After playing a lover boy in Teen Maar, Pawan Kalyan returns in the fiery role of a lieutenant to a ruthless don and tries to do justice to the 'grey' role, but the familiar plot dampens his efforts. Although, Panjaa is loosely inspired by the Hollywood flick, Carlito’s Way, but the much-hyped action thriller lacks the adrenaline of a tight and creative script and one feels let down when stepping out of the theatre.
One wonders why the superstars themselves are not bored to death portraying gloomy underworld characters that T-town seems to be obsessed with. A strong love story might have redeemed the film, but the romance between a social deviant and nature-loving girl (Sara Jane) that begins on an interesting note soon loses its sparkle.
The frequent gun-trotting action sequences with hero ducking and shooting back at thugs are reminiscent of Telugu films of 80’s. While actor Sesh Adivi grabs the attention with his eccentric performance, Jackie Shroff doesn’t add much value and talented Atul Kulkarni is just wasted.
Pawan Kalyan is a trusted lieutenant to mafia don (Shroff) and they reign supreme in Kolkata. Rival don (Atul Kulkarni) tries to buy out Pawan but doesn’t succeed. Pawan also runs a nursery and happens to meet Sara Jane and admires her love for nature.
Meanwhile, Munna (Sesh Adivi), Jackie’s son, develops some differences with Pawan. Pawan traps Atul’s son and goes to pacify Parchuri, but when Munna shoots down Atul’s son, all hell breaks loose and Pawan is forced to leave town.