Movie: Spy
Rating: 2/5
Banner: ED Entertainments
Cast: Nikhil Siddharth, Iswarya Menon, Aryan Rajesh, Sanya Thakur, Abhinav Gomatam, Sachin Khedekar, Makarand Deshpande, Rana Dabbugati (guest role) and others
Music: Vishal Chandrasekhar, Sricharan Pakala
Director of Photography: Vamshi Patchipulusu, Mark David
Story and Producer: Rajasekhar Reddy
Edited and Directed by: Garry BH
Release Date: June 29, 2023
Following the success of "Karthikeya 2" across India, Nikhil Siddharth's star power has risen. To capitalize on the craze, he has now appeared in another film with "pan-Indian" content.
Let's see if his latest thriller, "Spy," lives up to the hype.
Story:
Agent Jai (Nikhil Siddharth) works for RAW. Bose (Aryan Rajesh), his brother, was also an agent who was slain on a mission overseas.
Abdul Khader (Nitin Mehta) a Pakistan terrorist scheming against India, and Jai is tasked with capturing him. Along with his assistant Kamal (Abhinav Gomatam) and fellow agent Vaishavi (Iswarya), Jai begins his work
During their mission, they discover that Khader is not acting alone. A rogue Pakistani scientist, he has planned a more deadly plot to tarnish India's reputation internationally.
The story is all about Jai aborting the scientist’s plans and also getting inspired by Netaji Subash Chandra Bose’s freedom fight.
Artistes’ Performances:
From Nikhil to Makrand Desphande, everyone in the film does a routine job. Nikhil in no way suits the role of an agent.
Iswarya Menon's Telugu debut is okay. Abhinav Gomatam's jokes fall flat. Nitin Mehta and Jissu Sengputa add nothing new.
Technical Excellence:
The cinematography is the best part of this movie. It is filmed in various locations and the cinematographer captures them lavishly. Background score is okay.
There are only two songs (one romantic and the other patriotic number) in the film and both lack appeal.
Highlights:
Locations
One or two episodes
Drawback:
Cliched story
Poor screenplay writing
Mismatch of Netaji’s story
Abhinav Gomatam’s silly jokes
Analysis
"Spy" was promoted as a film that would reveal "India's Best Kept Secret." The makers confidently declared that it would address the unknown aspects surrounding Netaji Subash Chandra Bose's death and the freedom struggle, generating a lot of attention. However, the film has nothing to do with Bose's "secret."
The Nikhil Siddharth starrer "Spy" doesn't reveal anything new regarding Netaji's independence struggle or death. The filmmakers simply used gimmickry to increase their collection in the Hindi market, as films with nationalistic themes tend to do well in North India.
Forget the "Netaji" episode; even as a spy thriller, "Spy" falls flat. It becomes evident from the start that there is no proper story (written by the producer himself). All the standard espionage movie scenes are included.
We learn early on that Aryan Rajesh, Nikhil Siddharth's brother, was assassinated on a mission, so Nikhil Siddharth becomes an agent as well. When their father (Tanikella Bharani) speaks emotionally about Aryan Rajesh, it feels contrived. There is no emotional or patriotic feeling present throughout the film.
The RAW chief functions more like a conventional business executive. When discussing Netaji's "missing file," he sounds more like a politician than an agency leader. Even the film's hero appears to be an ordinary youngster rather than an actual agent. Filmmaker Garry has also included the music from "Happy Days" in the background, further spoiling the seriousness of the story.
We sense a lack of a serious tone whenever Abhinav Gomatam attempts to deliver conversational punches. How can a RAW agent manage to sound like a buffoon? Abhinav Goamatam is also an agent, but he asks foolish questions.
The film only has a few engaging scenes and attempts to generate tension regarding Netaji's missing file at the interval bang. However, when the Netaji Subash Chandra Bose episode finally arrives, it is a disappointment. Rana makes a brief appearance and delivers a speech that sounds contrived.
Though the film has a short running time, it feels lengthy due to the uninteresting proceedings.
Overall, "Spy" is more like Akhil's "Agent" - dull and tedious. The patriotic element of Netaji Bose is ineffective, and the film fails to provide any thrilling moments, inducing a sleep mode instead.
Bottom line: Boring