Release Date : April 13, 2023
123telugu.com Rating : 2.5/5
Starring: Ravi Babu, Poorna, Surya, Satya Krishnan, Pranavi Manukonda & others
Directors: Uday and Suresh
Producer: Ravi Babu
Music Director: SS Rajesh
Cinematography: Charan Madhavaneni
Editor: Satyanarayana Balla
Related Links : Trailer
Asalu starring Poorna and Ravi Babu in the key roles, is now streaming on ETV Win. Ravi Babu is also the producer, writer, and supervising director of Asalu. This crime thriller is directed by Uday and Suresh. Let’s see how it is.
Story:
Venkatesh Chakravarthy (Surya) is a well-known forensic pathology professor. Vandhana (Poorna) is an assistant professor working under Chakravarthy. One day while taking an online class, Venkatesh Chakravarthy gets murdered. Students and Vandhana get shell-shocked seeing this. CID cop Ranjith Rao (Ravi Babu) is handled the responsibility of cracking the case. On the day of the murder, four people and an unidentified masked man visit the professor’s residence. Who among these has killed the professor? What’s the motive of the killer? How did Vandhana assist Ranjith Rao with the case? The film has the answers.
Plus Points:
The movie doesn’t waste any time and gets into the actual plot right from the very first scene. The murder and the proceedings thereafter generate curiosity. Ravi Babu is introduced in a solid manner dealing with a murder case. With this intro, the makers nicely immerse the audience into the film.
The setup is nicely done, and the viewer will be interested as to what unfolds next. The investigation angle is nicely handled. The primary suspects and their relation with the professor are well showcased. The investigation points fingers at all the suspects making things interesting.
Ravi Babu is stunning as a CID cop, and he has done an excellent job as an actor. Poorna got a very important role, and she did her part with conviction. Surya and others did what was expected of them. The movie is about 100 minutes long, which is another advantage of this crime thriller.
Minus Points:
The problems start once we get to know who the killer is. Until then, the movie is interesting, but suddenly the momentum declines afterwards. Unfortunately, this has been the problem with many whodunit thrillers, and Asalu is no exception to it. After revealing the killer, the movie becomes utterly predictable, and logics go for a toss
The backstory of the killer is pretty routine and makes one lose interest in the movie after a promising start. The emotional connect is highly missing. The cat and the mouse game that happens between the killer and the Police department as the movie approaches the finish is not handled way. The climax portions are over the top and silly.
Also, the family angle of Ravi Babu wasn’t necessary to this plot. Many scenes are conveniently written, making one wonder if a crime can be executed very easily without getting caught. Not at one instance would we get a feeling that the killer might get captured, showing the Police in a poor light.
Technical Aspects:
The background score by SS Rajesh is good. The cinematography by Charan Madhavaneni is solid, setting the mood required for a crime thriller. The production values are neat. The editing is crisp.
Ravi Babu’s mark is visible in a few sequences, leaving us wanting more. But the movie doesn’t give complete satisfaction as the second half and climax are not well handled. Direction by Uday and Suresh is just about okay. Had the proceedings that take place after the big reveal been engrossing, the film would have been much better.
Verdict:
On the whole, Asalu is a half-baked crime thriller. The way in which the second half is dealt with is not good, restricting the overall impact. Ravi Babu’s screen presence, Poorna’s performance, and a few scenes make the movie an okay watch this weekend.
123telugu.com Rating: 2.5/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team