Title: 118
CBFC Rating : UA
Run-Time: 2 Hrs 06 Mins
Release Date: 01-03-2019
Banner: Eastcoast Productions
Cast: Nandamuri Kalyanram, Nivetha Thomas, Shalinee Pandey, Prabhas Srinu, Rajeev Kanakala and Others
Music: Sekhar Chandra
Cinematography: KV Guhan
Producer: Mahesh S Koneru
Written & Directed by KV Guhan
Story :
Gautham (Kalyan Ram) is an investigative journalist. If he gets into any issue, there is no going back until it is solved. One day he gets a dream that leads him to a case in real life. How his life changes and what are the revelations that come out of those is the basic story that is dealt in a thrilling manner.
Performances:
Kalyan Ram is picking different subjects and playing each character differently. After scoring Superhit with an out and out Mass Entertainer ‘Patas’, last year he comes up with a commercial attempt in MLA, and in a romantic avatar in his last outing Naa Nuvve. Now, he is playing a journalist in a crime thriller. The body language is also changed subtly according to the subject. The variation is for sure to be noticed and deserved applause.
Shalini Pandey and Nivetha Thomas are the female leads in the movie. The former plays a typical female lead in a commercial entertainer but with a small difference. She is also given importance in the narrative and helps the hero at important points. Coming to Nivetha Thomas, she is a scene stealer and helps elevate the proceedings in the second half at a prominent place.
Others like Rajiv Kanakala, Prabhas Seenu, Chammak Chandra etc. are present and they are given decent roles. They are adequate.
Highlights :
KalyanRam
Story
Casting
Twists
Drawbacks :
Parts of the second half
Analysis:
118 is a rare thriller movie coming to Telugu cinema and also an example of the changing taste of the audience and our stars in general. What needs a more significant appreciation is director KV Guhan sticking to the genre without deviation.
Right from the beginning, we get into the story and events related to it. The track is only sidelined intermittently when bits of the personal life involving love and marriage episodes of the hero are shown. Luckily those are very few, and the narrative is mostly focussed on the main track.
The twists and turns are the major highlights of the movie as they keep coming at a breakneck pace. Before we realize one thing, other things keep one engaged. The second half wobbles a bit in the but is again on track with the lucid dream concept in the end. On the whole, 118 is a reasonably engaging thriller that gets it right for the most part and leaves on satisfied while coming out.
The music and background score by Sekhar Chandra is perfect for the narrative at hand. The latter is especially mightly good. The cinematography is neat, and editing is fine. The production values by Producer Mahesh Koneru are rich and give the thriller a visible edge in scale.
Bottom-line: Interesting Thriller
Rating: 3.25/5
