Cast: Naga Chaitanya, Krithi Shetty, Arvind Swamy, Sampath, Sharath Kumar, Priyamani, Vennela Kishore, and others
Director: Venkat Prabhu
Producers: Srinivasa Chitturu
Naga Chaitanya who has been struggling with back-to-back duds like “Thank You” and “Lal Singh Chadda”, he’s back with an action entertainer “Custody”. Let’s see whether he can score a hit or not.
Story:
The movie “CUSTODY” centers around a young and honest constable named Shiva (played by Naga Chaitanya). A CBI officer (played by Sampath), a hitman named Raju (played by Aravind Swamy), and a corrupt police officer (played by R. Sharat Kumar). When Constable Shiva gets caught up in the conflict between the CBI and the Mafia, he is compelled to follow them. Revathi, Shiva’s love interest, also gets involved in the chase at times. The remainder of the plot focuses on the reasons why both groups are pursuing Mr. Raju and how the chase plays out.
Analysis:
The expectations were high for the film “Custody” as it was directed by Venkat Prabhu, who has delivered some decent films in the past. However, the film failed to meet those expectations. The story is set in 1996 and revolves around a bomb blast that killed 40 people in a village near Rajahmundry. The introduction of the protagonist, constable Shiva, and his love interest, Revathi (Kriti Shetty), falls flat. The attempted comedy by Vennela Kishore also fails to impress. It’s not until the characters of Raju (Aravind Swamy), the CBI officer, and Sarath Kumar enter the scene that the film starts to pick up some pace. Unfortunately, the low-budgeted chasing sequences fail to leave any impact.
The film’s second half begins with the backstory of Shiva’s family, but it fails to add any significant value to the plot. The film seems to drag on with the rogue cops chasing Raju. The film’s technical aspects are also lacking, with poor background scores and bad songs. The film’s biggest drawback is its patchy production values. Although the casting is impressive with many reputed artists, the weak script mars their performances. The film lacks entertainment value and even fails to deliver adequate action. At some point, the film feels like a Tamil film with a few Telugu actors. Venkat Prabhu, who seems to have missed his signature flavor in this bilingual attempt, failed to deliver a cohesive product.
The performances of Naga Chaitanya, who has been trying to establish himself as an action hero but with back-to-back duds like “Thank You” and “Lal Singh Chaddha,” are commendable. Krithi Shetty is adequate in her role, but Aravind Swamy’s characterization and getup are irritating. Priyamani, Sampath, and R. Sarathkumar play the other main characters with average performances. In summary, “Custody” failed to live up to its expectations due to its weak script, poor technical aspects, and patchy production values.
Positives:
Casting
Chasing scenes
Negatives:
Direction, Story
Lack of Entertainment
Verdict:
“Custody” is an action film that requires a lot of patience to sit through. Despite the large and impressive cast, the movie fails to deliver even average content. The repetitive chase sequences involving the same trio of characters quickly become tedious. The flashback family story is nothing new and has been seen before in countless films. The movie feels more like a Tamil film, with only a few Telugu actors present. In terms of technical aspects, all crafts, including background score, songs, and production values, fail to impress. Overall, “Custody” is a disappointing watch.