BOTTOM LINE
No Robberies, No Thrills
OUR RATING
2.25/5
CENSOR
U/A, 3h 2m 
What Is the Film About?
Tiger Nageswara Rao is inspired by the real-life character of a famous thief from the 1980s and the crisis in Stuartpuram. The film places a greater focus on TNR’s personal life than on his thrilling robberies, daring escapades, and the captivating cat-and-mouse game between him and the cops, which is what the story is about.
Performances
Ravi Teja plays the thief Tiger Nageswara Rao and performs convincingly. His success is more about his change in appearance and a slight variation from his usual hyper-energetic roles. Ravi Teja delivers a sincere performance throughout, which is evident on-screen. While the character may not be a standout in his filmography, it represents a different role for the actor.
Heroines Nupur Sanon and Gayatri Bharadwaj get to play typical heroine roles, and they handle them well. However, nothing particularly stands out from either of them, and there are no complaints either.
Renu Desai is given a subtle, albeit dull character, and despite having decent screen time, her character and on-screen performance make little impact.
Analysis
Vamsee directs ‘Tiger Nageswara Rao.’ In the past, he directed two films, ‘Dongaata’ and ‘Kittu Unnadu Jagratha.’ Now, he returns with a potential real-life subject.
Tiger Nageswara Rao starts on a terrific note, oozing freshness and an intriguing train robbery episode. It instantly captivates the audience and immerses us in the plot. The introduction of Nageswara Rao through a flashback episode narrated by Murali Sharma, along with the period setting, is quite captivating. What follows in Stuartpuram also maintains the momentum for a good thirty minutes.
However, once the narrative shifts to the love track, the rest of the first half, including the crucial interval sequence where Nageswara Rao targets the Prime Minister’s house, becomes barely passable. The writing and execution of the love track are tedious, including the song that lacks both good audio quality and visual appeal.
The transition from an intense robbery backdrop to a love track dilutes the film’s tone, but there’s hope for a better and engaging second half, similar to the film’s promising start.
The second half begins with Nassar sharing TNR’s past with Anupam Kher, which takes the film in a different direction. The thrilling robberies and escapades by TNR are completely absent, and there isn’t a single thrilling robbery episode throughout the second half.
The entire effort in the second half is to depict TNR as a Robin Hood figure, which drains the energy, leading to an endless drama that unfolds at a very slow pace, involving issues of students and TNR’s kind-hearted assistance and another one sided love track. Surprisingly, Renu Desai’s character also contributes to the ongoing dullness.
Apart from one well-composed, violent action sequence in the second half, there isn’t much that stands out. The background score, which started with a bang at the beginning of the film, worsens as we reach the second half. By this point, the film has become very generic and no longer feels like the story of a mastermind thief and his daring heists; that essence is lost.
The 80s period setting gradually fades visually, and by the end, it feels exhausting.
Overall, ‘Tiger Nageswara Rao’ has a terrific start and a good thirty minutes in the beginning. However, the lengthy runtime offers very few intriguing moments, despite having a unique setting. 
Performances by Others Actors
Among the prominent actors, Anupam Kher has a decent screen presence, but his characterization is quite basic. In other words, the role doesn’t require an actor of his caliber. Others like Murali Sharma, Nassar, and Jisshu Sengupta do their job. 
Music and Other Departments?
The songs by music director GV Prakash are forgettable; they don’t work well on their own or with the visuals on-screen. What’s surprising is that the background score, which starts off well, gradually weakens and eventually becomes worse. The film is excessively lengthy, and the editing could have been much better. Cinematography by Madhie is adequate, despite not exploring much in the period setting. The writing works partially, but as the second half entirely focuses on drama, it isn’t enough to keep the audience engaged.
Highlights?
Starting Train Robbery
First 30 Minutes
Action Block In Second Half
Core Theme
Drawbacks?
Lengthy Run Time
Second Half Drag
Dull Drama
Songs/Love Tracks
No Highs or Thrills 
Did I Enjoy It?
Not much
Will You Recommend It?
No
Tiger Nageswara Rao Movie Review by M9
Final Report:
Tiger Nageswara Rao had a superb start but then has a passable first half, followed by a lengthy and tiresome drama in the second half. It doesn’t reach its potential due to the portrayal of TNR as a Robin Hood-like character. Suffers due to its lengthy run time. Ravi Teja does a commendable job in this true story, and certain parts of the film work well.
Watch it for its unique setting but have the right expectation.
First Half Report:
Tiger Nageswara Rao had an engaging start, which gets diluted by not so engaging love track but picks up again just before the interval, but the second half needs to provide a more engaging experience.
— Tiger Nageswara Rao show kicks off with an intense train robbery episode, setting the film’s theme in motion. Stay tuned for the first half report.
Stay tuned for Tiger Nageswara Rao review, USA Premiere report. Show begins at 3.30 AM IST.
At a time when audiences are embracing new content, ‘Tiger Nageswara Rao’ presents an intriguing backdrop of the notorious 1980s robber. The subject holds immense potential, and if director Vamsee can create an engaging cinematic version of it, they could have a winner. Let’s see.
Cast: Ravi Teja, Anupam Kher, Gayatri Bharadwaj, Nupur Sanon, Renu Desai, Nassar, Muralisharma, Jisshusengupta, Sudev Nair, Harishperadi & others.
Writer, Director – Vamsee
Producer – Abhishek Agarwal
Banner – Abhishek Agarwal Arts
Presenter – Tej Narayan Agarwal
Co-Producer – Mayank Singhaniya, Archana Agarwal
Dialogues – Srikanth Vissa
Music Director – GV Prakash Kumar
Dop – Madhie
Production Designer – Avinash Kolla
Choreographer – Sekhar VJ
USA Release: ENN CINEMAS (Asian Cinemas)
Overseas Distributor: Marudhar Films & FunAsia Films
Tiger Nageswara Rao Movie Review by M9
