Genz reacts to SS Rajamouli’s Magadheera: How did this bad CGI, illogical fantasy drama catapult Ram Charan’s career?
On SS Rajamouli's birthday, I, a GenZ, reacted to his critically acclaimed 2009 fantasy drama Magadheera. The film features Ram Charan and Kajal Aggarwal in lead roles.
Genz reacts to Magadheera: SS Rajamouli's 2009 fantasy drama is as illogical as RRR and Baahubali
When SS Rajamouli’s Magadheera hit the big screen in 2009, it was a turning point for Telugu cinema as it became their first film to gross Rs 100 crore. While the Ram Charan and Kajal Aggarwal starrer was considered a visual spectacle, but in 2025, it felt like entering a pitiful alternate reality – with questionable VFX, cringe dialogues cringed, and turned hero worship into something of a national sport.
For GenZs, who grew up on technology and with self-awareness, Magadheera feels like the newbie who tries too hard to impress. Here’s why I couldn’t understand how the fantasy drama catapulted Ram Charan’s career to stardom!
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The opening scene of the film itself was a turn off and actually intolerable. It was sad to see the very beautiful female lead Kajal Aggarwal aka Princess Mithravinda Devi falling from a cliff in such an artificial scene, with Ram Charan aka Kala Bhairava jumping after her. The extremely poor VFX and CGI made me feel like fast forwarding the entire movie or watching it on 2X speed. It had me thinking, was this film made in 2009 or the 90s era?
The storyline tried
A still from Magadheera
I cannot deny the fact that the storyline and concept of the film were interesting, if far-fetched. A street-bike racer Harsha is falsely embroiled in the murder of Indu’s father and with the girl’s kidnapping. However, their past life connection from 400 years ago helps them straighten everything out. It sounds like something that fits Rajamouli’s sandbox but it stretches and strains during the 2 hour 45 minutes film.
Dialogues made me go ‘eww’
The scene where Ranadev (Dev Gill) comes drunk to speak with Indu, he only misbehaves with her during the conversation. The dialogues were so cringe that at one point, he actually said, “Tumhaara tan, iss fal se bhi zyada meetha hai. Aur mai ise nichod ke peena chahta hu. Mai tumhaare tan ko chaba chabaakar uska rass nikaalna chaahta hu (Your body is more sweet that this fruit. I want to squeeze and drink it. I want to bite your body and squeeze the juice out of it).” There were many other such dialogues that were outright despicable and could have been presented better.
We are now living in a time where films like Laapataa Ladies (2023) Bulbul (2020), and Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022) take precedence. Female leads are not used as mere props but they carry the film on their shoulders and take the story forward. Today, it’s not about hero worshipping but focusing on progressive content and characters, while Magadheera has Kajal Aggarwal in a typical flower pot role.
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Great cry and little wool
Rajamouli wanted us to be in the awe of Magadheera, but it’s easy to see through the noise and realise there’s no nuance. The craft can only be praised if it’s not covered with too much exaggerated drama. It was indulgent to the point of disbelief. Several scenes were as illogical as I saw them in the filmmaker’s recent RRR (2022) and Baahubali (2015).
As a GenZ myself, I couldn’t connect with Magadheera the way audiences and critics did back in 2009. Watching the fantasy drama today was like revisiting your father’s favorite film – you get why he loved it, but you also know that you have outgrown that kind of cinema a long time back.
Navya Kharbanda is an Entertainment Journalist and Cinematic Commentator at The Indian Express, where she specializes in bridging the gap between classic Bollywood heritage and contemporary Gen-Z perspectives. Her work is characterized by a blend of nostalgia-driven analysis and on-the-ground reporting from major film festivals and industry events.
Experience & Professional Background
Navya is a prominent voice on The Indian Express entertainment desk, known for her ability to secure candid interviews with both legendary veterans and rising stars. Her career highlights include:
The Indian Express: Covers a wide range of topics from high-stakes box office analysis to in-depth celebrity profiles. She is a regular at major events like the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
SCREEN Interviews: Navya has conducted a series of "exclusive conversations" for SCREEN, featuring industry stalwarts like Anupam Kher, Vishal Bhardwaj, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, and Suhasini Maniratnam.
Archival Reporting: She is noted for her sensitive handling of archival interviews and retrospectives, recently covering the legacy of late superstar Dharmendra and the career reflections of the late Satish Shah.
Expertise & Focus Areas
Navya’s beat is uniquely defined by her "Gen-Z Revisit" series, where she re-evaluates cult classics through a modern lens. Her core areas of expertise include:
Cinematic Retrospectives: Analyzing 80s and 90s landmarks like Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, and Mohabbatein to explore how themes of romance and rebellion resonate with today’s youth.
Industry Insights: Tracking the career resurgences of actors (e.g., Akshaye Khanna) and the evolving dynamics of film production and distribution in the OTT era.
On-Set Dynamics: Reporting on behind-the-scenes stories from major productions, ranging from the technical challenges of Mirzapur: The Film to the work ethics of superstars like Shah Rukh Khan.
South Indian Cinema: Expanding her coverage to include the impact of regional icons and the rise of pan-Indian fantasy epics like Magadheera.
Authoritativeness & Trust
Navya Kharbanda has established her authority by consistently providing "Journalism of Courage" in the entertainment sphere. Whether she is interrogating the sexism in patriarchal classics or reporting on the fair-pay debates at international film festivals, her work prioritizes factual accuracy and critical objectivity. Her ability to synthesize deep industry history with modern audience trends makes her a trusted source for readers seeking both entertainment news and thoughtful cultural commentary. ... Read More
