Movie: Hidimbha
Rating: 2/5
Banner: Sri Vignesh Karthik Cinemas and OAK Entertainments
Cast: Ashwin Babu, Nandita Sweta, Srinivasa Reddy, Sahithi Avancha, Sanjay Swaroop, Shijju, Vidyulekha Raman, Rajiv Kanakala, Shubaleka Sudakar and others
Dialogues: Kalyana Chakravarthy
Music: Vikas Badisa
Director of Photography: B Rajasekar
Editor: M R Varma
Fights: Joshuva And Real Satish
Presents: Anil Sunkara’s AK Entertainments
Producer: Gangapatnam Sridhar
Directed by: Aneel Kanneganti
Release Date: July 20, 2023
Young actor Ashwin Babu gained recognition with films such as "Raju Gari Gadhi," and he has been attempting to present different thrillers to Telugu audiences. His latest film "Hidimbha" drew attention with its trailer, which captivated everyone with its intriguing plot, grand production, and high technical standards.
Let's see if the film fulfills the promises made in the trailer.
Story:
A string of girl disappearances in Hyderabad puts the police force under strain. After 16 girls go missing, the government appoints Aadya, an IPS officer from Kerala, to investigate the case. Until then, another officer, Abhay (Ashwin Babu), was investigating the abductions.
Will Aadya solve the case with the help of Abhay? Who is Boya, and why is he terrorizing people? And what does the whole case have to do with the Hidimba tribe?
Artistes’ Performances:
Ashwin Babu fits well for action stunts and thrilling elements, but falls flat in emotional scenes. Nandita Swetha is a perfect choice as a police officer.
Makrand Deshpande is fantastic as the only remaining member of his clan from the British era. Other actors have played supporting roles justifiably.
Technical Excellence:
The background score serves as the film's foundation. The cinematography is also superb. Kalyan Chakravarthy's dialogues are okay.
Highlights:
Cinematography and the background music
The main twist
Drawback:
Inconsistency in narration
The sluggish first half
Too much of cinematic liberties
Gore and over-the-top scenes
Analysis
"Hidimbha" deals with cannibalism, which is unusual in Telugu thriller films. For this reason, this film looks fresh. The basic plot is intriguing. However, effective execution and engaging narration are lacking. Furthermore, some scenes are filled with too much gore and make it a difficult watch.
There is no hint of the actual plot in the first half of the film. It's a regular investigative thriller with some other elements. In fact, we get the impression that the lead pair's love story is dragging on. Despite the fact that the love story between the hero and heroine is brief, the flow of the story and investigation is hampered. The already sluggish narrative slows even more.
There are some twists and turns, but they don't add much to the story. Two things in the film really worked: the flashback episode about the Hidimbha clan and their involvement in the missing cases/murders, and the twist about the true villain.
The director has failed to capitalize on these positive elements and the strong support from the production and technical teams. The screenplay is inappropriate for a thriller.
There are also logical issues to consider. Despite the fact that Ashwin Babu is colorblind, he was chosen for a police officer position.
There is also mention of an organ trade mafia at the start. This red herring, however, is ineffective. Films like Ravi Babu's "Anasuya" have already used scenes of red-dressed girls being murdered, so there is no sense of novelty here.
The action sequences were lavishly designed, but it's difficult to believe Ashwin Babu is performing such heavy-duty stunts. They also appear forced.
Furthermore, the climax sequence is a total bust.
Overall, "Hidimbha" doesn’t work though it has a unique point for a thriller, as well as strong technical output. The film's narration suffers greatly due to a lack of logic and over-the-top violent sequences.
Bottom line: Difficult to Watch
