custody movie review 123 telugu

• Bangladesh Crisis

• Telugu News
• Movies News

custody movie review: రివ్యూ: కస్టడీ.. నాగచైతన్య కొత్త చిత్రం ఎలా ఉంది?

custody movie review: నాగ చైతన్య, అరవింద స్వామి కీలక పాత్రల్లో వెంకట్‌ ప్రభు దర్శకత్వంలో తెరకెక్కిన ‘కస్టడీ’ మూవీ ఎలా ఉందంటే?

custody movie review: చిత్రం: కస్టడీ; నటీనటులు: నాగచైతన్య, అరవింద స్వామి, ఆర్‌.శరత్‌కుమార్‌,కృతిశెట్టి, ప్రియమణి, సంపత్‌రాజ్‌ తదితరులు; సంగీతం: యువన్‌ శంకర్‌ రాజా, ఇళయరాజా; సినిమాటోగ్రఫీ: ఎస్‌.ఆర్‌.కతిర్‌; ఎడిటింగ్‌: వెంకట్‌ రాజీన్‌; సంభాషణలు: అబ్బూరి రవి; నిర్మాత: శ్రీనివాస చిట్టూరి; కథ, స్క్రీన్‌ప్లే, దర్శకత్వం: వెంకట్‌ ప్రభు; విడుదల తేదీ: 12-05-2023

జయాపజయాలతో సంబంధం లేకుండా ఏడాదికి ఒకట్రెండు సినిమాలతో ప్రేక్షకులను పలకరిస్తుంటారు అక్కినేని నట వారసుడు నాగచైతన్య. గతేడాది ఆయన నటించిన ‘థాంక్యూ’, ‘లాల్‌ సింగ్‌ చడ్డా’ బాక్సాఫీస్‌ వద్ద మెప్పించలేకపోయాయి. దీంతో ఈసారి తమిళ దర్శకుడితో కలిసి ద్విభాషా చిత్రంతో ప్రేక్షకుల ముందుకు వచ్చారు. వైవిధ్య కథలతో ప్రేక్షకులను అలరించే వెంకట్‌ ప్రభు తెరకెక్కించిన ‘కస్టడీ’ ఎలా ఉంది? పోలీస్‌ కానిస్టేబుల్‌ శివగా నాగచైతన్య ఎలా నటించారు?(custody movie review) ఇంతకీ ఈ ‘కస్టడీ’ కథ ఏంటి?

కథేంటంటే: ఎ.శివ (నాగచైతన్య) నిజాయతీ గల పోలీస్‌ కానిస్టేబుల్‌. సఖినేటిపల్లి పోలీస్‌స్టేషన్‌లో విధులు నిర్వర్తిసుంటాడు. తనకు రేవతి (కృతి శెట్టి) అంటే ఎంతో ప్రాణం. స్కూల్లో చదువుకునే రోజుల నుంచే ఆమెను ప్రేమిస్తుంటాడు. ఆ ప్రేమను పెళ్లి పీటలు ఎక్కిద్దామనుకుంటే కులాలు వేరు కావడంతో ఆమె తండ్రి అడ్డు చెబుతాడు. రేవతికి బలవంతంగా ప్రేమ్‌ (వెన్నెల కిషోర్‌)తో పెళ్లి నిశ్చయం చేస్తాడు. దీంతో ఆమె శివతో వెళ్లిపోవడానికి సిద్ధపడుతుంది. ఆమె కోసమే శివ వాళ్లింటికి వెళ్తుంటే దారిలో అనుకోకుండా ఓ కారు ఢీకొడుతుంది. అందులో కరుడుగట్టిన నేరస్థుడు రాజు (అరవింద్‌ స్వామి), సీబీఐ అధికారి జార్జ్‌ (సంపత్‌ రాజ్‌) గొడవ పడుతుంటారు. వాళ్లను డ్రంక్‌ అండ్‌ డ్రైవ్‌ కేసులో అరెస్టు చేసి స్టేషన్‌లో పెడతాడు శివ. అయితే ముఖ్యమంత్రి దాక్షాయని (ప్రియమణి) ఆదేశం ప్రకారం స్టేషన్‌లో ఉన్న రాజును చంపేందుకు పోలీస్‌ కమిషనర్‌ నటరాజన్‌ (శరత్‌ కుమార్‌) రంగంలోకి దిగుతాడు. తన పోలీస్‌ బలగాన్ని.. మరికొందరు రౌడీ మూకను జత చేసుకొని రాజు ఉన్న పోలీస్‌ స్టేషన్‌కు చేరుకుంటాడు. మరి ఆ తర్వాత ఏమైంది? రాజును చంపాలని ముఖ్యమంత్రి ఎందుకు ఆదేశించింది? అతన్ని పోలీస్‌స్టేషన్‌ నుంచి ప్రాణాలతో రక్షించిన శివ బెంగళూరుకు ఎందుకు తీసుకెళ్లాలనుకుంటాడు? (custody movie review) ఈ ప్రయాణంలో వాళ్లకు ఎదురైన సవాళ్లేంటి? శివకు రాజుకు ఉన్న సంబంధం ఏంటి? రేవతి - శివల ప్రేమ కథ ఏమైంది? అన్నది తెరపై చూసి తెలుసుకోవాలి.

ఎలా ఉందంటే: ఇదొక విభిన్నమైన యాక్షన్‌ థ్రిల్లర్‌. ప్రతినాయకుడ్ని ప్రాణాలతో కాపాడుకుంటూ.. అడ్డొచ్చిన పోలీస్‌ వ్యవస్థకు ఎదురొడ్డి పోరాడుతూ.. ఓ సాధారణ కానిస్టేబుల్‌ చేసే అసాధారణ ప్రయాణమే ఈ చిత్ర కథాంశం. (custody movie review) దీంట్లో ఓ చిన్న ప్రేమకథను.. కాస్త ఫ్యామిలీ సెంటిమెంట్‌ను.. అక్కడక్కడా ఇంకాస్త వినోదాన్ని మేళవించి ఓ పక్కా కమర్షియల్‌ యాక్షన్‌ ఎంటర్‌టైనర్‌గా ‘కస్టడీ’ని తెరపై వడ్డించే ప్రయత్నం చేశారు దర్శకుడు వెంకట్‌ ప్రభు. నిజానికి ఇలాంటి సీరియస్‌ కథల్లో ప్రేమకథలకు అంత స్కోప్‌ కనిపించదు. భిన్న ధ్రువాలైన ఈ రెండు అంశాల్ని ఒకే ఒరలో బలవంతంగా ఇరికించే ప్రయత్నం చేస్తే మొత్తం వంటకమే చెడిపోయే ప్రమాదం ఉంటుంది. కానీ, దర్శకుడు కొత్తగా ఈ రెండు అంశాల్ని ఆద్యంతం సమాంతరం నడిపించే ప్రయత్నం చేశాడు. ఇదే ఈ చిత్రపై కాస్త ప్రతికూల ప్రభావం చూపింది. చిత్ర బృందం ప్రచార కార్యక్రమాల్లో చెప్పినట్లు సినిమా తొలి 20 నిమిషాలు చాలా సాధారణంగా సాగిపోతుంది. ఓ బాంబు పేలుడు సన్నివేశంతో సినిమాని మొదలు పెట్టిన తీరు ఆసక్తిరేకెత్తిస్తుంది. (custody movie review) అంబులెన్సుకు దారిచ్చే క్రమంలో సీఎం కాన్వాయ్‌ను శివ అడ్డుకోవడం.. దాంతో అతను వార్తల్లో వ్యక్తిగా నిలవడం.. పోలీస్‌ స్టేషన్‌లో పై అధికారి తనని అవమానించడం.. ఇలా కథ నెమ్మదిగా ముందుకు సాగుతుంది. ఇక శివ - రేవతిల లవ్‌ ట్రాక్‌ మొదలయ్యాక కథ వేగం పూర్తిగా మందగిస్తుంది.

ఎప్పుడైతే రాజు పాత్ర తెరపైకి వస్తుందో అక్కడి నుంచి కథ పూర్తిగా యాక్షన్‌ కోణంలోకి టర్న్‌ తీసుకుంటుంది. అతడిని శివ డ్రంక్‌ అండ్‌ డ్రైవ్‌ కేసులో అరెస్ట్‌ చేయడం.. అదే సమయంలో రాజును స్టేషన్‌లోనే హత్య చేసేందుకు పోలీస్‌ కమిషనర్‌ నటరాజన్‌ తన బలగంతో రంగంలోకి దిగడం.. శివ వాళ్లతో తలపడి రాజును స్టేషన్‌ నుంచి తప్పించడం.. ఇలా కథ రేసీగా ముందుకు సాగుతుంది. అయితే అంత వేగంగా పరుగులు తీస్తున్న కథకు ప్రతిసారీ లవ్‌ట్రాక్, అనవసరమైన పాటలు స్పీడ్‌ బ్రేకర్లులా అడ్డుతగులుతుంటాయి. ఓ అదిరిపోయే అండర్‌ వాటర్‌ యాక్షన్‌ సీక్వెన్స్‌తో విరామమిచ్చిన తీరు మెప్పిస్తుంది. ప్రథమార్ధం వరకు ఫర్వాలేదనట్లుగా సాగిన సినిమా.. ద్వితీయార్ధంలో పూర్తిగా గాడి తప్పింది. (custody movie review) రాజును కాపాడుకుంటూ శివ పోలీసులతో చేసే ప్రతి యాక్షన్‌ సీక్వెన్స్‌ ఆకట్టుకునేలాగే ఉంటుంది. అయితే మధ్యలో వచ్చే శివ ఫ్లాష్‌బ్యాక్‌ ఎపిసోడ్‌ మరీ రొటీన్‌గా అనిపిస్తుంది. ఇక అక్కడి నుంచి సినిమా ఓ సాధారణ ప్రతీకార కథలా మారిపోతుంది. మధ్యలో ‘సింధూర పువ్వు’ రాంకీ చేసే ఓ యాక్షన్‌ ఎపిసోడ్‌ ఆకట్టుకుంటుంది. పతాక సన్నివేశాలు ఊహలకు తగ్గట్లుగా ఉంటాయి. ఈ క్రమంలో వచ్చే సుదీర్ఘమైన ట్రైన్‌ యాక్షన్‌ సీక్వెన్స్‌ అక్కడక్కడా మెప్పిస్తుంది. ఓ చిన్న కోర్టు రూం డ్రామాతో సినిమా పేలవంగా ముగుస్తుంది.

ఎవరెలా చేశారంటే: ఓ సామాన్య కానిస్టేబుల్‌గా శివ పాత్రలో నాగచైతన్య చాలా సెటిల్డ్‌గా నటించాడు. యాక్షన్‌ సన్నివేశాల కోసం చాలా కష్టపడ్డాడు. కృతిశెట్టి పాత్ర కథలో ఆద్యంతం కనిపిస్తుంది. నటన పరంగా కొత్తగా ఆమె చేసిందేమీ లేదు కానీ, ఈసారి అక్కడక్కడా ఆమెను యాక్షన్‌ కోణంలో చూపించే ప్రయత్నం చేశారు దర్శకుడు. (custody movie review) అరవింద్‌ స్వామి, శరత్‌ కుమార్‌ల పాత్రలు కథకు ప్రధాన ఆకర్షణగా నిలుస్తాయి. వాళ్లిద్దరూ తెరపై కనిపించినప్పుడల్లా సినిమాలో కొత్త ఊపు కనిపిస్తుంటుంది. అతిథి పాత్రలో రాంకీ కనిపించింది కొద్దిసేపే అయినా అది ప్రేక్షకులకు మంచి జోష్‌ ఇస్తుంది. చైతూ అన్నగా జీవా కూడా సినిమాలో కాసేపు తళుక్కున మెరుస్తారు. కానీ, ఆ పాత్ర మరీ రొటీన్‌గానే ఉంటుంది. సంపత్‌ రాజ్, జయప్రకాష్, ప్రియమణి, వెన్నెల కిషోర్‌ తదితరుల పాత్రలు పరిధి మేరకు ఉంటాయి. వెంకట్‌ ప్రభు కథలు ఎంత విభిన్నంగా ఉంటాయో.. స్క్రీన్‌ప్లే అంత కొత్తగా రేసీగా ఉంటుంది. కానీ, ఈ చిత్ర విషయంలో అనవసరంగా ప్రేమకథను ఇరికించి ఓ భిన్నమైన కథను దెబ్బ తీశారు. (custody movie review) అసలీ కథలో లవ్‌ ట్రాక్‌ లేకున్నా సినిమాకు వచ్చే నష్టమేమీ లేదు. శివ-రేవతిల ప్రేమకథలోనూ.. శివ ఫ్లాష్‌బ్యాక్‌ ఎపిసోడ్‌లోనూ అంత ఫీల్‌ కనిపించదు. యాక్షన్‌ ఎపిసోడ్‌లను డిజైన్‌ చేసిన విధానం బాగుంది. ఇళయరాజా, యువన్‌ శంకర్‌ రాజా అందించిన పాటలు ఒక్కటీ గుర్తుంచుకునేలా లేవు. చాలా పాటల్లో తమిళ వాసన కనిపిస్తుంది. నేపథ్య సంగీతం ఫర్వాలేదనిపిస్తుంది. నిర్మాణ విలువలు బాగున్నాయి.

• + కథా నేపథ్యం
• + చైతన్య, అరవింద్‌ స్వామి, శరత్‌ కుమార్‌ నటన
• + యాక్షన్‌ ఎపిసోడ్స్‌
• - నిదానంగా సాగే కథనం
• - నాయకానాయికల లవ్‌ ట్రాక్‌
• చివరిగా: అక్కడక్కడా మెప్పించే ‘కస్టడీ’  (custody movie review)
• గమనిక: ఈ సమీక్ష సమీక్షకుడి దృష్టి కోణానికి సంబంధించింది. ఇది సమీక్షకుడి వ్యక్తిగత అభిప్రాయం మాత్రమే!
• Krithi Shetty
• Movie Review
• Naga Chaitanya
• Telugu Movie Review

గమనిక: ఈనాడు.నెట్‌లో కనిపించే వ్యాపార ప్రకటనలు వివిధ దేశాల్లోని వ్యాపారస్తులు, సంస్థల నుంచి వస్తాయి. కొన్ని ప్రకటనలు పాఠకుల అభిరుచిననుసరించి కృత్రిమ మేధస్సుతో పంపబడతాయి. పాఠకులు తగిన జాగ్రత్త వహించి, ఉత్పత్తులు లేదా సేవల గురించి సముచిత విచారణ చేసి కొనుగోలు చేయాలి. ఆయా ఉత్పత్తులు / సేవల నాణ్యత లేదా లోపాలకు ఈనాడు యాజమాన్యం బాధ్యత వహించదు. ఈ విషయంలో ఉత్తర ప్రత్యుత్తరాలకి తావు లేదు.

రివ్యూ: శాఖాహారి: ఆశ్రయం కోసం వచ్చిన వ్యక్తి మరణిస్తే..?

రివ్యూ: ముంజ్య.. రూ.30 కోట్లతో తీస్తే.. రూ.130 కోట్లు రాబట్టిన మూవీ ఎలా ఉంది?

రివ్యూ: విరాజి.. వరుణ్‌ సందేశ్‌ నటించిన థ్రిల్లర్‌ మూవీ ఎలా ఉందంటే?

రివ్యూ: డిమోంటి కాలనీ2.. హారర్‌ థ్రిల్లర్‌ ఎలా ఉంది?

రివ్యూ: బ్లింక్‌.. టైమ్‌ ట్రావెల్‌ కాన్సెప్ట్‌ మూవీ ఎలా ఉంది?

రివ్యూ: మారుతీన‌గ‌ర్ సుబ్ర‌మ‌ణ్యం.. రావు రమేశ్‌ మూవీ ఎలా ఉంది?

రివ్యూ: మనోరథంగల్‌: మలయాళ స్టార్‌లు నటించిన సిరీస్‌ ఎలా ఉందంటే?

రివ్యూ: ఆయ్‌.. నార్నే నితిన్‌ యూత్‌ఫుల్‌ ఎంటర్‌టైనర్‌ ఎలా ఉంది?

రివ్యూ: తంగలాన్‌.. విక్రమ్‌ యాక్షన్‌ అడ్వెంచర్‌ ఫిల్మ్‌ ఎలా ఉంది?

రివ్యూ: డబుల్‌ ఇస్మార్ట్‌.. రామ్‌-పూరి ఖాతాలో హిట్‌ పడిందా?

రివ్యూ: మిస్టర్‌ బచ్చన్‌.. రవితేజ యాక్షన్‌ ఎంటర్‌టైనర్‌ మెప్పించిందా?

రివ్యూ: వీరాంజ‌నేయులు విహార‌యాత్ర‌.. కామెడీ ఎంటర్‌టైనర్‌ ఎలా ఉంది?

రివ్యూ: టర్బో.. మమ్ముట్టి నటించిన యాక్షన్ కామెడీ ఫిల్మ్‌ ఎలా ఉంది?

రివ్యూ: కమిటీ కుర్రోళ్ళు.. కొత్త వాళ్లతో నిహారిక నిర్మించిన మూవీ ఎలా ఉంది?

రివ్యూ: ‘సింబా’.. జగపతిబాబు, అనసూయ నటించిన చిత్రం ఎలా ఉందంటే!

రివ్యూ: బడ్డీ.. అల్లు శిరీష్ మూవీ ప్రేక్షకులను మెప్పించిందా?

రివ్యూ: తిరగబడరసామీ.. రాజ్‌తరుణ్‌ ఖాతాలో హిట్‌ పడిందా?

రివ్యూ: బృంద.. త్రిష నటించిన తొలి వెబ్‌సిరీస్‌ ఎలా ఉంది?

రివ్యూ: రక్షణ.. పాయల్‌ నటించిన ఇన్వెస్టిగేటివ్‌ థ్రిల్లర్‌ ఎలా ఉందంటే?

రివ్యూ: శివం భజే.. అశ్విన్‌బాబు న్యూ ఏజ్‌ థ్రిల్లర్‌ ఎలా ఉంది

రివ్యూ: బ్లడీ ఇష్క్‌: అవికా గోర్‌ సినిమా థ్రిల్‌ చేసిందా?

తాజా వార్తలు (Latest News)

నమీబియా చీతా ‘పవన్‌’ మృతి.. కారణం ఏంటంటే?

ఒవైసీ, మల్లారెడ్డి కళాశాలలపై క్లారిటీ ఇచ్చిన హైడ్రా కమిషనర్‌

నిధి అగర్వాల్‌ ‘పింక్‌’.. ‘మత్తు వదలరా 2’లో ఫరియా ఇలా..

జగన్‌ విదేశీ పర్యటనకు సీబీఐ కోర్టు అనుమతి

‘సరిపోదా శనివారం’ టైటిల్‌.. అదే నా ఫేవరెట్‌ మూమెంట్‌: నాని

స్థిరాస్తి వ్యాపారులు, నిర్వాసితులకు మధ్య వివాదం.. రాళ్లదాడి

• Latest News in Telugu
• Sports News
• Ap News Telugu
• Telangana News
• National News
• International News
• Cinema News in Telugu
• Business News
• Political News in Telugu
• Photo Gallery
• Hyderabad News Today
• Amaravati News
• Visakhapatnam News
• Exclusive Stories
• Health News
• Kids Telugu Stories
• Real Estate News
• Devotional News
• Food & Recipes News
• Temples News
• Educational News
• Technology News
• Sunday Magazine
• Rasi Phalalu in Telugu
• Web Stories
• Pellipandiri
• Classifieds
• Eenadu Epaper

For Editorial Feedback eMail:

[email protected]

For digital advertisements Contact : 040 - 23318181 eMail: [email protected]

• TERMS & CONDITIONS
• PRIVACY POLICY
• ANNUAL RETURN

© 1999 - 2024 Ushodaya Enterprises Pvt.Ltd,All rights reserved.

Powered By Margadarsi Computers

Contents of eenadu.net are copyright protected.Copy and/or reproduction and/or re-use of contents or any part thereof, without consent of UEPL is illegal.Such persons will be prosecuted.

This website follows the DNPA Code of Ethics .

Privacy and cookie settings

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Constable Siva is assigned to escort a witness from police custody to the courtroom. As a twist in the plot, Siva learns that the entire police department wants the witness dead and starts t... Read all Constable Siva is assigned to escort a witness from police custody to the courtroom. As a twist in the plot, Siva learns that the entire police department wants the witness dead and starts the real run. Constable Siva is assigned to escort a witness from police custody to the courtroom. As a twist in the plot, Siva learns that the entire police department wants the witness dead and starts the real run.

• Venkat Prabhu
• Abburi Ravi
• Naga Chaitanya Akkineni
• Krithi Shetty
• Arvind Swamy
• 20 User reviews
• 3 Critic reviews
• 1 nomination

Top cast 40

• (as Arvind Swami)

• Dhaksyayani

• Agent Philip

• (as Sarath Kumar)

• (as Cameo appearance)

• Writer Mani

• Party President

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia Inspired by the 2006 Bruce Willis starrer "16 Blocks"

User reviews 20

• Aug 8, 2023
• How long is Custody? Powered by Alexa
• May 12, 2023 (India)
• TheMoviesz.com
• Srinivasaa Silver Screen
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 28 minutes

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed.

• Power List 2024
• Cannes 2024
• In-Depth Stories
• Web Stories
• Oscars 2024
• FC Wrap 2023
• Film Festivals
• FC Adda 2023
• Companion Zone
• Best Indian Films Forever List
• FC Front Row
• FC Disruptors
• Mental Health & Wellness

Custody Movie Review: A Playful Venkat Prabhu Entertainer That Gets A Bit Formulaic

Director: Venkat Prabhu

Writers: Venkat Prabhu, Abburi Ravi

Cast: Naga Chaitanya, Krithi Shetty, Arvind Swamy

The most enjoyable bits of Custody emerge from its self-aware writing. The film might be set in 1998 but songs and dialogues from recent films and at one point, a hilarious reference to Vikram (2022) are planted to evoke humour. Sure, we, the audience, know that they are anachronistic elements. Even Venkat Prabhu, who wrote and directed the film, is aware of this fact. Yet, he doesn’t refrain from sprinkling this self-aware, fourth-wall-breaking humour that urges us to not take the film seriously, even if some unexpected turns indicate otherwise. But this quality is a double-edged sword. For instance, in the second half, the jump from a playful sequence to an important character’s death feels incredibly curt because Custody becomes a completely different film for a few brief moments. Although the protagonist is pushed into dire situations and the threat is omnipresent, the playful undertone of the writing blinds us from foreseeing the serious turn the film takes at this point. The sad song, crooned by Ilaiyaraaja, unfortunately, comes across as unintentionally hilarious because it sounds like it has no business being in a fun, action thriller like this. Despite such hiccups, the film retains its quirk till the very end, and this commitment is what I found the most admirable about Custody .

The premise of Custody is simple in its design. Shiva ( Naga Chaitanya ), a constable has to protect an influential hooligan named Raju ( Arvind Swamy ) from being murdered because he is the key witness in a big legal battle that’s connected to the political bigshots. Now, there are no massive surprises here and you know that the chief minister (Priyamani, in a one-note character) is orchestrating the operation while Sarathkumar's Natarajan is spearheading the manhunt. It’s an extremely successful template of an underdog battling the odds to accomplish his mission. There’s something innately ‘massy’ about such underdog stories and it’s once again proven in Custody .

What makes the film enjoyable despite the familiar plot points are its likeable characters, humour in the oddest of situations and some well-shot action set pieces. The writing is clean and gives some purpose to the characters. Shiva’s father, for instance, is the driver of a mortuary van that they borrow to transport Raju in. He gets a cool punch dialogue too. “Savalani ekkinchadam naaku naa bandi ki kotthem kaadhu (Neither my vehicle nor I are strangers to carrying dead bodies),” he warns Raju. Shiva’s love interest, Krithi Shetty’s Revathy (of course, there’s a hilarious reference to veteran actor Revathy) is a driving school teacher and this is also used at one point.

The moment when Shiva decides to save Raju’s life leads up to a cracker of an action sequence that’s stitched up to look like a single shot. And Venkat Prabhu doesn’t give Naga Chaitanya a traditional ‘mass’ elevation shot although it is a wonderful heroic moment; the heroism here emanates from the fact that Shiva is choosing to do the right thing. This trait is established right during his intro scene, where Shiva stops the CM’s convoy to let an ambulance pass through. We later learn that this is an echo of something that transpired in Shiva’s past. That brings me to a qualm I have with Custody and films in general. Why do our heroes need to be given personal motivation? Why can’t Shiva just be a sincere constable who is driven by sheer rigour and willing to put his life on the fence for the truth to prevail? Venkat Prabhu offered no personal ‘reason’ to Vinayak Mahadev for being unapologetically immoral in Mankatha (2011), neither did Abdul Khaliq have a personal motivation to save the CM in the much more inventive Maanaadu (2021). However, by giving Shiva a personal vengeance angle, the filmmaker gravitates towards the formula in Custody . Sure, Shiva’s integrity is encapsulated in his first scene, but I feel the exclusion of the backstory would have made Shiva a bigger hero.

Speaking of formula, the love story between Shiva and Revathy is harmless but doesn’t quite add much value to the film. It precipitates a song-and-dance sequence—placed dangerously close to the opening number—that plays out like a tribute to the colourful ‘90s songs. While it’s definitely not temper-testing like the love stories in some of the recent films, it does make you wonder what’s holding Venkat Prabhu back from getting into the fun part sooner. Maanaadu , for instance, had its share of lighter moments but they were all organically embedded in the set-up and the screenplay didn’t dedicate itself to these portions. Custody does the opposite. It spends a chunk of runtime to just establish the love story.

It might sound like I am complaining a lot but that’s perhaps because of the high standards set by Venkat Prabhu's inventive screenplay in Maanaadu . So naturally, when we see the director make some orthodox choices, it can be disappointing. If I have to describe Custody in terms of the filmmaker's works, it's a Biriyani -like (2013) narrative tainted by the perils of Masssu Engira Masilamani 's (2015) formula. But that doesn't mean that Custody is a lousy film. It's anything but lazy. In fact, the film brims with energy and Venkat Prabhu-isms. Take, for instance, the incredibly funny dig at the film's Tamil-Telugu bilingual format in the second half. I don't want to ruin it for you, but when you see it, you know that it's a scream and nobody other than Venkat Prabhu would have done something so quirky in an otherwise serious film. Likewise, there's a superb cameo in the second half (there are three cameos but you'll know which I'm not talking about when you see the film) by a veteran and the way Venkat Prabhu pays tribute to the actor is hilarious. 

Arvind Swamy is great as the charming devil once again and makes the film immensely watchable; he is simply delightful. And Naga Chaitanya too sells the honesty of this character convincingly. The action too, thankfully, offers respite from the nonsensical sequences we got accustomed to seeing Friday after Friday. The sequences set in the police station sequence and dam, complemented by SR Kathir's sun-burnt frames exude ambition and are executed brilliantly. But the music is underwhelming and left a lot to be desired. A lot.

Venkat Prabhu's inclination towards some formulaic elements raises suspicion whether the burden to pander to a new section of the audience compelled him to compromise on his style to an extent. However, the fact that the film draws its heroism and most of the clap-worthy moments from the writing, instead of aiming for low-hanging fruits proves that he didn't let go of his core strength. Even serious scenes are bookended by quirk and that's the beauty of the film; the Venkat Prabhu mark is evident. Custody has something that many big-budget action films lack these days: a personality.

• entertainment
• Custody movie review highlights: Naga Chaitanya's cop drama is an interesting ride so far

Custody movie review highlights: Naga Chaitanya's cop drama is an interesting ride so far

Visual Stories

• Entertainment
• Life & Style

To enjoy additional benefits

CONNECT WITH US

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

Director venkat prabhu’s telugu-tamil bilingual ‘custody’ is not among his best, but has plenty going for it.

May 12, 2023 03:57 pm | Updated 04:35 pm IST

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

Custody opens with a prologue that seems like the worst nightmare anyone could have. Things spiral out of control and everything that can go wrong does. It is the late 1990s. This incident, as expected, has a bearing on the rest of the story. Writer and director Venkat Prabhu gets to that conflict point much later in the story when one least expects it. He uses it to give 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 also has several trademark Venkat Prabhu flourishes such as peppering the narrative with humour without diluting the tense moments. These segments work to the advantage of this action entertainer and help overlook some of the rough edges.

The Telugu version of Custody unravels in Rajahmundry where police constable Shiva (Naga Chaitanya) does not think twice before stopping the chief minister’s (Priyamani as Dakshayani) convoy to make way for an ambulance. She lauds him but he is taken to task by his superior. Post this, all that happens for about half an hour is the humdrum in Shiva’s everyday life and his romance with Revathy (Krithi Shetty). This is the calm before the storm. A lot of smaller details associated with some of the characters in these portions come in handy in the action segments later. Someone’s driving skills matter and so does a mortuary van that a family uses even to commute to auspicious beginnings, unmindful of how others might perceive it.

Custody (Telugu and Tamil)

The story gathers momentum with the introduction of a criminal named Raju, or Raazu (Arvind Swami) as he prefers to be called, and CBI officer George (Sampath Raj). The chaos that occurs at the police station one night is well-staged, giving rise to a heroic moment. In most films, a chunk of the drama might have revolved around the constable, criminal and CBI officer on the run from powerful opponents. Venkat Prabhu throws humour-laden personal conflict points into the mix. Vennela Kishore as Prem (Premgi Amaren plays this part in Tamil) and Revathy come to the fore.

Raju wants to escape, Shiva wants to produce him in court and Revathy just wants to get married to Shiva. An adventurous road trip ensues. Some of the scuffles are in a realistic space before they lead into cinematic action episodes, an underwater sequence, for example, that works.

As new characters such as IG Nataraj (Sarathkumar) enter the picture, both Raju and Shiva are forced to rethink their perceptions of what is right and wrong and who is saving whom. There are clapworthy moments when the two characters play off each other. In the later portions, however, a flashback that introduces another star actor is marred by an underwhelming song 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 supposed to be menacing but most of what we see is a wounded tiger. The actor makes it work. Krithi Shetty’s character oscillates between the typically chirpy heroine to someone who can measure up when needed; she delivers what is required for the part. Chaitanya gets a layered characterisation long 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 in their short screen time. 

The late 90s and early 2000s setting (production design by Rajeevan and cinematography by Kathir) also help to reference a few Ilaiyaraaja hits of that era. The maestro and his son Yuvan Shankar Raja are the composers for this film and the throwback to the older numbers works more like a charm than the new songs. The background score is also reminiscent of the era.

The narrative also doffs its hat to several older Tamil and Telugu films. Chaitanya’s character name is a definite nod to Ram Gopal Varma’s Shiva starring Nagarjuna Akkineni; there’s a hat tip to Kamal Haasan’s Vikram in the later portions and Venkat Prabhu also offers a hilarious dialogue reference to his own time-loop thriller Maanaadu . There are more, including a reference to Mani Ratnam’s Mouna Ragam .

Custody is not without its pitfalls. It wobbles when it explores a cliched emotional backstory. The romance and some of the humour surrounding it could also have been written better. But the film has a lot going for it.

Related Topics

reviews / Telugu cinema / Tamil cinema / Indian cinema / entertainment (general)

Top News Today

• Access 10 free stories every month
• Save stories to read later
• Access to comment on every story
• Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
• Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products

Terms & conditions   |   Institutional Subscriber

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.

Home >> Reviews >> Custody

'కస్టడీ' : లైవ్ అప్డేట్స్ ఇన్ తెలుగు వెర్షన్

• Movie Reviews

Custody Review

Custody (2023) Movie: What's Behind

Naga Chaitanya-Venkat Prabhu's Custody is capturing the attention of all as they are coming together for the first time. The film is a bilingual entertainer released even in other languages. The film's teaser and trailer got good responses and is releasing on 12 May 2023. The film's OTT streaming rights are yet to be finalised and date will be announced after the end of its theatrical run. 

Custody (2023) Telugu Movie: Story Review

Custody story is about an honest police constable who fights all odds to bring arrest a dreaded gangster and punish him according to the law. Shiva (Naga Chaitanya) is an honest police officer in Rajamundry and how his life changes drastically when he comes into contact with the dreaded gangster Raju aka Razu(Arvind Swamy).

What are the repercussions and how CM Dakshayani (Priyamani),  CBI Officer ( Sampath Raj), police officer Nataraj ( Sarath Kumar), driving school instructor Revathi (Krthi Shetty), his father (Goparaju Ramana) are connected to it from the crux of the story?

Custody Movie: Artists Review

Naga Chaitanya worked hard for his role. He put in lot of effort but everything went for a toss due to the poor content. He even tonee down his usual antics and changed his look for the role of the cop. Krithi Shetty is ok in her role that is inconsequential . Arvind Swamy is good in the role of a dreaded gangster. He tried to elevate the scenes with his performance but his role didn't offer much scope. Priyamani is ok in the role of chief minister. She showed good emotions as a arrogant CM. R.Sarathkumar, Sampath Raj played key roles in typical manner. Vennela Kishor irritates with his comedy. Ramki, YG.Mahendran, Ravi Prakash, Goparaju Venkataramana are ok in their roles.

Custody Movie: Technicians Review

Custody story selected by Venkat Prabhu is all about an honest officer and how he braved all odds and took risks for the society. Many such films came earlier but Venkat Prabhu decided to go with it and elevate the heroism of Naga Chaitanya to the new level. But alas, right from the start till the finish Venkat Prabhu much to the shock of all failed on all fronts.

Everything turned out to be routine and he spent the entire first half highlighting the romantic angle of the honest cop. Only ahead of the interval, the antagonist is introduced and people expect things to change in the second half. 

But the second half is loaded with action and chase sequences which after a point of time turned out to be illogical and silly and this disappoints all the fans and movie lovers. Finally, when the film ends, people heave a sigh of relief. Venkat Prabhu failed on all fronts be it story, screenplay, and direction. The script turned out to be the biggest drawback.

Ilayaraja and Yuvan Shankar Raja's music is just ok. The songs acted as speed brakers to the already spineless narration. Yuvan Shankar Raja's background score turned out to be below average. The editing of Venkat Raajen left a lot to be desired. There are many drags that slowed the pace of the narration but he cannot be blamed as the story is outdated to the core. SR. Kathir's cinematography is ok. The dialogues of Abburi Ravi are just average. Production values of Srinivasaa Silver Screen are ok.

Custody Movie: Advantages

• Naga Chaitanya 

Custody Movie: Disadvantages

• Routine Elements
• Story, Screenplay

Custody Movie: Rating Analysis

Altogether, Custody turned out to be an outdated story. Expectations soared as Naga Chaitanya teamed with Venkat Prabhu who earlier created a sensation with a thriller like Manaadu. Naga Chaitanya cannot be criticized but Venkat Prabhu failed to repose the confidence shown in him by Naga Chaitanya.

Venkat Prabhu failed in all the crafts and no amount of fine-tuning would have helped the project. The film is another example of how not to make a project. The top of it, the Tamil flavor makes viewers find it difficult to digest. This proved that associating with big names alone will not guarantee success and only strong story and content turn out tobe the king at the box office. Considering all these elements, Cinejosh goes with a 2.25 Rating for Custody .

Cinejosh - A One Vision Technologies initiative, was founded in 2009 as a website for news, reviews and much more content for OTT, TV, Cinema for the Telugu population and later emerged as a one-stop destination with 24/7 updates.

Contact us     Privacy     © 2009-2023 CineJosh All right reserved.    

• Media Watch
• Press Releases
• Box Office Portal
• T360 Contributor Network

Custody Review: Patience Testing Action Film

Custody Movie Review

Telugu360 Rating: 2/5

CUSTODY film story revolves between a sincere and young constable Shiva (Naga Chaitanya), CBI Officer (Sampath), Hitman Raju (Aravind Swamy) and a rogue police officer (R. Sharat Kumar). Constable Shiva is forced to follow them after being caught in the crossfire between the CBI and Mafia. Shiva’s love interest Revathi also join the chase occasionally; Rest of the story is about how and why the two teams are chasing Mr. Raju

There are enough expectations for this film due to the director Venkat Prabhu who delivered decent films in the past. Set in 1996, the film opens in a village near Rajahmundry. A bomb blast kills 40 people, thepremise is connected back to the main villain later in the film. The introduction of constable shiva, his love episodes with Revathi (Kriti Shetty) are very stale. The attempted comedy involving Vennela Kishore is poorly written. Once the Raju (Aravind Swamy), CBI Officer and Sarath Kumar characters enter, the film speeds up a little bit. The low budgeted chasing episodes could not leave any impact. Butoverall, the interval part sets some hope on second half. Second half begins with backstory of the shiva family. Subsequently the film goes on and on with the rogue cops chasing Raju. One may wonder why this film has taken 1996 backdrop.Even technically the film is not up to the mark. The background score is lousy, and the songs are bad.

The main drawback of the film is that patchy production values. The only good thing that worked out is the casting. There is a huge number of reputed artists involved but the output is marred by the weak script. Entertainment values are missing and to compensate for itsaudiences don’t even have adequate action. At some point the film appears like a Tamil film with few Telugu actors. Director Venkat Prabhu seems missed his flavor due to bilingual attempt.

Performances: As always Naga Chaitanya is good in his role, putting his best efforts. Krithi Shetty is adequate as heroine. Aravind Swamy, Priyamani, Sampath and R. Sarathkumar played other main characters. Aravinda swamy getup and characterization is irritating.

• Couple of chases
• Story, Direction
• Repetitive chase sequences
• No Entertainment

Verdict: ‘ Custody ‘ is a patience testing action film with huge casting. The repetitive chase sequences with same trio didn’t offer at least average content. The flashback family story is an age-old one. It is a Tamil film with few Telugu actors in it. Overall, all crafts failed !

Telugu360 Rating : 2/5

Release date : 12 May 2023 Director : Venkat Prabhu Music director : Yuvan Shankar Raja Ilaiyaraaja Cinematography : S R. Kathir Language : Telugu Producers : Srinivasa Chitturi

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

YSRCP Advantage Amid Janasena Enthusiasm

SC grants conditional bail to Kalvakuntla Kavitha

AP Govt announces Rs 1 cr for Synergene blast victims

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Darshan’s special treatment in Jail stirs Controversy

Kavitha Walks Out of Jail, Emotional Reunion with Family

Saripodhaa Has A Linear Screenplay: Nani

Jay Shah to Become Youngest ICC Chairman

Abhishek Manu Singhvi elected to Rajyasabha unopposed

• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use

Telugu360 is an online news paper based out of Hyderabad. Telugu360 is known for breaking news first on web media and is referenced by all the major publications for Telugu news.

© 2015 – 2020 Telugu 360. All right reserved.

• Andhra Pradesh
• Behind the News
• Dakshin Dialogues
• In The News

• Opinion & Analysis

• Health & Wellness
• Community & Culture

• Home » Movies

Custody review: A competent cop drama that keeps the viewers invested in spite of its shortcomings

Venkat Prabhu’s latest directorial takes time to find its feet but eventually gets better as the plot becomes thicker.

Published:Aug 10, 2023

A poster of 'Naga Chaitanya's bilingual film Custody'. (Twitter)

Watch it for Aravind Swami and Naga Chaitanya!

Custody (Telugu)

• Cast: Naga Chaitanya Akkineni, Krithi Shetty, Arvind Swami, Priya Mani, Sarath Kumar, Sampath Raj, Premji Amaren, Vennela Kishore, and Premi Vishwanath
• Writer-Director: Venkat Prabhu
• Producer: Srinivasaa Chitturi
• Music: Ilaiyaraaja and Yuvan Shankar Raja
• Runtime: 2 hours 28 minutes
• Cast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Emraan Hashmi, and Revathy
• Director: Maneesh Sharma
• Producer: Aditya Chopra
• Music: Pritam Chakraborty
• Runtime: 2 hours 35 minutes

Cop dramas usually have a superhero cop who takes on an army of villains and vigilante justice is delivered.  Venkat Prabhu’s Custody belongs to a slightly different space.

Here, Naga Chaitanya’s Shiva has the duty of protecting a goonda (criminal) and making sure that he is produced before the court, without any harm.

Another factor that makes Custody different from other movies of the same genre is the fact that Shiva is a constable, not a higher official. There is an underdog quality about him that makes him endearing.

The movie is set in the 1990s. Its opening shot is a terrible incident where 40 people die in a small town due to a gas cylinder blast. After that, we cut to the constable Shiva.

Naga Chaitanya in a still from ‘Custody’. (Twitter)

Shiva is someone who believes that human life is more important than anything else. This is wonderfully established when he rushes to stop the convoy of the Chief Minister (Priya Mani) so that an ambulance can pass.

Revathi (Krithi Shetty) is Shiva’s love interest. They both have a steady relationship for a while but there are some serious obstacles from her parents’ side.

Things take a turn with a car accident when Shiva is on the way to her house to save her from a forced marriage.

After the accident, two men are seen fighting – one is Raju (Aravind Swami) and the other is a CBI official George (Sampath Raj). Shiva ends up arresting both.

Also Read: Sardar Satya on Vetrimaaran and ‘Viduthalai Part 1’

On reaching the police station, Shiva learns the true identity of Raju, a well-connected goonda with political backing. He needs to be produced at the Bangalore court in the next 24 hours to testify against some influential people.

Director Ventak Prabhu with team ‘Custody’. (Twitter)

Meanwhile, there is an assassination attempt to kill Raju before he reaches court. Shiva makes sure that the assassination attempt is not successful.

He and George escape from the police station with Raju. But IG Natraj (Sarathkumar) is hell-bent on making sure that Raju doesn’t reach the Bangalore court.

Adding to the mayhem, Revathi escapes from her house by making her prospective groom (Vennela Kishore) a bakra .

The rest of the story deals with whether Shiva is successful or not in producing Raju before the court and what happens to him and Revathi later.

BLOCKBUSTER HUNT #Custody in CINEMAS Now💥 Don’t Miss the Blasting ACTION & Thrill on Big Screens🔥 🎟️ https://t.co/BfDOfwcxLf https://t.co/2xskmYgcxC @chay_akkineni @vp_offl @realsarathkumar @thearvindswami @ilaiyaraaja @thisisysr @IamKrithiShetty @SS_Screens @jungleemusicSTH pic.twitter.com/9tZxQWTbs5 — Srinivasaa Silver Screen (@SS_Screens) May 13, 2023

Shortcomings & best moments

Custody begins engagingly. As viewers, we instantly connect with Shiva’s honesty and want him to succeed in whatever he does.

A poster of the bilingual film ‘Custody’. (Twitter)

But things go haywire with the addition of the love story and also an irritating comedy track featuring Vennala Kishore.

The songs also come as major speed breakers, which is surprising, given that it is the first time that the father-son duo of Ilaiyaraaja and Yuvun Shankar Raja have worked together.

It is a step down from Ilaiyaraaja after a soulful soundtrack in Krishna Vamsi’s Rangamarthanda (2023).

Nevertheless, the plot becomes more engaging with the entry of Aravind Swami. The action set piece in the police station is wonderfully staged. Here, it has to be mentioned that, the background score is much better than the songs.

Also Read: ‘Janaki Jaane’ takes a subtle jibe at today’s politicians

The cat-and-mouse chase involving Natraj, Raju and Shiva gives the film some of its best moments.

Another action stretch that deserves a mention is the pre-interval block involving an underwater sequence.

We see an unlikely bond developing between Shiva and Raju through the journey. This has been well-etched by Venkat Prabhu.

The Overwhelming Reviews & Response pouring in from the Audience for the Blockbuster HUNT #Custody 🔥 🎟️ https://t.co/BfDOfwbZVH https://t.co/2xskmYfEI4 @chay_akkineni @vp_offl @realsarathkumar @thearvindswami @ilaiyaraaja @thisisysr @IamKrithiShetty @SS_Screens … pic.twitter.com/W7r6oIFO1M — Srinivasaa Silver Screen (@SS_Screens) May 12, 2023

Impressive show by actors

Aravind Swami does a wonderful job in making sure that Raju, despite being a goonda, comes across as endearing. He also brings in some dry humour that raises many chuckles.

A poster of Venkat Prabhu’s bilingual film ‘Custody’. (Twitter)

Much like in Sekhar Kammula’s Love Story (2021), here too, Naga Chaitanya plays an underdog and delivers a wonderful performance.

Also Read: ‘Farhana’ Tamil movie review

He does justice to the arc of the character which goes from a happy-go-lucky guy in the flashback to a determined young man in the present.

Krithi Shetty alternates between a typically chirpy heroine and a serious woman. She does it quite well in spite of the romantic track coming across as a hurdle.

Sarathkumar as Natraj makes for a formidable opposition.

Watch Custody for the performances of Naga Chaitanya and Aravind Swami along with some thrills.

(Views expressed are personal.)

Tags:  

• Entertainment
• Movie review
• Telugu movie

Recommended For You

Maruthi Nagar Subramanyam review: An enterprising idea rendered intentionally low-brow

Aug 23, 2024

Powder review: A caper that entertains you, especially in the second half

Footage review: Saiju Sreedharan’s experimental mystery thriller excels in technical aspects

Kottukkaali review: A masterful example of visual storytelling, anchored by stellar performances from Anna Ben and Soori

Vaazhai review: Mari Selvaraj’s film is heartwarming and gut-wrenching in equal parts

Custody Movie Review

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.

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.

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.

Chasing scenes

Direction, Story

Lack of Entertainment

“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.

Custody Review – Boredom Arrest!

OUR RATING 2/5

U/A, 2h 28m

Shiva (Naga Chaitanya) is an ordinary but honest police constable leading a normal life having issues related to love and marriage. How he lands in a big mess involving a dreaded criminal, Raju (Aravind Swamy)?

A gang wants Raju dead, and Shiva unexpectedly becomes a saviour. Who wants Raju dead, and is there a twist in the tale, is the movie’s basic plot.

Performances

Naga Chaitanya playing Shiva fits the bill perfectly of a sincere and honest cop who doesn’t go overboard on the aggressive side. It makes it look like a close-to-real portrayal. Unfortunately, that’s the best thing about the part, as it lacks depth and misses big time on the emotional side or intensity.

The character of Shiva doesn’t go beyond surface-level niceties. It isn’t elevated anywhere and looks like another casually done part with no impact. The realism in the presentation and also action without depth make it look flat and ineffective. It has a sincerity about it, but that’s it.

Kriti Shetty gets another lacklustre role that fails to give anything memorable to her. She is neither utilised on the glamour side nor even her performance explored. And yet the character remains present throughout. It is an ordinary-looking part that ends in a similar vein and eventually turns out as another forgettable outing despite a lengthy screen time.

Venkat Prabhu of Maanadu and Mankatha (Gambler in Telugu) fame directs Custody. The director is known for simple but engaging stories packed with neat twists and racy screenplays. Custody’s premise involving police and a criminal looks right down his alley. 

The team has addressed the issue related to the Custody’s beginning during the pre-release promotions, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that it is still boring and ordinary. A large portion of the first half is dedicated to the lead pair’s love story (Naga Chaitanya and Kriti Shetty). 

Usually, the love story (or the personal track) would be overlooked, given the overall thriller narrative, but here the director had an opportunity to impress. Custody is set in the early 90s, which gives enough meat to bring in the nostalgia factor at play using this thread. Sadly, that is not the case, as the touches end up at surface level like a cricket reference T or similar minor touches. It is okay to keep things subtle, but they don’t register and come across as missed opportunities here. 

The crux of the story commences around the hour mark with the entry of Aravind Swamy’s character. The proceedings leading to the interval after his introduction itself show signs of weariness and hint at the potential problem in store ahead. 

The second half comprises a single track involving the police, the criminal and support. It is all about taking the criminal to court. An entire half running on such a thin line requires extraordinary, gripping content and screenplay to pull through. It doesn’t happen in Custody. 

The director conjures up lengthy action blocks to compensate for the lack of content. They bore immediately and tire one out. The weak writing and lack of solid friction between the protagonist and antagonist further mar the appeal. The ending with a small twist is too little too late, and also, the one involving the core action plot is utterly predictable. 

A film with the characters and premise of Custody needs to be either a hard-hitting tale of a cop or a gripping action thriller with a racy screenplay. None of it is the case with Custody. It is primarily filled with stretched action blocks on expected lines. 

Overall, Custody is a big disappointment coming from Venkat Prabhu, the director of Maanadu. The plot and twists are flat and predictable, leading to a boring and tiresome narrative. Even for those who like different outings, Custody is a patience-testing outing.

Aravind Swamy plays a crucial role in the movie apart from Naga Chaitanya. He is introduced powerfully, and that’s where things end. However, like the rest, he, too, missed the mark. It is shocking to see an actor like Aravind Swamy go through an entire narrative without having a single appreciating scene or block. His usage is the biggest disappointment. 

Sarath Kumar is seen in another critical part. It is another forgettable part, with the actor’s dubbing being a major put-off. Vennela Kishore, with his godawful wig, irritates like never before. The comedy doesn’t work, and he makes it painful to watch. Priyamani has a vital role that is central to the main story. But, she appears only in a couple of scenes in the entire movie. She is wasted, considering the importance of the part. Sampath Raj is another actor in the same category. Goparaju Ramana and others in minor supporting roles are okay.

Ilaiyaraaj and Yuvan Shankar Raja compose the music for the film. The songs add to the boredom and appear as speed breakers in the narrative. The background score impresses in parts but, on the whole, lacks the unique quality that one usually associates with Yuvan’s combo with Venkat Prabhu. 

Technically the movie is decent with SR Kathir’s realistic cinematography. The ’90s setting could have been explored better visually, but it’s alright considering the action narrative. Venkat Raajen editing is okay. The narrative could have been crispier, though, given the action-thriller content. The action blocks are on expected lines which should have been elevated with good choreography. It doesn’t happen in Custody and is lengthy. The writing is not effective, and a significant miss in holding the attention.

Highlights?

Naga Chaitanya’s Sincere And Realistic Approach

A Couple Of Blocks

Boring Narrative

Predictable Story

Tiring Action Blocks

Will You Recommend It? No

Custody Movie Review by M9News

Final Report:

Maanadu director disappoints big time in his bilingual attempt failing to create any impact with any character despite the presence of many notable names. Custody’s second half is utterly predictable, with lengthy action blocks that don’t impress.

First Half Report:

The majority of the first half of Custody is dedicated to an ordinary love track. Arvind Swamy’s entry commences the main plot just before the interval. The second half needs to make a big impact.

— Custody begins in the 90s backdrop of Morampudi, Rajahmundry. Shiva is introduced as an honest constable, and Priyamani portrays the role of CM. Stay tuned for the first half report.

Cast: Naga Chaitanya Akkineni, Krithi Shetty, Arvind Swami, Priyamani, Sarath Kumar, Sampath Raj, Premji Amaren, Vennela Kishore, Premi Vishwanath

Written & Directed : Venkat Prabhu Producer : Srinivasaa Chitturi Music Director : Ilaiyaraaja / Yuvan Shankar Raja Cinematography : SR Kathir isc Production designer : Rajeevan Editor : Venkat Raajen Art Director : DY Satya Narayana Dialogues : Abburi Ravi Banner : Srinivasaa Silver Screen

• General News
• Movie Reviews

Thank you for rating this post!

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

Interested in writing political and/or movie related content for Telugubulletin? Creative writers, email us at " [email protected] "

Movie	Custody
Star Cast	Naga Chaitanya, Arvind Swamy, Krithi Shetty
Director	Venkat Prabhu
Producer	Srinivasaa Chitturi
Music	Yuvan Shankar Raja, Ilaiyaraaja
Run Time	2 hr 27 Mins
Release	May 12th 2023

Naga Chaitanya teamed up with Tamil director Venkat Prabhu for his latest film Custody, which features a huge cast that includes Aravind Swamy and Priyamani, along with Krithi Shetty as the leading lady. The film has been released today, let’s see how it has turned out to be.

Shiva is a Police constable who becomes famous after he obstructs the CM. He has been in love with Krithi Shetty’s character since childhood and the two want to get married. In the meantime, Naga Chaitanya gets embroiled between the characters of Sampath Raj and Aravind Swamy, which sets Naga Chaitanya on a journey with Aravind Swamy. What is the conflict between the two characters and what is that journey, forms the rest of the story.

On-Screen Performances:

Naga Chaitanya delivers a fine performance in the role of an earnest cop. Looks wise, he has the demeanor to play a cop. He has mellowed down a bit to play this complex role. Aravind Swamy is a seasoned actor and he has delivered a decent performance as a criminal. Krithi Shetty has a limited role and she is alright.

Priyamani has also done an okay job with what she has been given. The rest of the supporting cast is alright.

Off-Screen Talents:

Venkat Prabhu is known for slick action thrillers. This film too retains his usual flavor. The narration is slow in the early stages and things pick up pace only after the conflict is revealed. In this film, however, the problem with his pacing has affected the film a lot, as the audience would lose interest in the movie after a certain point because the scenes unfolding are also not very interesting. The problem with Custody is that the director fails to present a compelling narrative.

Yuvan Shankar Raja and Ilayaraja’s background score and songs are not that remarkable, and are highly forgettable, something that is usually not expected from either of them and especially not when the two of them team up.

The production design of the film is good, and the cinematography is also good. The editing could have been so much better.

Plus Points:

• A few action sequences
• Production values

Minus Points:

• Poor pacing
• Weak narration
• Overall script

Verdict: Naga Chaitanya has been very confident about Custody from day one, but the film is sub-par and fails to deliver. It is an outdated film that can be skipped altogether and has nothing to offer at all.

Telugubulletin.com Rating: 1.75/5

Click Here for Live Updates

Custody is an action thriller film written and directed by Venkat Prabhu in his Telugu directorial debut, while it was produced by Srinivasa Chitturi under Srinivasaa Silver Screen and Anji Industries.

The film was shot simultaneously in Telugu and Tamil languages and stars Naga Chaitanya (in his Tamil debut), Arvind Swamy, R. Sarathkumar, Krithi Shetty, Priyamani, and Sampath Raj.

Watch This Space for Exclusive Live updates from USA Premiere Show

6:15 PM EST : Custody starts in Rajamundry, Shiva (Chai) is a sincere constable who stops CM and gets popular

6:30 PM EST: Remix song is an average watch.

First Half Report: The first half of the movie has nothing to offer much except the mediocre action sequences. Doesn’t live up to the hype. Needs a very big second half.

8:00 PM EST: Shiva (Chai) has a backstory that connects with Raju(Arvind Swamy). Story  becomes predictable.

Final report: Custody is very predictable and lacks emotion. Story narration/screenplay is poor and makes you feel the movie is dragged. Lip sync is not taken care of and songs doesnt work either.. Its high time Chai needs to select better scripts

RELATED ARTICLES

Jsp mla asks allu arjun to stay in his limits, 3 hours run-time for goat: a huge risk, honeymoon express impresses the audience on ott, silver screen, what is saripodha sanivaaram breakeven mark, liquor charts: telangana on top, breaking: hydra officials at ktr’s farmhouse, when is kavitha releasing from tihar jail, jsp mla funds heart operation for girl child, what are the after effects of revanth reddy’s hydra, ap bjp shuts doors for ycp, students hospotalized: what apollo said.

• TeluguBulletin
• Privacy Policy

© TeluguBulletin - All rights reserved

• Movie Schedules

-->

Most Viewed Articles

• Job Opening : Wanted English Content Writers
• Job Opening : Wanted Telugu Content Writers
• Senior Bollywood actress reacts to Arshad Warsi’s comments on Prabhas
• This aspect is stopping Stree 2 from entering the 1000-crore club
• Tamil film with no stars is storming the box office
• Double Ismart flops, what next for Puri Jagan
• Sridevi – Prabhas is still the same person despite his stardom
• Star hero says he is gutted after his biggie flopped at the box office

Recent Posts

• ‘దేవర’ మూడో పాట.. ఎప్పుడొచ్చినా భీభత్సమే!
• Star heroine gets death threats ahead of her film’s release
• ప్రభాస్ “ది రాజా సాబ్” షూట్ పై క్లారిటీ!
• Glamorous Pics : Disha Patani
• విజయ్ “ది గోట్” కి మరోసారి సెన్సార్… రన్ టైమ్ ఎంతంటే?
• Suhas’ Janaka Aithe Ganaka trailer: Hilarious plight of a middle-class husband

With no top star movies hitting theaters during the Dasara season, several small and medium-budget movies are joining the big festive race. Superstar Rajinikanth’s Vettaiyan is the only big-ticket film that is gearing up for a Dasara release, while clarity is awaited regarding Suriya’s Kanguva making it to the festive clash.

Meanwhile, the makers of popular hero Sudheer Babu’s Maa Nanna Superhero have announced that the film will be released during the Dasara festive holidays. The exact date of release will be announced very soon. Maa Nanna Superhero is currently in post-production, and the promotional activity will begin in the first week of September.

Maa Nanna Superhero is being directed by Abhilash Reddy of the acclaimed webseries ‘Loser’ fame. Senior actor Sai Chand will be seen in a crucial role in the movie. V Celluloids and CAM Entertainments banners are jointly bankrolling the project. Stay tuned for further updates.

Articles that might interest you:

• Faria Abdullah joins Mathu Vadalara 2; Striking first look unveiled
• Honeymoon Express is now streaming on this OTT
• Vijay’s GOAT is like Mission Impossible, says top action choreographer
• The Raja Saab update: Popular heroine shoots for her glamorous scenes
• Saripodhaa Sanivaaram’s day one collection to be huge
• Nani – Saripodhaa Sanivaaram will appeal to A, B, & C centers

-->

Ad : Teluguruchi - Learn.. Cook.. Enjoy the Tasty food