Eagle (2024 film)

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Eagle
Eagle 2024 poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Karthik Gattamneni
Screenplay by
  • Karthik Gattamneni
  • Manibabu Karanam
Story byKarthik Gattamneni
Produced by
  • T. G. Vishwa Prasad
  • Vivek Kuchibhotla
Starring
Cinematography
  • Karthik Gattamneni
  • Kamil Plocki
  • Karm Chawla
Edited byKarthik Gattamneni
Music byDavzand
Production
company
People Media Factory
Distributed by
Release date
  • 9 February 2024 (2024-02-09) [1]
Running time
156 minutes [2]
CountryIndia
LanguageTelugu [3]
Budget35 crore [4]
Box office31.41 crore [5]

Eagle is a 2024 Indian Telugu-language action thriller film written and directed by Karthik Gattamneni and produced by T. G. Vishwa Prasad and Vivek Kuchibhotla under People Media Factory. It stars Ravi Teja in the titular role alongside Anupama Parameswaran, Kavya Thapar, and Navdeep. [6]

Contents

The film was officially announced on 12 June 2023. [7] The background score and soundtrack were composed by Davzand, with cinematography and editing handled by Gattamneni himself.

Eagle was released in theatres worldwide on 9 February 2024 to mixed reviews from critics. [1]

Plot

The story begins with Nalini Rao, a bold investigative journalist, who writes a small article about a unique variety of cotton being grown in a remote region called Talakona in Andhra Pradesh. To her surprise, the article immediately catches the attention of India’s top intelligence officials. Their suspicious reaction alerts her that the cotton and the place may be linked to something far deeper. Driven by her instincts, Nalini travels to Talakona to dig into the truth behind the cotton and the mysterious man who cultivates it.

In Talakona, she meets Sahadev Varma, a quiet, reclusive cotton farmer. Locals admire him for his success in cultivating an incredibly fine cotton that’s in global demand. But when Nalini begins talking to people around the village and tracing old government records, she finds gaps in Sahadev’s identity. Her investigation leads her to multiple sources—RAW officers, villagers, ex-military personnel—who all speak of Sahadev with mixed fear and admiration. It becomes clear that he is not just an ordinary farmer.

Through a series of flashbacks and testimonies, Nalini uncovers the stunning truth: Sahadev Varma is actually "Eagle", a deadly covert operative who once worked for Indian intelligence. Known for his precision sniping and fearless execution of black ops, Eagle was responsible for dismantling several terrorist cells and illegal arms networks across Asia. After years of missions and bloodshed, he vanished without a trace, presumed dead by most agencies. But in reality, he had chosen to retire, hiding in plain sight in Talakona.

However, Sahadev’s cotton farm wasn’t just about agriculture. It was a calculated cover for a global sting operation. He used cotton exports to trace illegal arms smuggling routes. By keeping the cotton highly desirable to international buyers, he could track which networks were involved in moving weapons under the radar. His goal was to expose and destroy a massive underground arms syndicate operating through India’s forests.

As Nalini’s article nears completion, her actions unknowingly trigger a storm. Multiple enemies begin closing in on Sahadev: international arms dealers who feel threatened by his work, Naxalites active in the region, terrorist groups with past grudges, and corrupt politicians whose ties to the black market are at risk of being revealed. Even Indian intelligence agencies, fearing exposure of classified operations, begin considering Sahadev a liability. Suddenly, everyone wants "Eagle" dead.

At this point, Jay, Sahadev’s old friend and fellow RAW agent, enters the scene. He tries to convince Sahadev to disappear again, but Sahadev has made up his mind. He chooses to fight back, determined to end the arms trade once and for all. What follows is a series of high-stakes action sequences where Sahadev takes on heavily armed enemies—alone and outnumbered, but highly skilled.

The final act of the film is packed with intense action. Sahadev fends off a massive attack, strategically eliminating mercenaries and exposing the entire network. In the end, his true identity becomes public, and though he survives, his peaceful life is lost. The film ends on an open note, hinting at more battles ahead for Eagle, possibly setting up a sequel.

Cast

Soundtrack

Music is composed by Davzand.

Track list
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Aadu Macha"Kalyan Chakravarthy Rahul Sipligunj 3:31
2."Gallanthe" Krishna Kanth Kapil Kapilan, Lynn3:37
3."Eagle's On His Way"Georginaa MathewGeorginaa Mathew2:46
4."Garudam"Chaitanya Prasad Sri Krishna 3:29
5."Hey Garuda"Krishna KanthHarika Narayan, Hemachandra Vedala 3:29
Total length:16:02

Release

Theatrical

Eagle was earlier announced to release on 13 January 2024, coinciding with Makar Sankranti. However, it was postponed to 9 February 2024 due to the clash of multiple films at the Tollywood box office during the Sankranti weekend. [1]

Home media

The post-theatrical streaming rights were jointly acquired by Amazon Prime Video, Aha, ETV WIN, and Sun NXT. The satellite rights were acquired by ETV Telugu.

Reception

Paul Nicodemus of The Times of India gave 3/5 stars and wrote, "While the film may struggle to maintain a consistent narrative pace, its action sequences and Ravi Teja's performance stand out as highlights and compensate for the lacunae". [8]

Avad of OTTplay gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote, "Eagle is a stylized action drama that has some great fight sequences in the second half. Ravi Teja kills it in his new look and powerful role. But the storyline lacks novelty, emotions do not work, and the setup looks a bit over the top. All those who love action films can give this film a shot". [9] Janani. K of India Today gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "'Eagle’ has some brilliant action pieces and the slow-motion shots elevate those sequences. Where it lacks is in its writing. It needs more punch and new ideas to keep things going for more than two and a half hours. It gets exhausting to see people sing praises of the hero without moving the story forward." [10]

Raghu Bandi of The Indian Express gave 2/5 stars and wrote "Eagle might not be a bad watch if you temper your expectations. It is definitely not a regular Ravi Teja film". [11] Balakrishna Ganesan of The News Minute gave 1.5/5 stars and wrote "'Eagle’ tries its best to mimic 'KGF' , but director Karthik Gattamneni fails to pull off Prashanth Neel’s grip over direction and screenplay". [12]

Ram Venkat Srikar of Film Companion wrote, "Eagle aims to be different but some of its creative choices feel are good While it's hard not to be reminded of some films while watching Eagle, there are moments where it does fly high. But you only wish it soared higher". [13] Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu wrote "Director Karthik Gattamneni’s ‘Eagle’, headlined by Ravi Teja, has a bunch of interesting ideas and fun action segments but needs sharper writing". [14]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Ravi Teja's 'Eagle' officially drops from the Sankranti race". The Times of India . 5 January 2024. Archived from the original on 23 January 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  2. "Eagle". British Board of Film Classification .
  3. "Eagle movie aims high, to cover Rs 35 cr budget ?". Deccan Chronicle . 1 February 2024.
  4. "Eagle movie aims high, to cover Rs 35 cr budget ?". Deccan Chronicle . 1 February 2024.
  5. "Eagle - Sacnilk".
  6. "'Eagle' teaser: Ravi Teja is more of a myth than a man in this action-thriller". India Today . 6 November 2023. Archived from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  7. "Ravi Teja, Karthik Ghattamaneni Telugu film titled 'Eagle', eyes Sankranti 2024 release. Anupama Parameswaran, Navdeep and Kavya Thapar on board" . The Hindu . 12 June 2023. ISSN   0971-751X. Archived from the original on 6 November 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  8. "Eagle Movie Review: Ravi Teja Shines In Action-Packed Drama With Missed Chances". The Times of India . Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  9. "Eagle Review – The Ravi Teja starrer is ambitious, has great action but lacks proper emotions and is lengthy". OTTplay . Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  10. "Eagle Review: This Ravi Teja film is high on action, low on new ideas". India Today . 9 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  11. "Eagle movie review: Not a regular Ravi Teja film". The Indian Express . 9 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  12. "Eagle review: Great action sequences can't save this hollow Ravi Teja film". The News Minute . 9 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  13. "Eagle Review: A Fun Second Half Rescues This Ravi Teja Film From Crashing". Film Companion . 9 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  14. Dundoo, Sangeetha Devi (9 February 2024). "'Eagle' movie review: The action is fine, the writing needed to be smarter". The Hindu . Retrieved 9 February 2024.