Pradeep Ranganathan, who became a craze among the youth with ‘Love Today’, has once again entertained the audience with his latest film Dragon (Return of the Dragon in Telugu). Directed by ‘Ori Devuda’ fame Ashwath Marimuthu and produced by Kalpathi S. Aghoram, Kalpathi S. Ganesh, and Kalpathi S. Suresh under the banner of AGS Entertainment, this comedy drama was released on February 21, 2025. Pradeep wrote the story, while Anupama Parameswaran, Kayadu Lohar, Mysskin, and Gautham Vasudev Menon played key roles. Leon James composed the music, Niketh Bommireddy handled the cinematography, and Pradeep E. Raghav handled the editing. How is this movie, which is streaming on Netflix from March 21, 2025? Let’s see in this review!
What is the story?
D. Raghavan (Pradeep Ranganathan), is a middle-class boy like everyone else. Although he was a gold medalist with 96% marks in school, he becomes a ‘dragon’ in college after the words of a girl who rejected his love—he walks around like a college don with swag and a rough look. He fails 48 subjects in engineering, but still falls in love with Keerthi (Anupama Parameswaran) for 6 years. But, since Raghavan has no goals in life, Keerthi leaves him and marries a rich man. This breakup shakes Raghavan. In that anger, he gets a high-paying software job with fake certificates and wants to settle down with a rich woman, Pallavi (Kayadu Lohar). But, his college principal Maylvahanan (Mysskin) exposes his deceit and challenges him to complete his degree. Did Raghavan rectify his mistakes? Did he put his life back on track? That’s the rest of the story.
How was the film?
Return of the Dragon started as a youthful comedy drama and turned into an emotional rollercoaster in the second half. Although the first half was a bit slow, with routine college scenes, Pradeep Ranganathan’s screen presence and his funny jokes made me laugh. Watching the scenes where Raghavan transforms into a ‘dragon’ reminded me of my naughty friends from my college days—so natural! The interval twist shocked me—a completely unexpected plot point! The second half was the real highlight of the film for me. The scenes where Raghavan confronts his mistakes, especially the face-off scenes with Mysskin, touched my heart. Watching Raghavan’s redemption arc in the climax brought tears to my eyes—so well written by Ashwath and Pradeep!
However, some of the shortcomings in the film disappointed me a bit. The first half felt a bit laggy—some of the comedy scenes didn’t connect well with the Telugu audience, perhaps because of its Tamil nativism. The love story between Pradeep and Anupama could have been written with more depth. Anupama’s character seemed too surface-level to me—she needed to be given more scope for her talent. If the 2 hour 35 minute runtime had been trimmed a bit, the film would have been crisper. Leon James’ songs are not that impressive in Telugu, but the background score elevates the emotional scenes a lot.
Actors, technical aspects
Pradeep Ranganathan is the lifeblood of this film. His comedy timing as Raghavan and depth in emotional scenes impressed me. Swag as a college bad boy, tension as a software employee—both were brilliant. Anupama Parameswaran looked beautiful as Keerthi, but her screen time was limited and she impressed only in emotional scenes. Kayadu Lohar did a decent job as Pallavi, but the lack of proper closure to her role disappointed me. Mysskin is a show stealer as Principal Maylvahanan—his serious dialogue delivery, scenes with Pradeep are the strength of the film. George Marian (as father), VJ Sidhu, and Harshat Khan (as friends) impressed in their roles.
Technically, Niketh Bommireddy's cinematography realistically depicted the backdrop of the college and IT offices. Leon James' background score elevates the tension and emotional moments. Telugu dubbing and dialogues are good, and the production values are top notch. Although Ashwath's screenplay is predictable at some places, the second half impresses with twists and emotions.
Plus points
Pradeep Ranganathan's performance, screen presence
Second half emotional scenes, interval twist
Face-off scenes between Miskin and Pradeep
Leon James' background score
Social message that connects with the youth
Minus points
Slow, routine first half
Lack of depth in the characters of Anupama and Kayadu
Songs in Telugu are not impressive
Some predictable scenes
Who can watch it?
Return of the Dragon is a decent watch for those who like youthful comedy dramas and movies with a social message. Fans of Pradeep Ranganathan, Anupama, and youth who enjoy college stories can try this movie. Released with a U/A certificate, this movie is suitable for youth and family audiences. However, those who expect fast-paced stories or deep romantic dramas may be a little disappointed.
Rating: 3/5
Return of the Dragon is an entertaining youth drama, with Pradeep Ranganathan's performance and the emotions in the second half. Ashwath Marimuthu's direction, Mysskin's performance, and Leon James' score are the strengths of the movie. Although some slow scenes and a lack of depth in the romance seem to be a drawback, this movie is a feel-good experience for the youth. Watch it on Netflix!