There is so much to love in this film; it is written, directed, and acted with so much care. That it also features quirky and likeable characters with an intriguing storyline are even more reasons to go and watch this film. Though at times it may falter in it’s characterizations and some of the story elements may not click well together, there is just simply so much to adore in this film that you are inclined to forgive its missteps. Certainly it’s a pretty impressive directorial debut from the talented Swaroop Rsj, and an equally amicable acting debut from Suhas.
First off, I was pretty impressed with how low budget this film was. Made on a measly budget of $20,000, this film certainly looks like it has a bigger budget than it does. And that really goes to show just how hard everybody on this team worked to get this film to where it is. So big shoutout to everybody on the crew who likely put in a tremendous amount of effort into the creation of this film.
The same goes for the actors. Though I have never seen any of them previously, each and every one of them seems to inhabit their role confidently. Especially Suhas, our Agent Sai, who naturally assumes the role with such glee and energy that you easily come to accept and even adore his character. A lot of that also has to do with his characterization, there are so many little details added into his characters; with the empty Starbucks coffee cup that he keeps pretending to drink out of to the shoddy FBI (Fatime Beaurue of Investigation) ID cards that always seem to confuse the police officers on scene. There is so much to his character, it feels alive and unlike anything else going on in Tollywood right now. Much of the first half of the film is dedicated to setting up Suhas’s character and I love that the film took the time to do that because you really come to understand and be invested in this character by the time the real story begins to take shape.
The story is also quite unique and the way it is built up kept me guessing as to what exactly was going on till the very end. This is a film inspired by true events and there is a very personal connection that Suhas’s character has with what is going on in the film that really elevated this plot beyond your usual mystery film. This connection that the film makes between Agent Sai and the plot also really helps the social message that Agent Sai speaks of in the end. In an age where a lot of the films we are watching simply spell out what their message is, without us really becoming invested or even understanding why our hero cares, here is a film that does both. It makes us care by showing us the devastating effect it has on our Hero, who we have come to care for. Furthermore, I also liked how this message wasn’t the climax of the film and wasn’t made into some media event where our Hero is talking to the world from a pulpit in front of a camera. This film doesn’t forget what it is, and rather than making a big deal about it’s social message and making it seem as though the entire film was simply building to some social lecture, it inserts its social commentary right at the end in a fashion that adds more meaning to the character and ties up everything that has happened to the audience giving them enough to think about on their way home. Finally, here is a film that understands how to mix entertainment with social education.
There is so much right that this film does that the issues I had with it are only minor. The female character in the film could have done more, and what her exact role in Agent Sai’s agency was a little confusing and could have been developed a little more as well. There is also a stretch of film in the second half where a character just explains to us most of the plot and I’m not really a fan of such explanations but it was nevertheless riveting to listen to. There are also some characters that show up in the second half, like the Agent from Karnataka which aren’t really that strong and could have been taken out without much of a difference to the film.
Regardless though, this is quite an impressive film that I highly enjoyed watching. It has the kind of characters that can endure beyond the film. I can easily see this becoming a sequel, or even developing into a series, kind of like Sherlock Holmes, where we see Agent Sai tackling more problems and developing as a character. I’m so glad that this film did well at the box office because it’s different and it takes risks that may have not easily paid off, and I think this really encourages others to go beyond the regular template. If you already haven’t, I highly suggest to check this film out, it is certainly one of the best Indian films of the year.
