Starring Anushka, Madhavan, Anjali, and Shalini Pandey in prominent roles, Nishabdham premiered on Amazon Prime Video today. Touted to be a suspense thriller set out in the USA, the film has debutante Hemant Madhukar at the helm. Let us see what it has to offer.
Story:
Sakshi (Anushka), a deaf and mute artist, and Anthony (Madhavan), a musician are engaged to each other. The couple go on a trip together and in the process, visit a haunted house in search of a painting. Anthony is mysteriously killed in this haunted house and everyone believe Josephin Wood, a haunted spirit is behind this killing. Crime detective Maha(Anjali) takes up this case and starts digging deep. Through the course of investigation, Maha discovers the set of mysteries that are interlaced with the incident. What are those mysteries? What does a girl who goes missing in Seattle have to do with all this? The answers to these questions form the remaining plot of the film.
What about on-screen performances?
The film has an ensemble star cast and all of them perform to the best of their capabilities. Anushka as a mute artist is a class act and she shoulders the film with great composure. Madhavan excels in the role of a musician and he shows multiple shades with subtle changes to his portrayal of the role. Michael Madsen and Anjali as investigative officers suit their roles. Shalini Pandey, Subbaraj, Avasarala Srinivas, and the remaining star cast deliver good performances.
What about off-screen talents?
Barring Anushka’s mute artist role, no aspect of Nishabdham is striking or new-age. The film follows the same old format that is usually seen in crime thrillers. Planting a few suspects and then pointing the finger towards someone else. This is a tried and tested formula and Nishabdham follows the exact same path. Kona Venkat tried to infuse the story with multiple twists but all of them are predictable. Debut director Hemant Madhukar succeeds in getting the best out of his actors but fails to narrate the story in a gripping manner.
Cinematography and music are exquisite, but the substandard storyline undoes all the good work. Gopi Sundar’s background score is apt. Pravin Pudi, the editor could have chopped off some portion to make the film crispier.
- What’s hot?
- Female lead characterisation and Anushka’s performance
- Supporting artists
What’s not?
- Story
- No thrills whatsoever
- Bland narration
- Incoherent opening sequence
- Poor climax
Verdict:
The opening sequences of Nishabdham suggest that it is a horror thriller but what follows is a completely different story altogether. A few Telugu serials have a better narrative and screenplay than Nishabdham and that sums up the film. Anushka is a standout performer and after watching the film, one would wonder why she picked a story like this. Nishabdham adds to the list of boring films which have gone the OTT way since the imposition of lock-down.
Watch or not?: You can comfortably give it a skip.
TeluguBulletin.com Rating: 2/5