Kunchacko Boban

OTT Review : Midnight Murders – Telugu film on AHA

by 123telugu February 22, 2021

Cast : Kunchako Boban, Srinath Basi, Sharaf Yuddin, Jeenu Joseph

Producer : Anthony Perumbavoor

Editor : Sizu Sreedharan‌

Cinematography : Sizu Khalid

Director: Midhun Manuel Thomas

Exclusive Telugu content provider, Aha has dubbed yet another Malayalam film, Anjaam Pathiraa in Telugu. Titled Midnight Murders, the film was premiered on Aha on February 19, 2021. Let’s see how it is.

Story:

Obliging his close friend’s request, Anwar Hussain (Kunchacko Boban) a psychologist by profession, works as a consulting criminologist in the Kochi Police department. All of a sudden, Anwar comes across a case where a series of brutal police murders happen at midnight. Who is the culprit behind these murders? What is the main motive behind his crimes? How will Anwar crack the mysterious case? – These elements form the rest of the story.

Plus Points:

Looks-wise, Kunchacko Boban is good and also impresses with his impactful performance throughout the movie. Especially, his acting in a few key investigation episodes and during the climax brings a lot of depth to the drama that unfolds.

The actor who played the main antagonist’s role is quite good and gives a convincing performance. The way the murders are showcased has been presented with an interesting narration.

The actress who essayed the lady officer’s role impresses with her acting, effectively portraying multiple dimensions. Noted actress Pooja Ramachandran also does a key role in a convincing manner.

Minus Points:

Even though the core point of the film is interesting, the narrative has a few loopholes and illogical scenes. As the film runs on a serious note, it may not get a universal appeal. Adding to it, the crucial scenes in the movie are not established in a proper manner.

Technical Aspects:

Director Midhun Manuel Thomas’ idea of making a crime thriller based on police murders is good, but he should have spent more time in writing a better screenplay.

The cinematography by Shyju Khalid is superb. He particularly showcases the night shots in a brilliant manner.

Music by Sushin Shyam is apt for the film’s content and his engaging background score only elevates all the key scenes. Editing by Saiju Sreedharan is apt. Production values for this limited budget film are decent.

Verdict:

On the whole, Midnight Murders is a crime thriller which deals with a unique point. Even though the core point and the scenes involving murders are good, it may not get a universal appeal due to the serious narration, making the film a one time watch for Aha subscribers.

123telugu.com Rating : 3/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

Click Here For Telugu Review

February 22, 2021

OTT Review : Darbaan -Hindi Film on Zee 5

by 123telugu December 9, 2020

Cast: Sharib Hashmi, Sharad Kelkar, Rasika Dugal, Flora Saini, Harsh Chhaya, Suneeta Sengupta, Varun Sharma

Music : Amartya Bobo Rahut

Cinematography : Amalendu Chaudhary

Editor : Jayant Jathar, Vandita Chakradeo

Producers : Bipin Nadkarni, Yogesh Beldar

Director : Bipin Nadkarni

So, continuing the series of reviewing OTT shows and films, our today’s pick is the Hindi film Darbaan. The film is available on Zee 5 and let’s see how it is.

Story :

The film starts off in the late 1960s by showcasing Raicharan, the most trusted servant of the mining tycoon Naresn Tripathi(Harsh Chayya) in Dhanbad being so close to Ankul(Sharad Kelkar), who is Tripathi’s son. But in the ’70s, the mining is taken over by the government, and the Tripathi’s are left bankrupt and leave the city. Years later, Ankul, who grows up to become this family man comes back to Raicharan and asks him to take care of his family once again. Raicharan happily agrees but a crazy event lands Ankul’s son in problems. What is that problem and how did it create a rift between Ankul and Raicharan is the story.

What’s Good

Sharib Hashmi, who is becoming quite popular these days gets the central role and he excels in it. He has two phases to showcases in his age and the actor emotes quite well in the old age part. His emotional outbursts were lovely to see on screen.

Sharad Kelkar is also neat in his supporting role and adds weight to the film. The narration is soothing and simple in spite of the film being predictable. The flawless camera work and editing elevate the film well.

The BGM and the production design was good. Rasika Duggal, as always is amazing in this film as well. The way story is established in a detailed manner looks good on screen. The bygone era has been showcased so well.

What’s Bad

The story is quite old and has been narrated in many old films already. The setting is new and novelty wise, one should not expect anything here. Also, the climax looks a bit forced and could have been better. Too much time is taken to enter into the main conflict point in the second half and this is where the narration has no time to establish the issues of the protagonist well.

Verdict :

On the whole, Darbaan is a film that has a very old and predictable plot and is adapted from Khokababur Pratyabartan, a short story by Rabindranath Tagore. Though it takes its own sweet time to grow on you, the performances are the ones that will hold you together in this emotional drama.

123telugu.com Rating : 3/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team

Click here for Telugu Review

December 9, 2020

OTT Review : Nipah Virus – Telugu film on AHA

by 123telugu December 6, 2020

Cast: Revathi, Kunchacko Boban, Tovino Thomas, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Soubin Shahir, Indrajith Sukumaran, Madonna Sebastian and others.

Music : Sushin Shyam

Cinematography : Rajeev Ravi and Shyju Khalid

Editor : Saiju Sreedharan

Producers : Rima Kallingal and Aashiq Abu

Director : Aashiq Abu

When the deadly Novel Coronavirus outbreak began in India, acclaimed Malayalam medical thriller, Virus, was much-talked-about all over the country. The film, released in July, 2019, was based on the deadly Nipah Virus that wreaked havoc on Kerala in 2018. The film has been dubbed in Telugu as Nipah Virus and had its digital premiere on Aha on December 4. Let’s see how the film is.

Story:

The story is set in Kozhikode, Kerala, where the outbreak of Nipah Virus gripped the entire state. Zachariah Mohammad gets admitted to the Government Medical College with severe cough and vomitings. He passes away even before the doctors could identify his virus. After a few days, Nurse Akhila (Rima Kallingal) gets admitted to the hospital with similar symptoms. This gets the entire government machinery, including the state Health Minister and District Collector, get into the mission of tracing the root cause. How the government contains the virus outbreak and the issues the victim’s families faced in the society make for a thrilling and emotional watch.

Plus Points:

Director Aashiq Abu‌ comes up with a riveting thriller around the invisible virus that claimed scores of lives in Kerala’s Kozhikode and Malappuram districts. The way he realistically showcases the emotional turmoil of the victims and their families, the relentless determination of the doctors in saving their lives and the government’s mission to prevent the virus spread deserves a special mention.

Coming to the actors, even though most of the lead actors are new to Telugu audiences except Revathi, they arrest the viewers with their earnest and natural performances.

Minus Points:

Even though Aashiq Abu‌ chose a terrific storyline, the screenplay and treatment he followed to narrate the story should have been more pacy to make for an engaging experience. Certain scenes in the first half should have been trimmed to add some pace to the proceedings.

Technical Aspects:

All the technicians have done their best in assisting the director’s vision. Especially, music composer Sushin Shyam’s poignant background score adds to the pensive mood. Rajeev Ravi is one of the best cinematographers in India and he proves it yet again with his visuals, perfectly assisted by Shyju Khalid. The production values are decent even though most of the film is centred around hospitals and government offices.

Verdict:

Nipah Virus was a huge test to humanity. The director’s thought behind coming up with an emotional thriller that faced this greatest adversary must be appreciated. Barring the slow pace in certain portions, the film is quite riveting. Nipah Virus is recommended for those who appreciate emotional medical thrillers. The film will make a lasting impression especially when the Coronavirus pandemic has the entire world at its feet.

123telugu.com Rating : 3/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team

Click here for Telugu Review

December 6, 2020

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