When Kammula directed Anand, he was seen as a promising director. His second movie Godavari showed off his creative talent, while Happy Days proved he can entertain mass audiences. But it’s Leader that has turned out to be a tough nut. Though this project introduces movie moghul Rama Naidu’s grandson RaNa, everyone expected it to be another one of Kammula’s kamal at work. With Leader, a political thriller, however, he seems to have stumbled upon his first no-show. Shankar, Kammula has chosen to fight corruption. To give a realistic touch to the story, he has included references to incidents like former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minster YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s death and the subsequent struggle for power, the Ayesha murder case and the Hyderabad bomb blasts.
After the death of Chief Minister Subbaiah (Suman), competition heats up for his seat. Subbaiah’s son Arjun emerges as the popular choice. His mission is to eliminate corruption. The rest of the film deals with how Arjun faces stiff resistance and finally overcomes it. This type of story requires crisp editing and fast-paced narration which are both missing. To give a romantic angle, Kammula introduces Priya Anand. But her characterisation does not jell properly. A political thriller requires a strong climax. Here the hero relinquishes the CM’s post to fight the elections. The entire narration in the last few scenes fails to make an impact without the required charged atmosphere. Nonetheless, Venkatesh’s nephew RaNa makes a promising start. In most of the scenes, he is seen walking though he makes it look stylish. But RaNa seems to be camera conscious during casual scenes.