Nagabandham Movie Review: Rishabh Sawhney Impresses in a Disappointing Nagabandham

Nagabandham is one of those films that promises a grand mythological adventure but ends up being a tiring and frustrating watch. If Baahubali had been made with one-fourth of its budget, it might have looked something like this. But honestly, even comparing the two feels like a crime.

Director Abhishek Nama had a story with decent potential, but it feels like he forgot what film he was making halfway through. The first half is painfully slow and barely takes the story anywhere. Instead of building the world or the characters, the film keeps throwing in long, repetitive action sequences that only make the runtime feel even longer.

The plot itself is fairly simple. Abdali and Bairagi are after the sacred Brahma Kamalam, a golden flower placed alongside Lord Ranganatha in the historic temple of Srirangapuram. They believe it will grant them ultimate power, while Rudra is determined to protect it. The conflict traces back to 1756, and the film then introduces the idea of these characters being reincarnated and meeting again in the 1960s. On paper, it sounds interesting. On screen, it feels confusing and poorly executed.

The biggest problem is that the movie starts in one direction and somehow ends somewhere completely different. The screenplay lacks focus, making it difficult to stay invested. The action scenes are stretched far beyond necessity, filled with unnecessary bloodshed and noise, but very little excitement.

The only real positive is Rishabh Sawhney. After Fighter, he once again proves he has a commanding screen presence. As Ali and Abdali, he delivers the only performance that genuinely stands out and keeps the film watchable whenever he appears.

The film is packed with VFX, but flashy visuals alone can’t save weak storytelling. Loud, overlong and emotionally disconnected, Nagabandham ends up being a film that wastes an interesting idea with poor execution. What could have been an engaging mythological action drama ultimately turns into a forgettable cinematic misfire.