Costao (UA) Review
Banner: Bhanushali Studios Limited and Bombay Fables Motion PicturesGenre: Crime DramaCensor: UA
Story & Screenplay
Costao tells the tale of Costoa Fernandes (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), an upright Customs officer in Goa who repeatedly foils gold smuggling operations run by underworld don D’Mello (Kishor Kumar G.). When Costao kills D’Mello’s brother Peter (Hussain Dalal) in self-defence during one such mission, instead of standing his ground, he flees the scene. This sparks off a cycle of revenge, with D’Mello determined to destroy Costao.
Writers Bhavesh Mandalia and Meghna Srivastava base the drama on a real-life figure, but the screenplay lacks conviction. The turning point Costao running away despite killing in self-defence feels illogical, undermining his credibility as an honest officer.
The narrative after this incident drags, offering more tedium than tension. Dialogues are decent, with Costao’s lines standing out.
Performances
Nawazuddin Siddiqui anchors the film with a powerful and nuanced performance, elevating even the weakly written moments.
Priya Bapat lends quiet strength as his wife Maria.
Kishor Kumar G. is menacing as D’Mello.
Gagan Dev Riar (CBI officer Narang) and Hussain Dalal (Peter) are serviceable.
Shravan Fondekar provides fair support as the informer.
Child actors Asmi Deo (Marisa) and Abeer Jain (Chris) are adequate.
Mahika Sharma, Ashish Pradhan, Shruti Puranik, and others contribute routine support.
Direction
Sejal Shah’s direction is limited by the weak script. Despite a promising premise, the treatment is flat and lacks edge, failing to build tension or intrigue consistently.
Music & Technical Aspects
Songs (Ketan Sodha, Ajay Jayanthi; lyrics by Ginny Diwan, Mxrzi, Ajay Jayanthi, Niren Bhatt) are forgettable.
Background score (Ketan Sodha) is impactful and does more for the drama than the songs.
Cinematography (Rafey Mahmood) is neat.
Action/Stunts (Abbas Ali Moghul) are functional but unremarkable.
Production Design (Sapna Chandra) and Art Direction (Abhijit Shreshth, Vijay Gupta) are adequate.
Editing (Unnikrishnan P.P.) is loose and could’ve been sharper to cut down on drag.
Final Verdict
Costao had the potential to be a gritty, engaging crime drama, but falters due to an unconvincing screenplay and flat direction. The film’s saving grace is Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s stellar performance, which keeps it from sinking completely.
Box Office: Very ordinary prospects; Nawazuddin’s presence alone may attract limited class audience.
PUBLISHED BY SUYASH PACHAURI, FOUNDER & OWNER, GLOBAL BOLLYWOOD | THE HOLLYWOOD SCOPE