'Top Gear' headed to the theatres today. Here is our review of the film.
Plot
The film's story is set in Hyderabad. The entire story takes place in a matter of hours, as the major characters of the film crisscross the bylanes and highways of the city.
Siddharth (Mime Gopi) is a ruthless drug lord plotting to fool the Hyderabad police and exile himself to Singapore. An ambitious cop (Shatru) gets to know of his arrival in Hyderabad and decides to trace him come what may. Meanwhile, Siddharth unleashes his fury on cops and his rivals within the dark and murky world of drug peddling.
A commoner named Arjun (Aadi Sai Kumar), who is a taxi driver by profession, is oblivious to the anxious action underway in the city. While on his way to his home, he encounters two criminals (played by Brahmaji and Satyam Rajesh). And this tryst threatens to change his life and put his pregnant wife Aadhya (Riya Suman) in jeopardy. He has just a few hours before he can pull off what Siddharth asks him to.
Post-Mortem
Director Shashikanth sets up the story in an expected fashion. Some thrilling action is followed by a soothing set of scenes involving the lead pair. Arjun and Aadhya are just married. A meme says that wives don't touch their spouses' feet in love marriages. Yet, our Aadhya is the traditional type who blissfully engages in the conservative rituals of marital life. Sid Sriram's song seems to enjoy their marital union to the core. The fairytale romance is interrupted by an accidental turn of events.
The first half is more engaging compared to the second hour. Satyam Rajesh and Brahmaji engage in impromptu conversations in Arjun's cab. They come across as everyday men who are consumed by avarice to different degrees. Then there is the villain's track. The background song announces that he is a gangster and a monster. He is no star villain, though. Mime Gopi delivers a run-of-the-mill performance. If he doesn't cause boredom, it's because there is no loudness about his characterization.
The dialogues are soaked in mythical language. A character says that even Lord Vishnu couldn't escape the 'Vidhi raatha'. The high-sounding lines sound a bit pretentious.
The police investigation is where the screenplay ideas are flat. Shatru's team is dealing with the most high-profile drugs case and yet there is no quickness in protocols. The subordinates have to be told to find out the CCTV footage, if any, and then do other things concerning basic protocol. When you have the cab number, it's a no-brainer that an attempt has to be made to trace it at the first instance by getting the police control room on board.
The film fails to keep us guessing about how the hero is going to be dragged into the muck.
Aadi's performance, followed by the sure-footed technical elements (led by music director Harshavardhan Rameshwar), proves to be the film's merits. The cinematography is able.
Closing Remarks
'Top Gear' is a one-time watch. This crime thriller is technically sound. Some screenplay choices are a bit baffling.
