118 Movie Review: Kalyanram and Nivetha Thomas help and abet this spine chiller with their fair exhibitions

118 Movie, 118 Movie Review, 118 Review, KV Guhan, Nandamuri Kalyanram, Nivetha Thomas, Shalini Pandey

118's genre is a path less trodden by filmmakers in Telugu cinema and more so by actors like Kalyanram who prefer mainstream commercial subjects.

Nandamuri Kalyanram explores a new genre, thriller, for the first time in his career with 118 and partners with ace cinematographer KV Guhan who debuts as a director with this film. When the title poster of this project was unveiled, it set the tone for the film and the makers maintained the suspense factor intact till the release day. 118 also stars Nivetha Thomas and Shalini Pandey in other lead roles and it is their first time with the actor. Does the film succeed in giving thrilling moments? Will Kalyanram taste success in this genre? Here's what 118 has to offer.

What's it about:

On the outset, Kalyanram is an investigative journalist, Gautam, who repeatedly has dreams of a girl being beaten up brutally when he is on a stay at a resort just outside the city. Gautam's dream unfolds only at 1:18 am each time he witnesses it and hence the title. The brutal activities in the dream force him to find out who that girl is and why is he having the dreams about the same girl. And in an attempt to solve the mystery, Gautam uncovers an international medical scam in which Nivetha Thomas, playing Aadhya, is the victim. What happens next and how Gautam solves the puzzle forms the crux of the story.

What's Hot:

118 is not the commercial film we all witness twice in four weeks in Telugu cinema. It's a mix of mainstream and fiction which is interlaced with thrilling moments. Director KV Guhan shines as a writer at many moments in the film and weaves many thrilling instances. Guhan was known to the world as the classy cinematographer and with 118, that perspective might change and he might be now dubbed as an amazing filmmaker.

Kalyanram in his role as an enthusiastic journalist puts up a decent show and his honest portrayal brings about a different side of the actor. A thriller needs a lot of intense moments backed by powerful performers. And with 118, the actor unleashes the exquisite performer in him. Nivetha is the show-stealer in this one and yet again proves her abilities with the unassailable portrayal of Aadhya. In her limited screen time, compared to what Kalyanram has, Nivetha doesn't let your attention deviate and keeps you hooked. Shalini, although in a role that is shorter than all the others, delivers an impressive performance too.

What's not:

The first half zips through like a rocket leaving you thrilled and that builds the excitement in you for the other half. But as the mystery unfolds post the interval, the bumpers deaccelerate the pace of the narrative. While it may be too harsh to say that the film is too boring at this juncture in the plot, the story slows down drastically towards the end as the surprise element is exposed already. Now, it's all slow-mo shots and heavy background scores that drag the story to the end. A genre like this needs to have visuals which convey darkness and suspense, but 118 seems too bright and many a times, fails to give aforesaid visual experience. We would have expected more from a veteran like Guhan.

BL Verdict:

118's genre is a path less trodden by filmmakers in Telugu cinema and more so by actors like Kalyanram who prefer mainstream commercial subjects. Hence, it is worth a watch and it doesn't disappoint you. Kalyanram and Nivetha Thomas are the pillars of this plot and at no point do they let it down. Watch 118 for it has nothing to make you question your choice.