| They Call Him OG | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Sujeeth |
| Written by | Sujeeth |
| Produced by | D. V. V. Danayya Kalyan Dasari |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Ravi K. Chandran Manoj Paramahamsa |
| Edited by | Naveen Nooli |
| Music by | Thaman S |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | see below |
Release date |
|
Running time | 154 minutes[1] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu |
| Budget | ₹200–250 crore[2][3] |
| Box office | ₹293.65–300 crore[a] |
They Call Him OG (simply known asOG) is a 2025 IndianTelugu-languageperiodactioncrime film, written and directed bySujeeth, and produced byD. V. V. Danayya. It is the second installment in theSujeeth Cinematic Universe afterSaaho (2019), starringPawan Kalyan in the titular role, alongside anensemble cast includingPrakash Raj,Emraan Hashmi (in hisTelugu film debut),Priyanka Mohan,Arjun Das,Sriya Reddy,Tej Sapru,Subhalekha Sudhakar,Rahul Ravindran,Sudev Nair,Abhimanyu Singh,Saurav Lokesh andHarish Uthaman.
A few months after it was officially announced in December 2022,principal photography ofThey Call Him OG began in April 2023 in Mumbai. Filming experienced several delays due to Kalyan's political commitments, and concluded in July 2025. The film has music composed byThaman S, cinematography jointly handled byRavi K. Chandran andManoj Paramahamsa and editing byNaveen Nooli.
They Call Him OG was released worldwide in theatres on 25 September 2025, setting the biggest opening day in India in 2025 by grossing₹155 crores worldwide on its opening day.[8] It received mixed reviews and emerged as theeighth-highest grossing Indian film of 2025 and thehighest grossing Telugu film of 2025.
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In 1970s Japan, theYakuza raid aSamurai dojo, massacring all but one student. The sole survivor, a young Ojas Gambheera 'OG', escapes and boards a ship on its way to Bombay. Also via that ship, Telugu and Marathi businessmen Satyanarayana 'Satya Dada' and Vardhaman Mirajkar are transporting a large cache of gold bars, with which they intend to build a private port inColaba, Bombay. Onboard, Gambheera rescues Satya Dada and Mirajkar from a violent gang of thieves, killing them all with hiskatana. Later, Gambheera, impressed by Satya Dada's intentions to help people with his port, pledges fealty to him. Over the next few years, Satya Dada's port is established and thrives, in part thanks to the protection Gambheera offers. However, Mirajkar breaks his partnership with Satya Dada and intends to take over the port by any means necessary, becoming his fierce rival in the process.
In 1993, the gangster Jimmy, Vardhaman Mirajkar's son, insists on smuggling a container ofRDX explosives via the Colaba port, even though he is warned that Satya Dada will not tolerate it. When Satya Dada's younger son, Pardhu arrives to inspect the container, he and his team are all killed in a gunfight by Jimmy's gang. The next morning, Vardhaman Mirajkar, now a minister, is distraught to learn that his son has killed Pardhu. After the funeral, Mirajkar explains his anxiety to the unrepentant Jimmy. Back in 1978, when Mirajkar was a crime-lord, his gang stormed Colaba port and tried to extricate its ownership from Satya Dada at gunpoint. However, his plan was thwarted by Gambheera, who massacred dozens of Mirajkar's men. Mirajkar is now terrified that theBaagul Bua might be unleashed upon Jimmy for killing Satya Dada's son.
Cameo appearances
During the filming ofHari Hara Veera Mallu in late 2022, it was reported thatSujeeth had metPawan Kalyan and narrated a script which impressed the actor.[9] That December, Sujeeth officially announced that he would collaborate with Kalyan for his venture titledThey Call Him OG afterHari Hara Veera Mallu.[10] The project was funded byD. V. V. Danayya's DVV Entertainment with a reported production budget of₹250 crore. Kalyan was reported to receive₹100 crore for remuneration.[11][12] CinematographerRavi K. Chandran, music composerThaman S and production designer A. S. Prakash were chosen as a part of the crew.[13] Amuhuratam puja ceremony was held on 30 January 2023 at a studio inHyderabad with the presence of the film's cast and crew.[14] Later, Sujeeth began location scouting for the film with cinematographer Ravi K. Chandran and production designer A. S. Prakash atFlora Fountain in Mumbai.[15]
Priyanka Mohan was cast as the female lead, whileEmraan Hashmi was cast as the antagonist, marking his debut in Telugu cinema.[16][17]Arjun Das,Sriya Reddy,Harish Uthaman, andPrakash Raj were cast in supporting roles.[18]
Principal photography began with the first schedule on 15 April 2023 inMumbai.[19][20] Kalyan joined the sets in same month.[21] The first schedule was wrapped up on 2 May 2023.[22] Some scenes between Priyanka Mohan and Kalyan were shot inPune.[23] The second schedule began on 18 May 2023 in Hyderabad.[24] The third schedule began on 4 June 2023.[25] Emraan Hashmi joined the sets with this schedule.[26] This schedule was completed on 26 June 2023.[27] The fourth schedule started on 11 July 2023.[28]
The film’s shoot was halted for several months due to Kalyan’s political campaign in2024 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly election. Following his appointment asDeputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, the film resumed its shoot in October 2024 in Hyderabad.[29] However, shooting came to a halt again owing to the political responsibilities of Kalyan. After months of instability, production resumed on 14 May 2025 with Kalyan.[30] The portions of Kalyan's role were wrapped up on 7 June 2025.[31] The entire filming was wrapped up by July 2025.[32]
The film's soundtrack is composed byThaman S in his fourth collaboration with Pawan Kalyan afterVakeel Saab,Bheemla Nayak andBro. The music rights were acquired bySony Music India.[33]
The first single, titled "Firestorm" was released on 2 August 2025.[34] The second single, titled "Suvvi Suvvi" was released on 27 August 2025.[35] The third single titled "Trance Of Omi" was released on 11 September 2025.[36] The fourth single titled "Guns N' Roses" was released on 15 September 2025.[37] The fifth single titled "Washi Yo Washi" which was aJapanese haiku was released on 19 September 2025.[38]
The film's glimpse titled "Hungry Cheetah", was released on 2 September 2023, coinciding withPawan Kalyan's 52nd birthday.[39] Another glimpse titled "HBD OG - Love Omi" was released on 2 September 2025, coinciding with Kalyan's 54th birthday.[40] A grand pre-release event was held on 21 September 2025 inLB Stadium, Hyderabad.[41] However, the trailer was delayed and a raw footage of the trailer was shown which was later leaked on social media.[42] The trailer was later officially released on 22 September 2025.[43]
The film partnered with the AI fan engagement platform Once More (OnceMore.io) for a collective fan challenge, which led to the platform registering one million users in 42 hours in late September 2025.[44][45]
They Call Him OG was released worldwide on 25 September 2025 inTelugu,Tamil,Kannada,Malayalam andHindi languages. The film was originally scheduled to release on 27 September 2024 but was postponed indefinitely due to production delays and Kalyan's political campaign before finalizing the current date.[46][47] The film received an "A" (adults only) certificate from theCentral Board of Film Certification, who demanded nearly two minutes of material be trimmed due to graphic violence.[48]
TheTamil Nadu distribution rights were acquired by Think Studios.[49] TheNorth American distributing rights were acquired by Prathyangira Cinemas.[50] The United Kingdom distribution rights were acquired by DreamZ Entertainment.[51] Kerala distribution rights were acquired by E4 Entertainments.
The digital distribution rights of the film were acquired byNetflix.[52] The film began streaming on Netflix from 23 October 2025 in Telugu and dubbed versions of Hindi, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam languages.[53]
Divya Shree ofThe Times of India gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Director Sujeeth leans heavily on star power, often at the cost of layered storytelling and character arcs. Several subplots are undercooked, and familiar tropes such as the wife’s murder and the daughter’s kidnapping feel formulaic. [...] The film has its shortcomings in emotional depth and narrative finesse, but it still succeeds as a stylish action drama with flair."[54] Shrishti Negi ofNews 18 gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Overall,They Call Him OG is a mass entertainer powered by Pawan Kalyan’s swag. Come for the action and aura, stay for the spectacle but lower expectations on story depth."[55] Swaroop Kodur ofThe Indian Express gave 3/5 stars and wrote "They Call Him OG is an entertaining film made for hardcore fans, by a hardcore fan himself. Yet, in that pursuit, Sujeeth forgoes the opportunity to take a few risks, and he only goes so far as charming us with his (and his team’s) technical brilliance."[56] Goutham s ofPinkvilla gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "They Call Him OG is a love letter from a fan to his idol. Every scene exists to please the inner soul of every fan, and in that regard, it hits the mark. However, the lack of creativity and originality is evident, leaving little for the general audience to enjoy."[57]
Janani K ofIndia Today gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "They Call Him OG has its moments, each executed to perfection. But, beyond those pure theatrical moments, the story remains a familiar and predictable tale about the underworld and gangsters."[58] Neeshita Nyayapati ofHindustan Times gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "They Call Him OG is a good homage to Pawan’s stardom from Sujeeth, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good film. You’ve seen this story a million times before, andRam Gopal Varma definitely did it better in his prime."[59] Sangeetha Devi Dundoo ofThe Hindu wrote "While the story isn’t new, adding more depth and addressing a few plot holes could have helped. The film relies heavily on the larger-than-life hero trope: OG appears just in time to save loved ones, often in ways that demand more than mere suspension of disbelief. [...] OG aims to tell the story of a Samurai-like hero protecting his people and city, but ultimately, it becomes a film prioritising style and fan service over substance."[60]
The film grossed₹155 crores worldwide on its opening day and₹100 crores in the domestic box office. In North America, the film also unexpectedly grossed $3.13 million in the Wednesday premieres, becoming the second-highest premier grosser in the region afterKalki 2898 AD (2024) for Telugu cinema.DVV Entertainment announced that the film grossed 308 crores in 21 days. In North America alone, the film grossed $5.8 million and became the eighth-highest grossing Telugu film in the region. Overall overseas is around $7.33 million.[61]
A prequel and sequel, titledThey Call Him OG II, was revealed in the end credits of the film.[62]