They Call Him OG Movie Review
They Call Him OG Movie Review begins with one clear point: this film is designed first for Pawan Kalyan fans. Director Sujeeth builds the movie around aura, attitude, style, background music and gangster elevation moments. When the film focuses on Pawan Kalyan’s screen presence, it works well. But when it needs a stronger story, deeper emotion and fresh conflict, it becomes uneven.
They Call Him OG is a Telugu gangster action drama set around Ojas Gambheera, also known as OG, a feared underworld figure who returns after disappearing from Mumbai’s crime world. The film has stylish visuals, strong mass moments, a powerful background score by Thaman S and a solid antagonist presence from Emraan Hashmi. However, the screenplay follows a familiar revenge and comeback pattern, which reduces the overall impact.
For viewers searching for iBomma Telugu movies, latest Telugu movie reviews and legal OTT updates, They Call Him OG is one of the most talked-about Telugu films of 2025 because it combines Pawan Kalyan’s star power with a large-scale gangster action setup.
They Call Him OG Movie Review: Story Overview
The story follows Ojas Gambheera, a feared gangster who once had a strong place in Mumbai’s underworld. After vanishing for years, OG returns when the criminal world around him changes and a new power rises. His comeback creates tension, fear and violence as he faces enemies connected to his past.
The central conflict is built around revenge, loyalty, betrayal and power. The film tries to present OG as a silent but dangerous force who does not need many words to create fear. This idea works well for Pawan Kalyan’s screen image because the character depends heavily on presence and attitude.
The problem is that the story itself is not very new. A powerful gangster returning after years to settle old scores is a familiar setup. Sujeeth adds style, Japanese influence, underworld visuals and mass staging, but the screenplay does not always bring freshness to the core conflict.
The first half works better because it builds curiosity around OG’s past and creates strong elevation moments. The second half has action and intensity, but the emotional weight is not as strong as expected. The film needed sharper twists and stronger drama to match its stylish presentation.
Pawan Kalyan Performance
Pawan Kalyan is the heart of They Call Him OG. His screen presence is the biggest reason the film remains engaging even when the story becomes predictable. He plays Ojas Gambheera with controlled intensity, calm aggression and a strong heroic aura.
The film gives him several mass moments, and most of them work because of his personality. His walk, dialogue delivery, silence and action presence create the impact fans expect. He does not overperform. Instead, he uses stillness and attitude to make OG feel powerful.
This is one of those performances where the star image does a lot of heavy lifting. The character is written more as a mythic gangster figure than a deeply layered person. Pawan Kalyan makes the role watchable, but the writing could have explored OG’s pain, guilt and past with more emotional strength.
Emraan Hashmi as Omi Bhau
Emraan Hashmi makes his Telugu debut as Omi Bhau, and his presence is one of the film’s key attractions. He looks stylish and confident as the antagonist. His screen personality gives the film a strong opposing force.
Omi Bhau works best in scenes where the film presents him as a smart and dangerous crime boss. Emraan brings a cold and composed attitude to the role. His face-off energy with Pawan Kalyan gives the film some of its better moments.
However, the villain writing could have been stronger. Omi Bhau needed more powerful scenes to become a memorable antagonist. The performance is good, but the character does not always get enough depth or unpredictability.
Priyanka Arul Mohan and Supporting Cast
Priyanka Arul Mohan has a limited but graceful presence in the film. Her role adds some emotional softness, but the screenplay does not give her enough space to make a major impact. In a gangster drama, the emotional track is important because it gives the hero’s violence a human reason. Here, that layer works only in parts.
Prakash Raj brings experience and maturity to the film. Arjun Das and Sriya Reddy also add value to the supporting cast. Their presence helps build the underworld atmosphere, but some characters feel underused.
They Call Him OG has a strong cast, but the film is clearly centered around Pawan Kalyan. Most supporting roles exist to support OG’s journey rather than create their own memorable arcs.
Direction and Screenplay
Sujeeth directs They Call Him OG with strong style. The film has a polished gangster look, strong visual framing, sharp hero elevation and an energetic action mood. His understanding of fan moments is clear. He knows how to present Pawan Kalyan in a powerful way.
The issue is the screenplay. The film looks stylish, but the writing is familiar. The gangster world has attitude, but it needed more surprise. The emotional scenes are present, but they do not always hit deeply. The villain is dangerous, but not layered enough.
Sujeeth succeeds in creating mood and mass appeal. But as a complete gangster drama, the film needed a tighter narrative, stronger character arcs and more freshness in the second half. The movie feels like a celebration of OG more than a fully developed crime story.
Action, Music and Technical Quality
The action sequences are one of the film’s major strengths. They are stylish, loud and built around Pawan Kalyan’s mass image. The fights are not always realistic, but they fit the film’s larger-than-life gangster tone.
Thaman S’s background score is a big highlight. The music gives extra energy to several scenes and makes the hero moments more powerful. In many places, the background score improves the impact of scenes that are simple on paper.
The cinematography by Ravi K. Chandran and Manoj Paramahamsa gives the film a rich visual texture. The lighting, framing and underworld atmosphere are handled well. The film looks stylish and technically strong in several portions.
Editing is decent, but the film could have been tighter. Some scenes stay longer than needed, and a sharper cut would have improved the pace.
Positives
The biggest positive of They Call Him OG is Pawan Kalyan’s screen presence. He carries the film with style, attitude and controlled intensity.
Thaman S’s background score is another major strength. The music adds power to the action and elevation scenes.
The film also benefits from stylish visuals, good action design and Emraan Hashmi’s strong antagonist presence. For fans, the movie has enough moments to enjoy in theatres.
Negatives
The main weakness is the familiar story. The gangster comeback and revenge setup does not bring many fresh surprises.
The emotional writing is not as strong as the film needs. OG is presented as a powerful figure, but the screenplay does not explore his inner world deeply enough.
Some supporting characters are underused. The villain has presence, but needed sharper writing. The second half also becomes predictable in places.
Final Verdict
They Call Him OG is a stylish Telugu gangster action drama that works mainly because of Pawan Kalyan’s powerful screen presence, Thaman S’s background score, action blocks and fan-service moments. It is visually polished and entertaining in parts, especially when the film focuses on OG’s attitude and comeback.
But the film is not as strong as it could have been. The story is familiar, the emotional depth is limited and the screenplay depends too much on hero elevation. For Pawan Kalyan fans, They Call Him OG is a satisfying watch with several mass moments. For general audiences, it is a stylish but uneven gangster drama.
Rating: 3/5
Also read: Latest Telugu Movie Reviews, OTT Release Updates and How We Review Telugu Movies.
External reference: They Call Him OG on IMDb
