They Call Him OG
They Call Him OG is a 2025 Indian Telugu-language action crime film written and directed by Sujeeth and produced by D. V. V. Danayya. The film stars Pawan Kalyan as a retired gangster who returns to Bombay in 1993 after a decade to face crime-lord Omi Bhau, played by Emraan Hashmi. The supporting cast includes Priyanka Mohan, Arjun Das, Sriya Reddy and Prakash Raj.
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| Directed by | Sujeeth |
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| Produced by | D. V. V. Danayya Kalyan Dasari |
| Story by | Sujeeth |
| Starring | Pawan Kalyan Emraan Hashmi Priyanka Mohan Arjun Das Sriya Reddy Prakash Raj |
| Music by | Thaman S |
| Cinematography | Ravi K. Chandran Manoj Paramahamsa |
| Edited by | Naveen Nooli |
| Production company | DVV Entertainment |
| Distributed by | |
| Release date | September 25, 2025 |
| Running time | 154 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu |
| Budget | ₹250 crore |
| Box office | est. ₹90.25 crore |
The film’s production began in April 2023 in Mumbai, a few months after its official announcement in December 2022. Due to Pawan Kalyan’s political commitments, especially after becoming deputy chief minister of Andhra Pradesh in June 2024, the shooting faced delays and was finally completed in July 2025.
With music by Thaman S, cinematography by Ravi K. Chandran and Manoj Paramahamsa, and editing by Naveen Nooli, They Call Him OG was released worldwide on 25 September 2025. It received mixed to positive reviews from critics.
Plot
All the students are killed in a 1940 Yakuza attack on a Samurai dojo in Japan, with the exception of young Ojas Gambheera, known as "OG." He flees and travels to Bombay by ship. Gold bars are being transported by Telugu businessman Satyanarayana, also known as "Satya Dada," on the same ship in order to construct a port in Colaba, Bombay.
Gambheera uses his katana to kill a group of robbers in order to save Satya Dada during the trip. Gambheera swears allegiance to Satya Dada after being impressed by his plans to assist others. Over the years, Satya Dada establishes a prosperous port under Gambheera's protection.
Gangster Jimmy attempts to smuggle RDX explosives through Colaba port in 1993. Jimmy's gang murders Satya Dada and his team after his younger son examines the shipment. After finding out what his son did, Jimmy's father, Mirajkar, a former gangster and government minister, is horrified and concerned.
A crime lord named Mirajkar attempted to seize Colaba port by force back in 1978, but Gambheera killed a large number of his men, stopping the takeover. Mirajkar now worries that Gambheera, also referred to as the Baagul Bua, might exact revenge on Jimmy for the death of Satya Dada's son.
Cast
- Pawan Kalyan as Ojas Gambheera "OG"
- Emraan Hashmi as Omi Bhau, Mirajkar's elder son and Jimmy's elder brother
- Priyanka Mohan as Dr. Kanmani, Ojas's wife
- Arjun Das as Arjun
- Prakash Raj as Satyanarayana "Satya Dada"
- Sriya Reddy as Geetha
- Venkat as Satya Dada's elder son
- Subhalekha Sudhakar
- Tej Sapru as Mirajkar, Omi and Jimmy's father
- Sudev Nair as Jimmy, Mirajkar's younger son
- Harish Uthaman as Dheenanath
- Rahul Ravindran as Bhadra
- Abhimanyu Singh as Tawde
- Saurav Lokesh as Shabra
- Upendra Limaye as Chief Minister
- Vincent Asokan as David
- Salim Baig as Omi's henchman
- Satya Prakash as Mirajkar's henchman
- Ajay Ghosh
- Rajendran
- Jackie Shroff as Narantak Roy Nandan (cameo appearance)
- Lal as Ibrahim (cameo appearance)
Production
Development
In late 2022, during the filming of Hari Hara Veera Mallu, director Sujeeth met Pawan Kalyan and narrated a script that impressed him. In December 2022, Sujeeth officially announced that he would collaborate with Kalyan for a new film titled They Call Him OG. The film was produced by D. V. V. Danayya under DVV Entertainment with a reported budget of ₹250 crore. Pawan Kalyan was reportedly paid ₹100 crore. Cinematographer Ravi K. Chandran, music composer Thaman S, and production designer A. S. Prakash joined the crew. A muhurat puja ceremony was held on 30 January 2023 in Hyderabad. Later, Sujeeth began location scouting in Mumbai.
Casting
Priyanka Mohan was cast as the female lead, and Emraan Hashmi as the antagonist, marking his Telugu debut. Supporting roles were played by Arjun Das, Sriya Reddy, Harish Uthaman, and Prakash Raj.
Filming
Principal photography began on 15 April 2023 in Mumbai, with Kalyan joining the sets the same month. The first schedule ended on 2 May 2023, with some scenes shot in Pune. The second schedule started on 18 May 2023 in Hyderabad. The third schedule began on 4 June 2023, with Emraan Hashmi joining, and ended on 26 June 2023. The fourth schedule started on 11 July 2023.
Filming was paused for several months due to Kalyan’s political campaign in the 2024 Andhra Pradesh elections. After he became Deputy Chief Minister, shooting resumed in October 2024 in Hyderabad, but paused again due to his political duties. Production finally resumed on 14 May 2025 and was completed by July 2025.
Soundtrack
The music for They Call Him OG is composed by Thaman S, marking his fourth collaboration with Pawan Kalyan after Vakeel Saab, Bheemla Nayak, and Bro. The music rights were acquired by Sony Music India.
The film's singles were released as follows:
- "Firestorm" – 2 August 2025
- "Suvvi Suvvi" – 27 August 2025
- "Trance Of Omi" – 11 September 2025
- "Guns N' Roses" – 15 September 2025
- "Washi Yo Washi" (a Japanese haiku) – 19 September 2025
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Firestorm" | Vishwa, Srinivasa Mouli, Raja Kumari (English), Adviteeya Vojjala (Japanese) | Thaman S, Silambarasan TR, Raja Kumari, Deepak Blue | 4:00 |
| 2 | "Suvvi Suvvi" | Kalyan Chakravarthy | Sruthi Ranjani | 4:35 |
| 3 | "Guns N' Roses" | Adviteeya Vojjala | Harsha D. | 4:13 |
| 4 | "Trance of Omi" | Adviteeya Vojjala | Harsha, Sruthi Ranjani, Adviteeya Vojjala, Pranati, Sruthika, Pratyusha, Girija, Soujanya | 2:47 |
| 5 | "Hungry Cheetah" | Raghuram | Chorus | 1:59 |
| 6 | "Washi Yo Washi" | Sujeeth | Pawan Kalyan | 1:52 |
| Total length: | 19:26 | |||
Release
Theatrical
They Call Him OG was released worldwide on 25 September 2025 in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi. The film was originally planned to release on 27 September 2024 but was postponed due to production delays and Pawan Kalyan's political campaign.
The film received an "A" (adults only) certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification, with around two minutes of content trimmed due to graphic violence.
Distribution
The distribution rights were sold to various companies:
- Tamil Nadu – Think Studios
- North America – Prathyangira Cinemas
- United Kingdom – DreamZ Entertainment
- Kerala – E4 Entertainments
Marketing
The first glimpse of the film, titled "Hungry Cheetah", was released on 2 September 2023, coinciding with Pawan Kalyan's 52nd birthday. Another glimpse, "HBD OG - Love Omi", was released on 2 September 2025, marking Kalyan's 54th birthday.
A grand pre-release event took place on 21 September 2025 at LB Stadium in Hyderabad. The film's trailer was initially delayed, and a raw footage was shown, which later leaked on social media. The official trailer was eventually released on 22 September 2025.
Reception
Critical response
They Call Him OG received mixed reviews from critics.
Divya Shree of The Times of India gave it 3/5 stars, noting that while the film is stylish and full of action, it lacks emotional depth and strong character development. Shrishti Negi of News18 also gave 3/5 stars, calling it a mass entertainer driven by Pawan Kalyan’s star power, but with a predictable story. Swaroop Kodur of The Indian Express rated it 3/5, praising the technical brilliance but pointing out missed opportunities for risk-taking.
Goutham S of Pinkvilla gave 2.5/5 stars, describing it as a fan tribute with little creativity for general audiences. Janani K of India Today (2.5/5) and Neeshita Nyayapati of Hindustan Times (2.5/5) both felt the story was familiar and predictable, despite some well-executed moments. Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu wrote that while the hero-centric action is entertaining, the film prioritizes style and fan service over substance, with plot holes and a lack of depth.