Custody (2023 film)

Custody is a 2023 Indian political action thriller film written and directed by Venkat Prabhu in his Telugu directorial debut, while it was produced by Srinivasa Chitturi under Srinivasaa Silver Screen and Anji Industeries.[4] The film stars Naga Chaitanya, Krithi Shetty, Arvind Swamy, Priyamani, R. Sarathkumar and Sampath Raj. It was shot simultaneously in Telugu and Tamil languages.[5]

Custody
Theatrical release poster
Directed byVenkat Prabhu
Written byVenkat Prabhu
Abburi Ravi (Telugu dialogues)
Produced bySrinivasaa Chitturi
StarringNaga Chaitanya
Krithi Shetty
Arvind Swamy
CinematographyS. R. Kathir
Edited byVenkat Raajen
Music bySongs:
Yuvan Shankar Raja
Ilaiyaraaja
Score:
Yuvan Shankar Raja
Production
companies
Srinivasaa Silver Screen
Anji Industeries
Release date
12 May 2023[1]
Running time
148 minutes[2]
CountryIndia
LanguagesTelugu
Tamil
Box office₹9.28 crore[3]

Custody was released theatrically on 12 May 2023 and received mixed reviews from critics.[6][7]

Plot

In 1998, A. 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 arrest Rajasekhar alias "Raazu", 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 Raazu in court situated at Bangalore in 48 hours, as Raazu 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. Dakshayani learns of Raazu's arrest and assigns some goons and IG Nataraj to kill him. Nataraj and Dakshyini's goons tries to kill Raazu and George, but Shiva subdues the goons and escapes with them. Shiva, Raazu and George head to Bangalore, where Revathi also accompanies them. Nataraj tracks them down where their car falls into a lake near a dam. Shiva, Raazu, 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 Raazu go to the hospital as Raazu 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 Raazu gets operated. After this, the trio are escorted by officers under Varghese's orders, but Nataraj and his goons surround them. Shiva and Raazu fights the men, where Philip also arrives and helps Shiva and others to escape. Due to sudden circumstances, Raazu escapes and arrives at a fair, but Shiva manages to find him. Nataraj arrives and tells Shiva to kill Raazu in exchange for his father's life. However, Shiva's father tells Shiva to leave and shoots himself to death. Shiva escapes again with Raasu and Revathi. At the railway station, the trio are attacked by Raazu's brother Ravi, who was bribed by Dakshayani to kill him in exchange for taking Raazu's place.

A fight ensues where Raazu kills Ravi. Shiva, Revathi and Raazu boards the train to Bangalore. Nataraj and his men follow them. A fight ensues where Raazu separates from the compartment in order to save Shiva. Nataraj kills Raazu, thus leaving Shiva devastated. The next day at the court, it is revealed that Shiva actually recorded Raazu's confession about Dakshayani's involvement in the bomb blast, and shows the evidence in the court. Dakshayani, Nataraj and other officers involved are arrested. After this, Shiva and Revathi plans for their marriage preparation.

Cast

Release

The film was released on 12 May 2023.[12]

Home media

The digital rights of the film were acquired by Netflix.[13]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack rights of the film is owned by Junglee Music South. Ilaiyaraaja and Yuvan Shankar Raja jointly scored music for the film. 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.

Track listing (Telugu)
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Head Up High"Ramajogayya Sastry
Shri Shivani V.P.		Arun Kaundinya
Asal Kolaar		4:27
2."Timeless Love"Ramajogayya SastryKapil Kapilan4.20
Total length:8:47
Track listing (Tamil)
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Head Up High"Karunakaran
Sri Shivani V. P.		Asal Kolar
Arun Kaundinya		4:27
2."Timeless Love"Madhan KarkyKapil Kapilan4.20
Total length:8:47

Reception

Custody received mixed reviews from critics with praise towards the cast performances (Chaitanya and Arvind Swamy), action sequences and plot, but criticism directed towards its predictability and music.

Critical response

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".[14] 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."[15]

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."[16] 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 Raja are excellent musicians but, in this film, an excellent BGM would have elevated the film more".[17] 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.".[18] 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".[19]

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."[20] 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".[21]

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."[22] 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."[23]

References
  1. "Custody: Akkineni Naga Chaitanya, Krithi Shetty's film shooting wrapped up, makers announce release date". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  2. "Custody: Runtime locked for Naga Chaitanya's Custody". 123telugu. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  3. "Custody box office collection Day 6: It's game over for Naga Chaitanya's film". India Today. 18 May 2023.
  4. "First single from Custody, Head High Up, is here". Cinema Express. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  5. "Naga Chaitanya wraps up Custody; Venkat Prabhu says 'You are now released from our custody'". The Indian Express. 24 February 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  6. "Arvind Swami is in Police Custody; Venkat Prabhu's film set for May 12". Pinkvilla. 12 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  7. "Custody Twitter review: Naga Chaitanya-Venkat Prabhu's film opens to positive reviews". OTTplay.
  8. "Krithi Shetty's character name and first look in Venkat Prabhu's 'Custody' revealed". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  9. Bureau, The Hindu (25 February 2023). "It's a wrap for Venkat Prabhu-Naga Chaitanya's 'Custody'". The Hindu. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  10. "Venkat Prabhu, Naga Chaitanya's NC 22 to have THIS talented Kollywood star playing a crucial role in it". OTTplay.
  11. https://twitter.com/anandhikayaloff/status/1655179826708504577?cxt=HHwWgoDTpY3SsPgtAAAA
  12. "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. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  13. "Custody OTT Streaming Details". Filmy Focus. 12 May 2023.
  14. "Custody Movie Review : A predictable yet engaging action drama". The Times of India. 12 May 2023.
  15. "Review : Custody – Works in bits and pieces". 123Telugu. 12 May 2023.
  16. "Custody movie review: Torn between being a campy Venkat Prabhu film and a formulaic star vehicle". The Indian Express. 12 May 2023.
  17. "Custody Movie Review: This Naga Chaitanya film had interesting premise but let down by weak screenplay". India Today. 12 May 2023.
  18. "Custody Movie Review: Naga Chaitanya's Film Is Massy But Highly Messy". Zoom. 12 May 2023.
  19. "Custody review: Naga Chaitanya's film has its moments but falls short". The News Minute. 12 May 2023.
  20. "Custody review: Naga Chaitanya fails to break 'pretty boy' image, misses mark as an action hero". OTTplay.
  21. "Custody Movie Review: Naga Chaitanya's Film Is A Mix Of Sloppy Screenplay And Slick Moves". Times Now. 12 May 2023.
  22. 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.
  23. "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.
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