‘Custody’ movie review: Venkat Prabhu’s mix of conflict and humour works for this Naga Chaitanya, Arvind Swami actioner

Naga Chaitanya in director Venkat Prabhu’s bilingual motion entertainer ‘Custody’

Custody opens with a prologue that looks as if the worst nightmare anybody may have. Things spiral out of management and every little thing that may go unsuitable does. It is the late Nineteen Nineties. This incident, as anticipated, has a bearing on the remainder of the story. Writer and director Venkat Prabhu will get to that conflict level a lot later within the story when one least expects it. He makes use of it to provide an emotional heft to the actions of one of the principal characters. The director’s Telugu-Tamil bilingual starring Naga Chaitanya, Arvind Swami and Krithi Shetty additionally has a number of trademark Venkat Prabhu prospers comparable to peppering the narrative with humour with out diluting the tense moments. These segments work to the benefit of this motion entertainer and assist overlook some of the tough edges.

The Telugu model of Custody unravels in Rajahmundry the place police constable Shiva (Naga Chaitanya) doesn’t suppose twice earlier than stopping the chief minister’s (Priyamani as Dakshayani) convoy to make approach for an ambulance. She lauds him however he’s taken to job by his superior. Post this, all that occurs for about half an hour is the humdrum in Shiva’s on a regular basis life and his romance with Revathy (Krithi Shetty). This is the calm earlier than the storm. Quite a bit of smaller particulars related to some of the characters in these parts turn out to be useful within the motion segments later. Someone’s driving abilities matter and so does a mortuary van {that a} household makes use of even to commute to auspicious beginnings, unmindful of how others may understand it.

Custody (Telugu and Tamil)

Cast: Naga Chaitanya, Krithi Shetty, Arvind Swami, Priyamani, Sharat Kumar

Direction: Venkat Prabhu

Music: Ilaiyaraaja, Yuvan Shankar Raja

The story gathers momentum with the introduction of a legal named Raju, or Raazu (Arvind Swami) as he prefers to be referred to as, and CBI officer George (Sampath Raj). The chaos that happens on the police station one night time is well-staged, giving rise to a heroic second. In most movies, a piece of the drama may need revolved across the constable, legal and CBI officer on the run from highly effective opponents. Venkat Prabhu throws humour-laden private conflict factors into the mix. Vennela Kishore as Prem (Premgi Amaren performs this half in Tamil) and Revathy come to the fore.

Raju needs to flee, Shiva needs to provide him in courtroom and Revathy simply needs to get married to Shiva. An adventurous highway journey ensues. Some of the scuffles are in a sensible area earlier than they lead into cinematic motion episodes, an underwater sequence, for instance, that works.

As new characters comparable to IG Nataraj (Sarathkumar) enter the image, each Raju and Shiva are compelled to rethink their perceptions of what is correct and unsuitable and who’s saving whom. There are clapworthy moments when the 2 characters play off one another. In the later parts, nevertheless, a flashback that introduces one other star actor is marred by an underwhelming music sequence and a predictable emotional story. 

While Custody traces the rise of the underdog Shiva, it bides its time in making the antagonist take centre stage. Arvind Swami’s character is meant to be menacing however most of what we see is a wounded tiger. The actor makes it work. Krithi Shetty’s character oscillates between the sometimes chirpy heroine to somebody who can measure up when wanted; she delivers what’s required for the half. Chaitanya will get a layered characterisation lengthy after Sekhar Kammula’s Love Story and he portrays the vulnerability of an underdog and is convincing as an unlikely hero who has to punch above his weight. Goparaju Ramana and Ramki are given the elbow room to make their presence felt of their brief display time. 

The late 90s and early 2000s setting (manufacturing design by Rajeevan and cinematography by Kathir) additionally assist to reference a number of Ilaiyaraaja hits of that period. The maestro and his son Yuvan Shankar Raja are the composers for this movie and the throwback to the older numbers works extra like a appeal than the brand new songs. The background rating can also be reminiscent of the period.

The narrative additionally doffs its hat to a number of older Tamil and Telugu movies. Chaitanya’s character title is a particular nod to Ram Gopal Varma’s Shiva starring Nagarjuna Akkineni; there’s a hat tip to Kamal Haasan’s Vikram within the later parts and Venkat Prabhu additionally gives a hilarious dialogue reference to his personal time-loop thriller Maanaadu. There are extra, together with a reference to Mani Ratnam’s Mouna Ragam.

Custody shouldn’t be with out its pitfalls. It wobbles when it explores a cliched emotional backstory. The romance and some of the humour surrounding it may even have been written higher. But the movie has quite a bit going for it.