Overview of Liger Movie
Liger: Saala Crossbreed is a 2022 Indian action film directed by Puri Jagannadh. It tells the story of Liger, a mixed-race MMA fighter with a stammer. The film stars Vijay Deverakonda in the lead role, playing both Liger and his father. Ananya Panday plays Liger's love interest. The film also features Ramya Krishna, Ronit Roy, and a cameo by American boxer Mike Tyson. It was released in both Hindi and Telugu.
Story:
After losing his father, Sashwath Agarwal, also known as "Liger," and his mother, Balamani, move to Mumbai from Karimnagar. Balamani is determined to turn Liger into an MMA champion and finds a coach named Christopher to train him. While training, Liger meets and falls in love with a rich young woman, Tanya. However, when Tanya discovers Liger's stammering problem, she becomes embarrassed and breaks up with him. Motivated by this rejection, Liger wins the national MMA championship and qualifies for the international tournament.
During the international tournament, Tanya is kidnapped by a gangster who is demanding money from her father. When Liger finds out, he confronts Tanya's father and learns the truth about her breakup. Liger decides to rescue Tanya himself, even if it means missing the final match. He confronts the kidnapper, who turns out to be his childhood hero, Mark Anderson. Anderson challenges Liger to a fight for Tanya's freedom, and the fight is live-streamed during the MMA final.
In a thrilling showdown, Liger defeats Anderson, saving Tanya and earning the respect of the MMA world. As a result of his incredible victory, the MMA jury declares the fight between Liger and Anderson as the final match, crowning Liger as the MMA World Champion.
Cast:
- Vijay Deverakonda plays Liger, a young MMA fighter and Balram Agarwal (in a cameo or photo).
- Ananya Panday plays Tanya Panday, Liger's love interest.
- Ramya Krishna plays Balamani Agarwal, Liger's mother.
- Ronit Roy plays Christopher, Liger's MMA coach.
Supporting Characters:
- Mike Tyson appears in an extended cameo as Mark Anderson.
- Master Harsh Roshan plays Young Liger.
- Vishu Reddy plays Sanju Panday, Tanya's elder brother.
- Ali plays Ali Bhai.
- Chunky Panday plays Mr. Panday, Tanya and Sanju's father.
- Makarand Deshpande plays Mallesh, a local thug.
- Getup Srinu plays Ganapath, Liger's MMA friend.
- Temper Vamsi plays Shankar, Liger's MMA friend.
Release:
The Hindi action film "Liger" was released on August 25, 2022, in Hindi and Telugu, with dubbed versions in Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada. Initially scheduled for release on September 9, 2021, the film's production was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a postponement. The final release date was announced in December 2021. The film's worldwide theatrical rights were valued at a record ₹81 crore, the highest for any of Vijay Deverakonda's films.
Box Office:
The action film "Liger" underperformed at the box office despite its star-studded cast and extensive marketing campaign.
Released in August 2022, the film opened to mixed reviews and grossed a disappointing ₹23.12 crore worldwide on its first day. Despite a slight increase in ticket sales over the subsequent days, "Liger" failed to meet expectations and ultimately incurred a significant loss of ₹61.80 crore.
Several factors contributed to the film's commercial failure. Critics attributed its underperformance to overhyped promotions that created unrealistic expectations among audiences. Additionally, the decision to cast actors from the Hindi film industry in an attempt to create a pan-Indian success was seen as a miscalculation.
While the film's total worldwide gross eventually reached ₹60.80 crore, it was not enough to offset its production and marketing costs. The disappointing performance of "Liger" serves as a reminder of the challenges and risks involved in the film industry, where even highly anticipated projects can fall short of expectations.
Songs:
- The Liger Hunt Theme
- Akdi Pakdi
- Waat Laga Denge
- Aafat
- Coka 2.0
- Attack
- Manchali
- Mera Banega Tu
