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Custody (2023 film)
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| Custody | |
|---|---|
| File:Custody 2023 film poster.jpg Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Venkat Prabhu |
| Produced by | Srinivasaa Chituri |
| Written by | Venkat Prabhu Abburi Ravi (Telugu dialogues) |
| Starring | Naga Chaitanya Aravind Swamy Krithi Shetty Priyamani R. Sarathkumar Ramki |
| Music by | Songs: Yuvan Shankar Raja Ilaiyaraaja Score: Yuvan Shankar Raja |
| Cinematography | S. R. Kathir |
| Edited by | Venkat Raajen |
Production company | Srinivasaa Silver Screen Anji Industeries |
Release date | 12 May 2023[1] |
Running time | 148 minutes[2] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu Tamil |
| Box office | est. ₹15.85 crore[3] |
Custody is a 2023 Indian action thriller film written and directed by Venkat Prabhu and produced by Srinivasa Chitturi under Srinivasaa Silver Screen and Anji Industeries.[4] The film stars Naga Chaitanya, Aravind Swamy, Krithi Shetty, Priyamani, R. Sarathkumar and Sampath Raj. It was shot simultaneously in Telugu and Tamil languages.[5]
Custody was released theatrically on 12 May 2023, where it received mixed reviews from critics, with praise towards the cast performances (Chaitanya, Arvind Swamy, Sarathkumar and Shetty), cinematography, action sequences, plot and background music, but criticism directed towards its length and predictability and became a box office disappointment.[6][7][8][9]
Plot[edit]
In 1998, Shiva is a happy-go-lucky police constable, who along with his girlfriend Revathi, a driving instructor, decide to elope and get married. However, Shiva gets involved in a road rage case and arrests Rajasekhar alias "Raju", a dreaded gangster who does dirty jobs for CM Dakshayani and her party. George, who is imprisoned by Shiva, tells him that he is a CBI officer who has to produce Raju in court situated at Bangalore in 48 hours, as Raju has useful information regarding Dakshayani's involvement in a orchestrated bomb blast at Morampudi in order to overthrow a state government run by a regional party. Shiva calls Varghese and confirms the same. It is later revealed that Shiva's elder brother, Vishnu, was one of the victims of the Morampudi bomb blast as he was rescuing innocent bystanders. Shiva had later joined the force in order to fulfill his brother's dream of becoming a sub-inspector (SI).
Meanwhile, chief minister Dakshayani learns of Raju's arrest and assigns some goons and IG Nataraj to kill him. Nataraj and Dakshyini's goons try to kill Raju and George, but Shiva subdues the goons and escapes with them. Shiva, Raju and George head to Bangalore, where Revathi also accompanies them. Nataraj tracks them down where their car fell into a lake near a dam. Shiva, Raju, Revathi and George sneak into the dam's underground tunnel, where Nataraj attacks them and George is killed in a crossfire. After escaping from Nataraj, Shiva, Revathi and Raju go to the hospital, as Raju was injured during the previous shootout, but the hospital is watched by Nataraj's men.
Later, the trio arrive at Maj. Gen. Philips Satya Raj and Raju gets operated. After this, the trio are escorted by officers under Varghese's orders, but Nataraj and his goons surround them. Shiva and Raju fight the men, and Philips also arrives and helps Shiva and the others to escape. Due to sudden circumstances in which the trio run into Revathi's family, Raju escapes and arrives at a fair, but Shiva manages to find him. Nataraj arrives and tells Shiva to kill Raju in exchange for his father's life. However, Shiva's father tells Shiva to leave and get justice for Vishnu. He then shoots himself, killing him. Shiva escapes again with Raju and Revathi. At the railway station, the trio are attacked by Raju's brother Ravi, who was bribed by Dakshayani to kill him in exchange for taking Raju's place. A fight ensues where Raju kills Ravi.
Shiva, Revathi and Raju board the train to Bangalore. Nataraj and his men follow them. A fight ensues where Raju separates from the compartment in order to save Shiva. Nataraj kills Raju, thus leaving Shiva devastated. The next day at the court, it is revealed that Shiva actually recorded Raju's confession about Dakshayani's involvement in the bomb blast, and shows the evidence in the court. Raju also confessed that Dakshayani had murdered an IAS officer who was investigating her and used the bomb blast to cover up his death. Raju tells that he did all this for Dakshayani because he had a crush on her, as he told to Revathi earlier. Dakshayani, Nataraj and other officers involved are arrested. Varghese thanks Shiva and offers him a position in the CBI, but he declines and decides to continue being in the police force. After this, Shiva and Revathi plan for their marriage.
Cast[edit]
- Naga Chaitanya as Constable A. Shiva
- Aravind Swamy as Rajashekhar "Raju" alias "Raazu"
- Krithi Shetty as Revathi
- R. Sarathkumar as IG Natraj
- Jiiva as SI Vishnu (cameo appearance)
- Ramki as Maj. Gen. Philips Sathya Raj
- Jayasudha as a judge
- Priyamani as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Dhakshayani
- Vennela Kishore as Prem (Telugu version)
- Premgi Amaren as Prem (Tamil version)
- Sampath Raj as CBI officer George
- Jayaprakash as CBI Investigative Head Varghese
- Surya as Writer Mani
- Y. G. Mahendran as the party president
- Ravi Prakash as SI Rangappa
- Annapoorna as Julie
- Rajitha as Revathi's mother
- Premi Viswanath as Mangalam[10]
- Kadambari Kiran as Pandu
- Anandhi as Malar (cameo appearance)[11]
- Vaibhav as Singer (cameo appearance in "Ammunni Rukkumanee" song)
- Venkat Prabhu as Himself (cameo appearance)
Release[edit]
The film was released on 12 May 2023.[12]
Home media[edit]
The post-theatrical streaming rights of the film were bought by Amazon Prime Video. The film Premiered on Amazon Prime Video on the 9th June 2023 in Telugu and Tamil, along with dubbed versions in Malayalam and Kannada.[13][14]
Soundtrack[edit]
The soundtrack rights of the film is owned by Junglee Music South. Ilaiyaraaja and Yuvan Shankar Raja jointly composed music for the film while the latter also did the film score. The first single titled "Head Up High" was released on 10 April 2023. The second single titled "Timeless Love" was released on 23 April 2023.The third single "Ammo Nee Rukkumini" in Telugu and "Ammani Rukkumani" in Tamil was released on 17 May 2023 after the film's release.The fourth single "Anna Thammulante" in Telugu and "Ettu Thesa" in Tamil was released on 24 May 2023 after the film's release.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Head Up High" | Ramajogayya Sastry Shri Shivani V.P. | Yuvan Shankar Raja | Arun Kaundinya Asal Kolaar | 4:27 |
| 2. | "Timeless Love" | Ramajogayya Sastry | Ilaiyaraaja | Kapil Kapilan | 4:20 |
| 3. | "Ammo Nee Rukkumini" | Ramajogayya Sastry | Ilaiyaraaja | Premgi Amaren Manasi Mahadevan | 3:27 |
| 4. | "Anna Thammulante" | Ramajogayya Sastry | Ilaiyaraaja | Vijay Yesudas | 3:58 |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Head Up High" | Karunakaran Sri Shivani V. P. | Yuvan Shankar Raja | Asal Kolar Arun Kaundinya | 4:27 |
| 2. | "Timeless Love" | Madhan Karky | Ilaiyaraaja | Kapil Kapilan | 4:20 |
| 3. | "Ammani Rukkumani" | Muthamil | Ilaiyaraaja | Premgi Amaren Manasi Mahadevan | 3:28 |
| 4. | "Ettu Thesa" | Gangai Amaran | Ilaiyaraaja | Vijay Yesudas | 3:52 |
Reception[edit]
Custody received mixed reviews from critics, with praise towards the cast performances (Chaitanya, Arvind Swamy, Krithi Shetty and R.Sarathkumar), cinematography, action sequences and plot, but criticism directed towards its length and predictability.
Critical response[edit]
Neeshita Nyayapati of The Times of India gave 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "Custody has the kind of story that’s predictable and some of the characters could’ve been fully realised to make this experience better than what it is".[15] 123Telugu gave 2.75 out of 5 stars and wrote "Custody manages to engage in bits and pieces but apart from those portions, there isn’t anything great to rave about. Naga Chaitanya and Arvind Swami try their level best, but it is the direction and story of Venkat Prabhu that has to be blamed."[16]
Kirubhakar Purushothaman of The Indian Express rated the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Venkat Prabhu directorial Custody doesn’t decide what type of movie it wants to be till the very last scene of the film."[17] Latha Srinivasan of India Today gave 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "The romance portions dragged the film down and stalled the story, and the songs were unnecessary too. Music directors Ilaiyaraaja and Yuvan Shankar Raj this Is are excellent musicians but, in this film, an excellent BGM would have elevated the film more".[18] Sushmita Dey of Zoom rated the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Helmed and written by Venkat Prabhu, this predictable action thriller could have been an impactful film but failed due to a sloppy screenplay. Slick action moves, some predictable twists, and massy vibes are not enough to make this movie stand out.".[19] Balakrishna Ganeshan of The News Minute gave 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Naga Chaitanya’s film has its moments but falls short".[20]
Manoj Kumar of OTTplay gave 2 out of 5 stars and wrote "Venkat Prabhu has attempted to infuse the film with his own charisma. However, he goes a step too far by breaking the fourth wall multiple times, which undercuts the tension of the film. This technique may have worked in other films, but in a movie that relies on the dramatic tension of a chase to captivate the audience, it does not work as effectively."[21] Times Now gave 2 out of 5 stars and wrote "The director Venkat wanted to make a two-and-a-half-hour movie where the climax was ten to fifteen minutes long. Besides stunning stills and witty humour, the film should've chosen some good music for emotional moments".[22]
Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu wrote "Custody is not without its pitfalls. It wobbles when it explores a cliched emotional backstory. The romance and some of the humour surrounding it could also have been written better. But the film has a lot going for it."[23] Haricharan Pudipeddi of Hindustan Times wrote "For a story that predominantly unfolds over a span of 48 hours and involves some solid chase sequences, the film wastes quite a lot of time initially in needless subplots. The film needed to be more relentless and crisper to have made the audience feel its intended impact."[24]
References[edit]
- ↑ "Custody: Akkineni Naga Chaitanya, Krithi Shetty's film shooting wrapped up, makers announce release date". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 27 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ↑ "Custody: Runtime locked for Naga Chaitanya's Custody". 123telugu. Archived from the original on 9 May 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
- ↑ "Custody Collections : కస్టడీ క్లోజింగ్ కలెక్షన్స్.. ఎంత పోయిందంటే." News 18 Telugu (in telugu). 13 June 2023. Archived from the original on 13 June 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ↑ "First single from Custody, Head High Up, is here". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ↑ "Naga Chaitanya wraps up Custody; Venkat Prabhu says 'You are now released from our custody'". The Indian Express. 24 February 2023. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ↑ "Arvind Swami is in Police Custody; Venkat Prabhu's film set for May 12". Pinkvilla. 12 April 2023. Archived from the original on 16 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ↑ "Custody Twitter review: Naga Chaitanya-Venkat Prabhu's film opens to positive reviews". OTTplay. Archived from the original on 2023-05-12. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
- ↑ "Custody box office collection Day 7: Film becomes huge flop at domestic box office". News 24. 19 May 2023. Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
- ↑ "Custody box office collection Day 7: No takers for Naga Chaitanya, Venkat Prabhu's film". India Today. 19 May 2013. Archived from the original on 26 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
- ↑ "Venkat Prabhu, Naga Chaitanya's NC 22 to have THIS talented Kollywood star playing a crucial role in it". OTTplay. Archived from the original on 2023-05-12. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2023-05-15. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ↑ "Famous educationalist, owner of 13 Engineering colleges in Hyderabad C Malla Reddy declares a holiday and postpones exams on May 12th as Naga Chaitanya's 'Custody' is releasing…!". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ↑ "Official : Naga Chaitanya's Custody is streaming on OTT from this weekend". Track Tollywood. 7 June 2023. Archived from the original on 7 June 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
- ↑ "Custody vs Agent: ఏజెంట్ కంటే ముందుగానే ఓటీటీలోకి నాగచైతన్య కస్టడీ - స్ట్రీమింగ్ ప్లాట్ఫామ్ ఏదంటే". Hindustan Times Telugu. Archived from the original on 5 June 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
- ↑ "Custody Movie Review : A predictable yet engaging action drama". The Times of India. 12 May 2023. Archived from the original on 12 May 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- ↑ "Review : Custody – Works in bits and pieces". 123Telugu. 12 May 2023. Archived from the original on 12 May 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- ↑ "Custody movie review: Torn between being a campy Venkat Prabhu film and a formulaic star vehicle". The Indian Express. 12 May 2023. Archived from the original on 13 May 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ↑ "Custody Movie Review: This Naga Chaitanya film had interesting premise but let down by weak screenplay". India Today. 12 May 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-05-13. Retrieved 2023-05-13.
- ↑ "Custody Movie Review: Naga Chaitanya's Film Is Massy But Highly Messy". Zoom. 12 May 2023. Archived from the original on 13 May 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ↑ "Custody review: Naga Chaitanya's film has its moments but falls short". The News Minute. 12 May 2023. Archived from the original on 13 May 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ↑ "Custody review: Naga Chaitanya fails to break 'pretty boy' image, misses mark as an action hero". OTTplay. Archived from the original on 2023-05-12. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
- ↑ "Custody Movie Review: Naga Chaitanya's Film Is A Mix Of Sloppy Screenplay And Slick Moves". Times Now. 12 May 2023. Archived from the original on 13 May 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ↑ Dundoo, Sangeetha Devi (12 May 2023). "'Custody' movie review: Venkat Prabhu's mix of conflict and humour works for this Naga Chaitanya, Arvind Swami actioner". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 12 May 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- ↑ "Custody movie review: Naga Chaitanya's action thriller has too many subplots, needed a lot more to make an impact". Hindustan Times. 12 May 2023. Archived from the original on 12 May 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023.