Custody Movie Review

Introduction

An Indian action thriller movie, Custody, was written, produced, and directed by Venkat Prabhu in 2023 under the direction of Srinivasaa Silver Screen and Anji Industries. The film's lead actors are Sampath Raj, Aravind Swamy, Krithi Shetty, Priyamani, and Naga Chaitanya. It was simultaneously filmed in Tamil and Telugu.

On May 12, 2023, Custody was released in theaters receiving mixed reviews from critics. Chaitanya, Arvind Swamy, Sarathkumar, Shetty's acting, cinematography, action scenes, story, and background music all received positive reviews. Its length and predictability were also criticized, which had a negative impact on its box office results.

Movie Cast

Movie Plot

A cheerful police officer named Shiva and his lover, a driving teacher named Revathi, plan to run away and be married in 1998. Shiva, however, becomes involved in a case involving road rage and imprisons Rajasekhar, also known as "Raju," a feared criminal who performs evil deeds for CM Dakshayani and her party. George, a CBI officer who is a prisoner of Shiva, tells him that he has 48 hours to bring Raju to court in Bangalore since Raju is aware of Dakshayani's involvement in a bombing that was planned at Morampudi to overthrow a state government controlled by a regional party. Shiva verifies the same over the phone with Varghese. Later it is discovered that Vishnu, Shiva's older brother, died in the Morampudi bombing while saving innocent bystanders. Shiva later joined the police to help his brother realize his aspiration of becoming a sub-inspector (SI).

When the chief minister Dakshayani finds out that Raju has been arrested, he orders several gangsters and IG Nataraj to murder Raju. When gang members from Nataraj and Dakshyini try to kill Raju and George, Shiva can take the criminals out and help the two escape.

Revathi joins them as they go to Bangalore with Shiva, Raju, and George; their car goes into the lake close to the dam, and Nataraj finds them. George is murdered in a crossfire when Shiva, Raju, Revathi, and George slip into the dam's underground tunnel. Then Nataraj starts to attack them. Raju was harmed during the previous gunfight, so Shiva, Revathi, and Raju go to the hospital after leaving Nataraj, but Nataraj's men are watching them.

Later, after Raju has had surgery, the group meets Maj. Gen. Philips Satya Raj. On Varghese's orders, the police keep an eye on the group while Nataraj and his band of criminals surround them. While Shiva and Raju fight the criminals, Philips arrives and helps Shiva help the others escape. Due to unforeseen circumstances that cause the gang to run into Revathi's family, Raju escapes and manages to reach a fair, but Shiva can find him. As soon as he shows in, Nataraj orders Shiva to kill Raju in return for his father's life. Shiva's father, however, orders Shiva to leave and seek justice for Vishnu. He then kills himself by shooting himself. Shiva again leaves the country with Revathi and Raju. The group is attacked by Raju's brother Ravi at the train station after being paid by Dakshayani to kill him and step in for Raju. After a fight, Raju murders Ravi.

Raju, Revathi, and Shiva board a train bound for Bangalore. Raju breaks out from the compartment during the fight to save Shiva. Raju is killed by Nataraj, which devastates Shiva. Shiva captured Raju's statement about Dakshayani's involvement in the bombing, and the evidence was presented in court the next day. Raju further admitted that Dakshayani had killed an IAS officer looking into her and covered his death with a bomb explosion. Raju claimed that he would go to any lengths for Dakshayani, whom he had previously revealed he had a crush on to Revathi. Police officers, Dakshayani, Nataraj, and others involved were arrested.

Shiva accepts Varghese's gratitude and a job offer to join the CBI but chooses to stay in the police force instead. Shiva and Revathi then begin to make wedding plans.

Movie Review

Times of India

Critic's Rating: 3.0/5

Review

When you hear the basic plot of Custody, you immediately want to compare it to another movie with a similar time frame and high stakes. However, Venkat Prabhu personalizes the narrative, making it more than just the story of a guy pushed into an unfavorable situation. Now, whether it succeeds or fails is a very other discussion.

Shiva and his situation are fully introduced to us in the first part. One where his boss thinks he cannot perform the job because of "quota" and where his girlfriend's parents do not want them to be married because of his caste. Although the procedures are complex, it doesn't help that they are interrupted by music like Yuvan Shankar Raja and Ilaiyaraaja. On the one hand, it's comforting to know a little about Shiva and his love life, but when Venkat makes the shocking details, none of that seems to matter.

The second half flows nicely for the most part, despite Ramki's presence, which is incredibly entertaining during a fight scene. One can't help but think the film may have been stronger wrapped if editor Venkat Raajen had used a more complex hand. Jiiva's emotional scenes do not have the effect they should. While several sequences may function well as they go along, they must fit better with the narrative. The sequences with IG Natraj (Sarathkumar) are excellent, but they get repetitive. Premgi Amaren, who plays Prem in the Tamil version of the movie, has a humorous meta sequence with Vennela Kishore's Prem. Much must be revealed about Raju, but because Venkat is so focused on Shiva, it is merely brought to the surface.

Mahesh Mathew's battle sequences in Custody have some excellent action. A single-take action scene that is oppressive and thrilling is in a police station. The lines by Abburi Ravi, the music by Ilaiyaraaja and Yuvan Shankar Raja, and the cinematography by SR Kathir all contribute to the movie's success.

The plot in Custody is predictable, and several characters should have been given more depth to improve the experience. However, if you want action films with an indication of emotion, you will enjoy this.

The Hindu

Review

The prologue of Custody feels like the worst nightmare a person could have. As things get out of hand, everything may go wrong in the wrong direction. The year is the late 1990s. As might be predicted, the rest of the plot is affected by this tragedy. That conflict is addressed considerably later in the narrative, when the audience least expects it, by writer and director Venkat Prabhu. He uses it to lend emotional weight to one of the main characters' acts. Several of the director's trademarks can also be found in his Telugu-Tamil bilingual with Naga Chaitanya, Arvind Swami, and Krithi Shetty. Venkat Prabhu excels at adding laughter to the story without making the tough times less intense. These sections benefit this action entertainer and assist viewers in ignoring some of the rough edges.

Custody takes its time in having the rival take the central stage while charting the ascent of the underdog Shiva. Though most of what we see is a wounded tiger, Arvind Swami's portrayal is designed to be threatening. The performer pulls it off. The character of Krithi Shetty shifts from the stereotypically upbeat heroine to someone who can measure up when called upon; she gives the performance that the role calls for. Long after Sekhar Kammula's Love Story, Chaitanya receives a rich characterization in which he conveys the vulnerability of an underdog and is credible as an unexpected hero who must punch above his weight. Despite having limited screen time, Goparaju Ramana and Ramki are given enough space to make an impact.

The film's setting in the late 1990s and early 2000s (production design by Rajeevan, cinematography by Kathir) also refers to a few popular Ilaiyaraaja songs. The film's music was composed by the master and his son Yuvan Shankar Raja, and the older songs are more charming than the new ones because of the retro. The background music also has an old-fashioned feel about it.

The story also pays tribute to several classic Tamil and Telugu films. The character name of Chaitanya is a tribute to Ram Gopal Varma's Shiva, which starred Nagarjuna Akkineni; later, there is a connection to Kamal Haasan's Vikramin; and Venkat Prabhu even makes a humorous language connection to his time-loop thriller Maanaadu. There are more, one of which mentions Mouna Ragam by Mani Ratnam.

Custody has its share of difficulties. It changes one's mind when it dives into an overused emotional history. Additionally, the romance and some of the accompanying humor might have been written more skillfully. The movie, though, has a lot going for it.

Box-Office Collection

According to Sacnilk, Custody only made about Rs 3.2 crore on its first day of release from all over India. The film only brought in roughly Rs 3.50 crore over the weekend, a decline from the previous two days. The movie's revenue further decreased on Monday and is now only reported to be around a crore. Custody has received a total of almost 7.75 crore rupees. The film reportedly made Rs 11 crore in domestic and international box office revenue.

Hit/Flop

Considering the movie's budget, i.e., approximately 30 crores, the movie did not make profits that could reach even half the budget. The study says the movie had mixed reviews from critics and did not meet expectations. The movie only made Rs. 11 crores and proved a flop.