'Satyabhama' is written and directed by Suman Chikkala. Ramesh Yadma and Prashanth Reddy Motadoo have penned its story. The film is produced by Bobby Tikka and Srinivas Rao Takkalapelly. Ahead of the film's release in theatres on June 7, a special screening was held in Hyderabad on Thursday evening. Here is our review of the crime thriller:
Plot:
ACP Satyabhama (Kajal Aggarwal) is a duty-minded cop who is tasked to investigate a missing person case. In the process of learning about a married woman named Haseena becoming a victim of domestic violence and crime, she realizes that Haseena's brother Iqbal has gone missing. Her investigation leads her to Rishi, who is related to a VVIP and is also into an AI-powered game. Where does Satyabhama's search lead to? Who is responsible for Iqbal's disappearance? That's what the story is about.
Performances:
Kajal Aggarwal is good in the role of a dutiful cop who makes sure she commands respect in the department. Her scenes with some characters are emotional in nature and the star actress, who makes a comeback to the big screen, doesn't disappoint.
Naveen Chandra is seen as Amar, Satyabhama's poet-husband. Prakash Raj plays a top cop named Joseph with ease. His screen time is limited, though. Ankith Koyya is superb as Rishi, showing both nervousness and edginess. Harsha Vardhan and Ravi Varma are seen as a cop and a politician, respectively. Payal Radhakrishna is good in an extended cameo.
Technical Departments:
1. Music: Sricharan Pakala's songs are decent.
2. Background music: Very loud by today's standards.
3. Cinematography: The work by Vishnu Besi lacks inventiveness.
4. Editing: Kodati Pavan Kalyan's work could have lent the film the quality of clarity.
5. Production Design: Rohan Singh's work is hackneyed.
Merits:
1. Interspersing slow-motion shots to elevate Satyabhama with the drama.
2. The track where a key character's secret life is revealed draws laughs and whistles.
3. The urge to maintain a certain mood pays off dividends in the second half, although the inferior sound design is a minus.
4. The multi-level search of a character, who travels across cities, in quest of the truth.
5. Not making the entire screenplay about just Satyabhama. Secondary characters have been given enough space to breathe.
6. The emotional quotient of the climax.
Demerits
1. The screenplay is somewhat convoluted. Also, you will need to keep track of the names of the many characters amid jarring edits.
2. The behaviour of the cops is at times so unprofessional that, in a scene, you see them talking highly confidential things openly and casually - just like that.
3. A montage song attributes the quality of intense fury to the titular character. But the same is palpably missing on the face of the actress. This is a flaw of the script.
4. Like a number of hollow crime thrillers, this one too suffers from an occasional slippage into the protagonist accidentally spotting clues.
5. The human trafficking element has been handled routinely.
Vox Verdict:
'Satyabhama' is sincere in its attempt. Watch it with rapt attention so that you are not distracted by the somewhat bloated writing. Kajal Aggarwal aces this female-dominant movie.
Rating: 2.75
