis was directed by Sri Krishna , Rama Sai

Movies like Double iSmart , RT 75 , Kalki 2898 AD and others in a similar vein had the same genre but quite different stories.

The soundtracks and background music were composed by Smaran Sai for the movie Pachchis.

You can watch the Pachchis movie on Amazon Prime Video,.

On 12 Jun 2021 Pachchis was released on the Amazon Prime Video, platform.

The movie Pachchis belonged to the Action,Thriller, genre.

Pachchis User Review

• Movie rating

Dharan 1110 Days Ago

The execution is good and the tone throughout the film supports the story and sets the world very well. Had a brilliant start but got very non engaging as it progressed . Very good effort overall

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Pachchis Movie Review

Movie Review:   Pachchis Director :  Sri Krishna , Rama Sai Producer :  Kaushik Kumar Kathuri, Rama Sai Music Director :  Samaran Sai Starring :   Swetaa Varma, Raamz, Jay Chandra ,Ravi Varma Release Date:  13th October 2021 Rating: 2.5 /5

Pachchis Movie Review:  Raamz , Swetaa Varma , Jay Chandra ,Ravi Varma starrer Pachchis, helmed by Sri Krishna and Rama Sai, is streaming on  Amazon Prime Video. Let’s see the story of Pachchis.

Pachchis movie   Story:  Abhiram is a gambler who wants to make a buck and pay off his debts. He owes RK (Ravi Varma), a casino owner, a huge sum of money. To arrange this money, Abhiram enters a local political issue between Basava Raju and Gangadhar.  And he comes in the contact of Avantika (Swetaa Varma) who wants to know the truth about her missing brother.  What happens next and how does Abhiram come out of this problem, form rest of the story of Pachchis.

  Plus Points:

• Performance
• Cinematography

 Minus Points:

• Repetitive scene

Performance:  Raamz who plays the role of Abhiram, gives his fabulous performance. He suits the role perfectly and delivers his best. Swetaa Varma, in the role of a girl, who is looking for her lost brother looks good on the screen. Earlier the actress performed bubbly characters, but this time she came up in the serious role. Ravi Varma as a casino owner, is ok. Subhalekha Sudhakar, Vishwender Reddy, and others justify with their roles.

Technical:   The storyline of  Pachchis is fresh and interesting but the execution is not impressive.  The Background score is noteworthy.  Cinematography by Kartik Parmar  is superb and the movie has some fantastic visuals.   The art department has done a good job but the Screenplay lost its flow.  Coming on the work of director, his screenplay is not entertaining.  The movie Pachchis has repetitive scene after scene of gun shots, car chases, dead bodies, back-stabbing,  and long phone calls.

 Analysis:  The movie Pachchis is open-ended, hinting at a sequel.

• Jay Chandra
• Pachchis movie review
• Pachchis review rating
• Pachchis Telugu movie review
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• Raamz (Hero)
• Swetaa Varma (Heroine)
• Sri Krishna (Director)
• Smaran (Music Director)
• Kaushik Kumar Kathuri (producer)

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“Pachchis” is a 2021 Telugu-language thriller film directed by debutants Sri Krishna and Rama Sai, and produced by Avasa Chitram, Raasta Films, and Mango Mass Media.

The movie stars Raamz and Swetaa Varma in leading roles, with music composed by Smaran. Premiering on Amazon Prime Video on June 12, 2021, the story unfolds with the interrogation of Rakesh, an undercover agent within Gangadhar’s criminal organization. Rakesh discloses that he was probing Mallikarjun, a member of the gang, before his untimely demise.

In parallel, Abhiram, a compulsive gambler, finds himself deep in debt to a loan shark named R. K. To settle his dues, Abhiram falsely assures R. K. of a contract secured through his political connections with Basava Raju.

Meanwhile, Rakesh’s sister, Avantika, takes it upon herself to locate her missing brother. It’s eventually revealed that Rakesh was not a law enforcement officer but an operative for Basava Raju.

Upon discovering Abhiram’s deceit, R. K. gives him a strict deadline to clear his debt. With no easy escape, Abhiram embarks on a high-stakes quest to identify the police informant within their midst, turning the situation into a dangerous game of pursuit and deception.

As tensions rise and secrets surface, the characters navigate a treacherous landscape of crime, politics, and personal vendettas, where loyalties are tested and hidden agendas come to light.

The film weaves together a narrative of intrigue and suspense, driven by a complex web of relationships and motives. Against a backdrop of urban chaos and underworld dealings, “Pachchis” delves into the darker realms of human nature, exploring the lengths individuals will go to in pursuit of survival and retribution.

More Details

Director
Story
Screenplay
Dialogues
Cinematography
Editor	Rana Pratap
Music
Producer
Cast
Release Type	OTT
Language	Telugu
Production	Avasa Chitram Raasta Films Mango Mass Media
OTT Platform	Prime Video

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Abhiram is losing control of his gambling addiction and needs a lot of money and quick. Desperate, he inserts himself into a political feud. He soon finds that it's a thin line between gambling with money and gambling with your life.

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Pachchis: Release Date, Trailer, Songs, Cast

• Release Date 12 June 2021
• Language Telugu
• Genre Action, Drama, Thriller
• Duration 2h 7min
• Cast Raamz, Swetaa Varma, Jay Chandra, Ravi Varma, Dayanand Reddy, Keshav Deepak, Subhalekha Sudhakar, Vishwendar Reddy
• Director Sri Krishna, Rama Sai
• Writer Sri Krishna
• Cinematography Kartik Parmar
• Music Smaran Sai
• Producer Kaushik Kumar, Kathuri, Rama Sai
• Production Avasa Chitram, Raasta Films, Mango Mass Media
• Certificate 13+

About Pachchis Movie (2021)

Abhiram (Raamz) is in debt of Rs. 25 lakh to RK, the casino owner. In desperate need of money, Abhiram sees gambling as an easy way out. After losing all his money, he risks his life in a political war between Basava Raju (Viswender Reddy) and Gangadhar (Subhalekha Sudhakar). Will he be able to get his money back? Or will he be trapped in this feud?

Pachchis Movie Cast, Release Date, Trailer, Songs and Ratings

Pachchis Movie Trailer

Pachchis movie songs.

#	TITLE	ARTIST	DURATION	LISTEN
1.	Emaaye Ra	Balaji Dake, Smaran	2:48
2.	Joodham	Smaran Sai	2:54

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Pachchis Movie Review

Pachchis movie english review.

Pachchis Review Rating:2.25/5 Cast: Raamz,Swetaa Varma,Jay Chandar, Ravi Varma,Dayanand Reddy,Subhalekha Sudhakar, Viswender Reddy and others Director: Sri Krishna, Rama Sai Producer: Kaushik Kumar Katuri, Rama Sai Music Director: Samaran Sai Cinematography: Karthik Kumar Editor: Rana Pratap OTT:   ratings Release Date: June 12, 2021 What's Behind? Viewers of late are getting attracted to crime and suspense thrillers. Going with the tastes of the viewers, newcomers are coming with films on this genre. New directors Sri Krishna and Rama Sai came with a crime suspense thriller Pachchis. The film is getting streamed on Amazon Prime Video and let us see whether Pachchis made an impact with its thrills. Story Review A young guy Abhiram (Raamz) loves gambling. Though he loves gambling, he is not an expert and goes by his intuition and thus ends up losing huge bucks. This results in him owing Rs 25 lakhs to casino owner RK (Ravi Varma). Abhiram goes in search of money to clear the debt and in the process gets entangled in the political power war between Basavaraju (Kommidi Viswender Reddy) and Gangadhar (Subhaleka Sudhakar). In the process, he comes into contact with beautiful girl Avantika (Swetaa Varma) who is on the lookout for her missing brother. Where all this leads forms the twists and turns of Pachchis. Artists, Technicians Review Directors Sri Krishna and Rama Sai most of the time showed the entire film and narration in the dark genre. They came with an interesting plot and this appeals to viewers though most of the cast is relatively new. They included many twists and turns in the film and to some extent they made sense. Directors though they came with a good line, they failed to narrate the film in an interesting manner most of the time. They tried to elevate the character of the hero in the entire first half but the heroine's entry and then a lot of characters led to a lot of confusion. When many expected the director to pick pace in the second half with the narration, they dragged it testing the patience of the viewers. Though the point is small, the director dragged the film with unnecessary scenes to increase the duration. Though the film is of just two hours duration, people feel it is very lengthy. They came with a good plot but failed in their execution. The story is ok and the screenplay and direction left a lot to be desired. Raamz who turned hero after working as a celebrity stylist, impressed with his performance. He came with good expressions and emoted well showing different angles. He came with a good performance and never looked like a debutante. Swetaa Varma complimented him with her performance bringing in subtle expressions. Their chemistry came out well and the scenes are good to watch. Ravi Varma as the casino owner made an impact with his Hyderabadi accent, screen presence, and dialogue delivery. Kommidi Viswender Reddy, Subhalekha Sudhakar are good in the serious roles as political leaders and RX 100 Daya and those who acted as friends of the hero did justice to their roles. But with the director introducing most of the characters when the heroine goes on the lookout for her brother, it created a lot of confusion. Karthik Kumar with his cinematography used his camera angles to perfection to give a look to the dark genre story. The film has no songs. Smaran Sai with his background music elevated the scenes. Rana Pratap however failed with his editing as he left many drags which slowed the pace of the film completely. Advantages Raamz, Swetaa Varma BGM Cinematography Climax Drawbacks Repetitive scenes Slow pace Editing Screenplay Rating Analysis Pachchis looks like a suspense thriller but the directors highlighted the scams and corruption of the political leaders showing the current situation in the country. It looks the directors made this film focuses on how political leaders play their games colluding with the police. If one ignores the drags and slow pace in the film, viewers can enjoy Pachchis as a timepass thriller. Generally, in thrillers, viewers can guess the ending but directors maintained the suspense in Pachchis till the end.  CJ goes with  2.75 ratings  for  Pachchis Movie. Punchline:  Pachchis' thrills lack Power!

Pachchis Movie (2021)

Action | Suspense and Thriller | Latest Telugu Movies

Telugu | 2 hr 7 min | Release Date Jun 10, 2021

Pachchis : Release Date, Trailer, Cast & Songs

Title	Pachchis
Release status	Released (OTT Release)
Release date	Jun 10, 2021
Language	Telugu
Genre	Action, Suspense and Thriller
Actors	John Kottoly, Swetaa Varma, Dayanand, Subhalekha Sudhakar, Sai Kumar, Deepak, Ravi Varma, Dayanand Reddy
Director	Sri Krishna, Rama Sai
Digit binge rating	5.7
Streaming on	Prime Video
Duration	2 hr 7 min

Where to Watch / Stream Pachchis Online

Pachchis - Star Cast And Crew

Sri krishna director, rama sai director, john kottoly actor, swetaa varma actor, dayanand actor, subhalekha sudhakar actor, sai kumar actor, deepak actor, ravi varma actor, dayanand reddy actor.

Pachchis All Songs List

Balaji Dake, Smaran

Mohammed Rafi

Mohammed Rafi, Asha Bhosle

Mohammed Rafi, Suman Kalyanpur

Shahid Mallya, Mamta Sharma, Shadab Faridi

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As mundane as its title, with characters whose color-by-numbers personalities and motivations shift randomly to fit a predictable storyline, “A Family Affair” is a low-wattage rom-com. As with last month’s streaming romance “ The Idea of You ,” this film features a gorgeous Oscar-winning actress as a middle-aged woman falling for a much younger superstar performer, with all the ensuing hijinks. 

“Paperboy” co-stars Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron play award-winning author Brooke Harwood and superhero franchise star Chris Cole , whose meet-cute is that Brooke’s 24-year-old daughter Zara ( Joey King ) is the movie star’s long-suffering personal assistant, on call 24/7 for everything from picking up his dry-cleaning and groceries to just-in-time delivery of the diamond stud earrings he gives to the girls he dates as a break-up present. Zara sees how self-absorbed and helpless Chris is, but she stays with him, hoping that he will deliver on his promise to help her career. 

Zara still lives with Brooke, a widow for 11 years.  They are both very close to Leila ( Kathy Bates ), Brooke’s warm-hearted and supportive mother-in-law and Zara’s grandmother.

Zara finally gets fed up and quits her job, just as Chris is about to start filming another sequel in his popular “ Icarus ” series. Chris goes to the house to persuade Zara to come back. He meets Brooke, and soon, they are literally ripping each other’s clothes off, just in time for Zara to come home and discover them in flagrante delicto . This leads to what is supposed to be an amusing scene of Zara retching. It is not.   

Horrified as Zara is, she agrees to return to work for Chris in exchange for an associate producer credit on his new movie and a promise that he will never see her mother again. He keeps the first promise but not the second, leading to the expected complications and confrontations.

There are no surprises here, but there are a few sharp observations and bright moments when screenwriter Carrie Soloman has some fun with the movie industry setting. The opening montage that establishes Chris as a huge star hits all the right notes, from the magazine covers (GQ, Vanity Fair) to the speculation about his dating life to a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and his appearance on “Hot Ones.” In a case of art imitating life, a scene of Chris taking an ice bath was inspired by real-life Zac Efron's bulking-up regimen for " The Iron Claw ."

Zara is on a first-name basis with the paparazzi who swarm outside his gate. The latest “Icarus” franchise film, repeatedly described as “’Die Hard’ meets ‘Miracle on 34 th  Street’ with a little bit of ‘Speed,’” is directed by a French woman who does not speak English, and Chris has to re-shoot a scene because they can’t have a gun in the trailer for a PG-13. When Zara gets stuck in traffic and is late getting to the restaurant where Chris plans to break up with his girlfriend, he complains that the wait meant he had to think of too many things to say. The big pink robot statue in Chris’s home is precisely the overpriced junk a young guy who is suddenly rich would think was cool.

But the idea of a show business pretty boy who is more lonely than entitled is stale, and this film desperately needed to make it fresh. After establishing Chris as self-absorbed and not very bright, we are asked to believe that he and an award-winning novelist with shelves of books would bond over her explaining that the character he is known for is named after the Greek myth of the boy who flew too close to the sun, promise each other to have meaningless sex, and then develop an enduring romance. 

Their relationship never meets even the low bar for a suspended-disbelief pretty-people-smooching movie. Though King does her best to be harried, anxious, and horrified, Zara’s best friends, played by Liza Koshy and Sherry Cola , are more vibrant and interesting than she is. The last section is very weak, with an unnecessary mix-up, an overdue reality check, and a zigzag into a Hallmark-channel-like cozy white Christmas. The low point is a jarring confession that seems to be intended to make the Brooke/Chris connection more believable but seems like the kind of random punch-up that Zara and her screenwriter friend would jettison. 

Nell Minow is the Contributing Editor at RogerEbert.com.

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The Bear season 3 premiered last night on Hulu , almost exactly a year from season 2’s debut. You can binge the entire thing if you want as they are still doing a all-at-once release model, which seems to have worked for them. Early critic and audience reviews are in, and while still solid, they have dipped just a bit from the near-perfect scores of the first two seasons on Rotten Tomatoes . For reference:

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Sean Penn and Dakota Johnson outclass a humdrum script as two people who talk — and talk — in a New York City taxicab.

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By Jeannette Catsoulis

Handicapped by more than a terrible title, Christy Hall’s “Daddio,” set almost entirely inside a New York City taxicab, tries too hard and lasts too long. A synthetic encounter between a gabby cabby and his self-possessed female passenger, the movie is a claustrophobic two-hander oxygenated in part by Phedon Papamichael’s sleekly gorgeous cinematography.

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Daddio Rated R for bared breasts and barroom language. Running time: 1 hour 41 minutes. In theaters.

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A Quiet Place: Day One First Reviews: A Tense, Surprisingly Tender Thriller Anchored by Fantastic Performances

Critics say michael sarnoski's horror prequel isn't quite as terrifying as its predecessors, but it makes up for it with stellar character work from lupita nyong'o and joseph quinn, as well as a scene-stealing cat..

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Did we need a prequel/spinoff of A Quiet Place following all new characters through the silence-focused alien-invasion apocalypse? Well, you could just as easily ask whether or not we need any original movies in the first place. Fortunately, according to the first reviews of A Quiet Place: Day One , the third installment of the franchise justifies its existence with a thrilling trip through a decimated Manhattan. It may not be as scary as the first two movies, but for some, that’s not a bad thing. It also may not be as epic as expected for this kind of film. But critics mostly agree that it works as another character drama from Pig writer-director Michael Sarnoski and particularly thanks to the performances by leads Lupita Nyong’o , Joseph Quinn , and a cat named Frodo.

Here’s what critics are saying about A Quiet Place: Day One:

Is this a worthy addition to the franchise?

A Quiet Place: Day One is another excellent installment in the franchise, delivering the tense set pieces you’d expect, but also with an emotional core that you might not. — Ian Sandwell, Digital Spy

This is a prequel done right and a real pleasant surprise. — Joey Magidson, Awards Radar

This prequel resonates more deeply and thoughtfully than its predecessor – and far more than the third installment of a franchise has any right to. — Aisha Harris, NPR

It is my favorite movie of the three so far. I found it breathtaking. — Rachel Leishman, The Mary Sue

Fans of the first A Quiet Place who are expecting another breathlessly tense sci-fi horror film, are likely to be disappointed by a blockbuster as reflective and, well, quiet as this. Day One bucks the expectations for what a Quiet Place movie, and really a blockbuster film, should be, and instead delivers something much more moving and poignant. — Hoai-Tran Bui, Inverse

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A Quiet Place: Day One can’t boast the freshness of concept of the first film, but, in pure emotional payoff, it’s the most satisfying of the series. — Clarisse Loughrey, Independent

(Photo by ©Paramount Pictures)

What makes it stand on its own?

A Quiet Place: Day One transforms into a truly singular blockbuster movie that sheds the immersive spectacle of the first movie in favor of something more tender and wistful. — Hoai-Tran Bui, Inverse

While John Krasinski’s two previous Quiet Place films were family affairs, Sarnoski’s entry into the series is more interested in found family. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire

Sarnoski has done a laudable job, cooking up a spinoff that adheres to the rules of the first two movies by staying focused on the smallest group possible of core characters while spreading the fear factor and suspense across a much larger canvas. — David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter

It’s more of a footnote than a bold new chapter in the series, but this prequel’s relative smallness has its advantages. — Tim Grierson, Screen International

A Quiet Place: Day One feels more like an ambitious indie than a summer studio movie, and its downbeat tone leaves an unexpectedly glum comedown. — Damon Wise, Deadline Hollywood Daily

(Photo by Gareth Gatrell/©Paramount Pictures)

Is it still scary?

The less we see of the aliens, the better, and Sarnoski leans heavily on the abject fear his characters (and audience) feel once someone makes just a hair too much noise, knowing exactly what’s coming next. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire

It avoids the trap of over-explaining anything, making the terror here arguably even more primal than the previous films. — David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter

What the film does well though is deliver a precisely balanced combination of jump scares, intense situations and confrontations with truly horrible creatures. It’s an effectively scary story, and it’s through the silence of the audience that you can measure this film’s success. — John Kirk, Original Cin

It’s not scary anymore, but it’s stressful in the way that makes you dig your nails into your palm. — Clarisse Loughrey, Independent

In an attempt to build moments of tension and induce scares, the pressure cooker feeling of the deafening silence being broken feels as if it isn’t stretched to its possible limit. That being said, for someone whose second feature is a bonanza of horror-action set pieces, Sarnoski does a sound job. — Giovanni Lago, Next Best Picture

Sarnoski doesn’t have quite the same handle on the kind of immersive action that Krasinski displayed in the first two Quiet Place movies, and it shows: the jumpscares are mostly by-the-book, and the film’s most tense moments are nothing we haven’t seen in horror before. — Hoai-Tran Bui, Inverse

While it’s designed to be the Aliens to the Alien of the other films, this one doesn’t thrill quite as much as it intends to. — Joey Magidson, Awards Radar

Call me macabre, but I expected to see a lot more carnage than Sarnoski’s dismayingly sappy spinoff provides. — Peter Debruge, Variety

How is the change of scenery?

Seeing New York swarming with vicious monsters — scrambling over buildings and leaving giant gashes in their walls, while the streets are lined with burning car wrecks and destroyed storefronts — makes a big impression…production designer Simon Bowles and DP Pat Scola take full advantage of the opportunities afforded by New York. — David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter

The bustle of the city is terrifying because every single noise could end up taking someone from the “city of dreams.” Still, director and writer Michael Sarnoski didn’t ruin what makes this city special. It still feels warm and busy and full of life as people are dying constantly around Eric and Sam. — Rachel Leishman, The Mary Sue

It evokes some of the iconography from 9/11. This isn’t uncharted ground — War of the Worlds and Cloverfield have this pretty well covered… but it’s a rich vein for a good filmmaker to tap into. And Sarnoski does this in ways that feel earned, not exploitative. — Patrick Cremona, Radio Times

As far as the action goes, there are times where Sarnoski uses the distinctive geography of New York City well – most notably a killer sequence that sees our protagonists chased into the subway system. — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly

There’s nothing to these set pieces we haven’t seen in the previous two movies, meaning it can feel overly familiar at times, but they’re so precisely honed that you’ll find yourself holding your breath all the same. — Ian Sandwell, Digital Spy

What about Michael Sarnoski as director?

Michael Sarnoski was the perfect fit for this movie. — Ian Sandwell, Digital Spy

Michael Sarnoski blew me away with Pig and here, he manages to show that he potentially can do just about anything. — Joey Magidson, Awards Radar

The filmmaker manages to bring much of his sensibility and overall texture to the series… Much of it is thanks to Sarnoski’s ability to pull deep emotionality out of his stars and audience almost immediately. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire

Sarnoski is working on an auteur wavelength. He often lets the momentum stagnate just enough so the viewer can truly take in the staggering annihilation of a city now in ruins, full of death, and inherent quiet beauty. — Gregory Ellwood, The Playlist

Sarnoski’s strengths as a filmmaker play better into the film’s more intimate moments compared to the larger action-oriented spectacle. — Giovanni Lago, Next Best Picture

How ist Lupita Nyong’o’s performance?

Nyong’o carries the movie on very capable shoulders. Never under-selling the crippling terror that rules Samira’s every move, the actor conveys the conflict between the character’s bitterness and her humanity, remaining tenacious and decisive even when her body starts seriously failing her. She keeps you glued throughout. — David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter

Nyong’o commands the screen, every emotion conveyed by her facial expressions. Samira’s development across the movie might be conventional – stoic loner to trusting friend – but Nyong’o makes it feel fresh and earned. — Ian Sandwell, Digital Spy

Nyong’o’s work in Jordan Peele’s doppelganger horror Us felt leagues apart from anything we could casually term “scream queen.” She returns to that same territory here, concentrating all the primal terror of a scream into a single tear rolling down her cheek. — Clarisse Loughrey, Independent

A Quiet Place: Day One may feasibly do what Jordan Peele’s Us so unfairly didn’t, and if it does carry her through to awards season, it will finally prove that the old saw about genre movies and the Academy is finally a thing of the past. — Damon Wise, Deadline Hollywood Daily

Not once does it get old watching Nyong’o dive into her bag of tricks, especially for horror films. Nyong’o continues to elicit some of the most fear-induced expressions (while flexing that one tear-drop magic), giving audiences an unlikely lead that leaves a mark. — Giovanni Lago, Next Best Picture

Quite simply: Nyong’o elevates the franchise. — Aisha Harris, NPR

And Joseph Quinn?

Quinn is enormously moving. — Caryn James, BBC.com

Joseph Quinn [is] wonderfully vulnerable. — Hoai-Tran Bui, Inverse

The British actor manages the feat of delivering an overstated performance that still somehow feels understated… With some actors, an overly emotional performance inspires eye rolls. Quinn makes you want to give him a hug. — William Mullally, The National

He delivers a far more sweet-natured performance than the emboldened personality that everyone came to know him from in Stranger Things . — Giovanni Lago, Next Best Picture

He shows the benefits of casting a face we don’t already know from a string of movies. His sensitivity is so acute, and his big brown eyes so brimming with feeling that Eric’s resourcefulness and steadily summoned bravery almost catch us off guard. — David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter

What about the two of them together?

The actors’ chemistry yields deeply affecting impact in their tender final scenes, rendered more powerful by their wordlessness. — David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter

Samira and Eric’s friendship also brings a deeper emotional aspect compared to the previous two movies. If you thought Lee singing “I love you” to Regan in the first movie was a lot, wait until you get to a beautiful sequence in a bar between Samira and Eric. You’ll cry over pizza. — Ian Sandwell, Digital Spy

Nyong’o and Quinn have a good sense of camaraderie, with them realistically heroic as the film goes on, and willing to sacrifice their well-being for the other. — Chris Bumbray, JoBlo’s Movie Network

Any other standouts?

The other star is Frodo, a screen cat for the ages to rank with Ulysses from Inside Llewyn Davis or Jonesy from Alien , played by two chonky black-and-white felines named Nico and Schnitzel. He has the gentle nature and cuddliness of a service cat but also the badass curiosity to explore precarious situations and feed his humans’ anxieties. — David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter

The film’s best character [is] a pet cat who is the best on-screen feline since Ulysses in 2013’s Inside Llewyn Davis . — William Mullally, The National

Nyong’o and Quinn are superb, but they can’t compete with an adorable cat who clearly does not give a damn that he’s in an apocalypse. — Ian Sandwell, Digital Spy

It has one of the greatest pets ever in a film. — Giovanni Lago, Next Best Picture

Will it leave us wanting more Quiet Place movies?

If this is how the franchise is going to be treated going forward, I think there’s potential to continue on with more installments. Either way, the trilogy we have now is among the better ones in recent memory. — Joey Magidson, Awards Radar

It has to be said that A Quiet Place has turned out to be a franchise with better legs than any of us thought, thanks to the smart people behind it and the top-notch talent on the screen. While it’s the least of the series, it’s still quite good, and it feels like a franchise that could sustain another movie or two. — Chris Bumbray, JoBlo’s Movie Network

While this is a solid entry in this franchise, the whole appeal of A Quiet Place (which sometimes can be quite gimmicky) and its implementation of silence feels like it will run its course sooner rather than later. — Giovanni Lago, Next Best Picture

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‘Family Portrait’ Review: Formally Astute Ensemble Piece Extracts the Unsettling Essence of a Wealthy Clan

Lucy Kerr’s concise examination of affluent domesticity starts as a deceivingly commonplace collection of social exchanges and devolves into effectively disconcerting territory.

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Lucy Kerr ’s unnerving debut, “ Family Portrait ,” opens with a sequence where a character is intent on materializing the title in literal fashion. Katy (Deragh Campbell), a 20-something, tries to wrangle adults and children to take a group photo together on a calid afternoon among the greenery in the family’s vast estate. As her relatives walk towards the chosen spot, the camera moves horizontally while bodies come in and out of the frame. Katy, wearing a frustrated expression, struggles to get them to cooperate. Their scattered movement and Katy’s exasperation give the scene a dreamlike uncanniness.

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Kerr exhibits a deft control over her visually economical, experimental leaps. She never distorts the image, nor does she use split screens or any other showy editing gimmicks. Cinematographer Lidia Nikonova doesn’t employ disorienting angles or camera moves that call attention to themselves. Instead, the filmmaker relies on a soundscape by sound designers Andrew Siedenburg and Nikolay Antonov and the apathetic, erratic and at times cruel tone of the cast’s performances to place the spectator in an enigmatic daze that feels too close to normalcy for most of the ensemble piece’s short running time.

Something’s off, one can sense it, but whatever it is, Kerr has made it elusive, unnamable. The most explicitly illusory image is that of a hollow tree trunk used as a mystifying hideout, alluding, it seems, to the concept of a family tree or to a passage between dream and reality.

News of a death in the family — no one particularly close but someone they all knew — rattles everyone and prompts Katy’s mother, the person who commissioned the family portrait photo for her elaborate holiday card, to disappear. Suddenly death permeates the air, and conversations shift from small talk to cautionary tales about viruses and illnesses that can take one’s life in an instant. No one cares about this photograph anymore, except for Katy. “Where’s mom?” she will ask to almost anyone who will listen. All of them will ignore her. Campbell’s increasingly flustered, almost catatonic portrayal of Katy illustrates that she and Oleg are not yet fully assimilated into the family’s dynamic. They stand out, not only for their youth, but because they both radiate a desire to please, to be accepted into the club.

Images, especially the still ones, have limitations on what they can elucidate about people and their relationships, since they simply are instances of life frozen without context of what came before or after. Even the moving frame can only so probe so deep beneath the surface. Whatever Olek may have been able to capture in a snapshot would still have resulted in a shiny mask hiding conflicts and fears. The more Katy descends into a hazy loop of disassociation, whether awake or not, the more it seems the prospect of taking the photo is in fact the only thing holding the clan together, and Katy attached to it. Perhaps by not taking it, she can break the cycles that have, so far, endured in this microcosm.

Reviewed online June 24, 2024. In Locarno Film Festival. Running time: 73 MIN.

• Production: A Factory 25 release of a Conjuring Prods. production. Producers: Megan Pickrell, Frederic Winker. Executive producer: Brittany Reeber. Co-producer: Rob Rice.
• Crew: Director, writer: Lucy Kerr. Camera: Lidia Nikonova. Editor: Karlis Bergs.
• With: Deragh Campbell, Chris Galust. Katie Folger, Rachel Alig, Robert Salas, Silvana Jakich, Vanessa Cedotal, Ed Hattaway.

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