Review: Saaho

Release date: August 30, 2019
Running time: 170 minutes
Starring:  Prabhas, Shraddha Kapoor, Jackie Shroff 

Saaho is an action, special agent, heist film in the vein of Fast and the Furious meets NCIS.  Saaho is a cool as ice character who is always one step ahead of everyone around him, allowing him to play all the sides while constantly wearing mirrored sunglasses.  He is definitely an over the top individual, and his journey is equally as over the top.


This film is an action film with a capital A.  It seems like every scene has some sort of disastrous situation, lots of slow motion footage, explosions or car crashes, gunfire, and a cold as ice Saaho easily figuring out how to escape it.  The film goes non stop; I don't think I've seen a movie with more slow motion shots since the original Matrix.  Thankfully these disastrous situations happen all over, with a diverse setting in some very beautiful scenes and areas that Saaho explores on his journey.  And as a Hindi movie, the film is interrupted multiple times by elaborate dance numbers, which are fun to watch right after a tense, explosion filled firefight.

The plot is convoluted with several plot twists, schemes, crosses, and double crosses.  And this leads to a film that is almost three hours long.  The film is so long that there was a random trailer in the middle of the movie, probably to allow for a quick intermission.  Along the way you’ll meet plenty of characters, see many different motivations, have some surprises, and also probably get confused by all the double crosses.

Saaho is definitely meant to be an over the top character, with everything about him exaggerated.  His punches hit extra hard, his shots are perfectly accurate, and his dialogue feels like there is a pause after every line.  It really is as if Leroy Jethro Gibbs was crossed with the Rock.  But Prabhas clearly enjoys portraying Saaho and his character, while over the top, is still fun to watch.  Shraddha Kapoor does a good job as his side kick / love interest, and although she starts as a somewhat hopeless character, she grows stronger as the film progresses.

If you are in the mood for an over the top action movie with a larger than life protagonist, then buckle up for a long, explosive, smoldering journey.  

Rent it