Jayam Ravi is a popular face among Telugu audiences, and he has now come up with God, which marks his first release in the Telugu states after Ponniyin Selvan. God is a thriller film, and the trailer looked interesting. Let us see how the film has turned out to be upon release.
Story:
Arjun is the Assistant Police Commissioner, who doesn’t know fear and never backs out when it comes to doing the right thing, even if it means that he has to go against the law. He is close friends with Andrew, his colleague, and they two face a major challenge in the form of the smiling serial killer, who targets and kills women in the most gruesome way. In the process of getting to know the identity of the killer, Andrew dies. Because of this, Arjun takes a step back but comes back when the killings start once again. Who is the killer, is there more than one killer, and why is the killer doing this, forms the rest of the story.
On-Screen Performances:
Jayam Ravi is the central character of this movie, around whom the entire story revolves. As such, his performance as Arjun, the hot-blooded police officer, is on point, and he manages to maintain that seriousness and that attitude throughout the film quite well. Having said that, this is not the first film in which Jayam Ravi has been seen in such a role, having played similar versions of it in his vast filmography. Thus, there’s nothing new from him, but he’s good as usual.
Nayantara’s part in the film is a cameo and she can be seen in just a handful of scenes. Her part in the film doesn’t add anything to the film, story wise, and if the part was cut out, it wouldn’t have made any difference to the overall story.
Narain is seen in a key role in the film, and he does a good job with what he has been given. He’s got a decent amount of screen time as well.
The other supporting cast, including Ashish Vidyarthi and Rahul Bose, are all good in their roles and do their parts well enough.
Off-Screen Talents:
The director of the film did not come up with a new concept, as the concept of psycho-killers and investigating them is one of the most common in Indian cinema, which has been explored a lot. Thus, it is always important that the narration and screenplay of a film are interesting and presented in a new way so that the film sets itself apart from all the other films that come under that category. This is where the director falters, as there’s no pacing and interest built up in the audiences after the first ten minutes of the film. The way he introduces the killer and the killings is good, but the investigation parts of the film are a major let down.
The background music of the film is one of the major assets, contributing to the intrigue of the film, when there is scope. The cinematography is also good enough, and so is the editing.
The production values of the film are quite good.
Plus Points:
- Jayam Ravi’s performance
- A few twists in the second half.
Minus Points:
- Screenplay
- Pacing
Verdict: God feels like a half-baked thriller at best, with all the necessary elements there, but not used to the fullest potential. If you’re someone who likes thrillers, then it is watchable once. Otherwise, it can be skipped.
Telugubulletin.com Rating: 2.25/5