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January 31, 2020

Aswathama Review – A Passable Thriller That Fizzles Out

BOTTOM LINE
A Passable Thriller That Fizzles Out

OUR RATING
2.5/5

CENSOR
“U/A” Censored, 2 hrs 13 mins

What Is the Film About? Gana (Naga Shaurya) is leading a happy life with a steady girlfriend and family. His world gets shaken up when shocking news about his sister Priya gets out just before marriage. What is the incident that leads her to attempt suicide?

However, Gana soon realizes it is not just Priya, but other girls are going through similar trauma. Are all the random incidents related to one another? How Gana tracks and puts things together leading to the person behind all these is what the movie is all about?

How Is Naga Shaurya’s Performance? After doing back to back soft roles, Naga Shaurya opts for an action movie with Aswathama. He is presented in a slightly bulkier avatar for the same. The physicality works out perfectly fine for the narrative.

It is the ‘acting’ parts, where one feels a little shortcoming. It is related to the dramatic moments. They are not big enough to bring down the movie, but they are also the parts which help elevate the proceedings to the next level. Naga Shaurya misses on that mark. His voice also appears soft, adding to the lessening of the impact.

Direction by Ramana Teja? Ramana Teja making his directorial debut has picked thriller genre movie. The basic plot is also an exciting one. All he needed was the right execution maintaining a momentum. But, he falters on that score.

The chinks are visible at the start itself where the proceedings seem so ordinary. The effort is to establish the regular setup of a happy family, but it is filled with clichés and predictable tropes. The entertainment bits within the same segment also don’t work.

Aswathama gets going only when we get to the core story, which is after half an hour into the narrative. Once the thriller angle kicks in, the screenplay is racy and keeps one on edge. The build-up is all neatly done in a classic style related to the genre.

After a decent interval, the same momentum is carried in the second half during the early segments. The various incidents and the hero trying to make sense of them have come out well. They are gripping despite the visible weakness in writing. It leads to an increase in expectations regarding the ultimate finale.

A thrilling revelation of villain and face to face of the antagonist and protagonist becomes very critical in the success of any movie in this genre. In Aswathama, after all the hard work, Ramana Teja fails in the crucial aspect.

The tracing out of the villain and the conclusion, after all that has transpired leaves one underwhelmed. The entire narrative fizzles out in one stroke. The pre-climax and climax are simple, flat and unexciting. The feeling of wanting something more stays with us long after one comes out of the cinemas. It is here that Aswatham loses out.

Overall, Aswathama has its moments in the building up process, but when it comes to delivering the goods, it fails. Still, for the gripping momentum and setup of the heinous crime, it could be given a try by those who love movies in the genre.

Mehreen and Others? In the recent past, Telugu cinema heroines are getting an upgrade. They no longer arrive only before songs. They are not flower pot anymore. But, it is only a false pretense. The heroine is now used as if they are part of the narrative by involving them in a few key scenes, but they still don’t add anything significant. Mehreen has been at the forefront of getting such roles. She is okay in them as it doesn’t require much.

The rest of the character actors, including the likes of Jayaram, are decent. However, they have limited parts which don’t give them scope to make an impression. The actor (Jisshu Sengupta) playing the key psycho villain role has done his part well. He brings the creepiness and fears essential to make the character work.

Music and Other Departments? Sricharan Pakala and Ghibran provide the music and background score, respectively, for the movie. The songs are speed breakers to the narrative. On top of that, they haven’t been picturized well. Ghibran has done his work sincerely. It is a decent effort, but there is nothing sensational or memorable. The cinematography by Manoj Reddy is satisfactory for the scale of the movie. The editing by Garry BH is neat. The narrative is slick and smooth with little lag. The dialogues by Parasuram Srinivas are okay. They go with the flow with nothing standing out.

Highlights?
Naga Shaurya
Basic Story
Villain
Gripping Narrative In Parts

Drawbacks?
Opening
Ending (Post the Big Reveal)
Needless Overdose Of Violence At Times

Alternative Take

A better fleshed out villain track would be a start. Introduction of proper red-herring (without deviating from the core) in the plot could have further elevated the proceedings.

Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, in parts

Will You Recommend It?
Yes, but with reservations

Aswathama Review by Siddartha Toleti

Live Updates

Final Report:

The second half rebuilds the momentum after a slow start and holds the attention during the early parts. However, it all falls apart when the lead finally finds a clue to reach the key villain. Lack of connecting of dots, key elements in thrillers, goes for a toss with simple execution. The unsatisfactory end plays the spoilsport.

Still, for all the setup and novel build-up leading to the conclusion Aswathama is a watchable attempt for the lovers of the thriller genre.

– The movie is heading towards the climax.
Final report shortly.

– Aswathama second half started with a heavy dose of violence scene. The main villain is revealed.

First Half Report:

After an ordinary beginning and a couple of needless songs, Aswathama picks up the pace once the core story begins. The suspense factor coupled with action keeps the momentum going until the interval.

– Finally, Gana (Naga Shaurya) finds a clue. Interval. First half report shortly.

– While Naga Shaurya chasing his sister’s mystery, he comes across more such incidents.

– Naga Shaurya’s sister runs into a strange problem right before her wedding.

– Naga Shaurya’s sister gets engaged. Neha (Mehreen) and Shaurya is in love.

– Aswathama show started with a brief Pawan Kalyan’s voice over followed by a teenage girl’s kidnap.

Aswathama US Premier live updates will begin shortly. Stay tuned.

Preview: Aswathama

Only in the case of some films, even the critics and cine observers hope the big time that they must become super hits. One such film is Naga Shaurya’s ‘Aswathama‘.

The teaser and the trailer of ‘Aswathama’ were so impressive that we see only promising positive feedback from the early shows. Naga Shaurya has earned it by the neatly cut teaser and the trailer.

The actor has also penned the story and was a part of script development with the other writers. His parents produced the movie under their home banner Ira Creations.

Now, everything will depend on the way the story was conceptualized into the film by director Ramana Teja. So far, he showed big promise with the slickly cut theatrical trailer.

Sri Charan Pakala’s music can elevate the hero as Naga Shaurya is playing a proper action-based drama after ‘Chalo’. What the other actors like Mehreen Pirzada would take away from their association with the film depends on the early talk about the film.

It’s time to know whether the director lived up to the expectations of Naga Shaurya as a writer and actor. We’ll be the early birds to come back with a genuine ‘Aswathama’ review from our mirchi9 team. Just, keep watching this space, folks!

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