Game Changer (film)

Game Changer: A Tale of Dual Roles and Delays

Imagine a film that promises to change the game but ends up being more of a box-office bomb. That’s what Game Changer is all about. Directed by S. Shankar in his Telugu debut, this 2025 Indian political action film stars Ram Charan in dual roles alongside Kiara Advani and Anjali. The journey to bring this film to the screen was anything but smooth, with multiple production delays that kept fans on tenterhooks.

The Making of a Mega-Project

Game Changer’s development began during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown as an interim project. The idea was simple: to give director Shankar a chance to explore Telugu cinema after the success of his films’ dubbed versions. However, the journey from script to screen was anything but straightforward.

Script and Cast

The story was finalized based on Karthik Subbaraj’s original script, with Sai Madhav Burra contributing dialogues and Vivek, Farhad Samji, and S. Venkatesan adding to the screenplay. The music initially promised by A.R. Rahman and Anirudh Ravichander took a turn when Dil Raju requested Thaman S instead. The dance choreographers included Prabhu Deva, Jani Master, Prem Rakshith, Bosco Martis, Ganesh Acharya, and Sandy, ensuring the film would be visually stunning.

Principal Photography: A Marathon

The first schedule was completed in November 2021 at Ramoji Film City, costing ₹23 crore. Filming resumed later with schedules in Amritsar, Visakhapatnam, New Zealand, Hyderabad, and other locations. The third schedule wrapped up in July 2024 after 60% of filming was done. A massive song involving 1000 dancers and an action sequence involving 1200 fighters were shot before the climax scenes began in April 2023.

Revealing the First Look

The first look was revealed on March 27, 2023, along with its title. The teaser released on November 9, 2024, and the official trailer came out January 2, 2025. Thaman S composed the soundtrack, with Shankar collaborating for the fourth time with another composer besides A. R. Rahman.

Release and Reception

Game Changer was released theatrically on January 10, 2025, in several formats and languages. The Tamil dubbed version is distributed by SVC Adityaram Movies and Rockfort Entertainment, while Anil Thadani acquired distribution rights for Hindi versions in North India. Amazon Prime Video acquired digital distribution rights for ₹105 crore.

Critical Reception

Rachit Gupta of Filmfare rated the film 3.5/5, praising Shankar’s direction and Ram Charan’s performance. The Hans India also praised the performances, calling them ‘powerhouse’ and ‘strong impact.’ Paul Nicodemus of The Times of India gave 3/5 stars, noting the film’s well-executed commercial aspects and technical excellence.

While critics praised the grandeur, entertainment value, and performances, they criticized the predictable storyline and lack of narrative depth. Game Changer grossed ₹76.75 crore on its opening day and ₹60 crore domestically, with a lifetime gross of ₹39 crore in the Hindi version.

Game Changer, much like its title suggests, was a film that aimed high but fell short. It’s a reminder that even with star power and technical excellence, the story matters just as much. As we look back at this journey, one thing is clear: Game Changer was more of a box-office bomb than a game changer in the true sense.