A game of chess that leaves you wanting
Overview: Nationwide and Nandi Award winner, director Chandrasekhar Yeleti, returns to Tollywood after 2016 with the jail drama Test. Whereas his try is to inform the story of a prisoner who’s determined to show his innocence, the unusual ‘industrial’ therapy the movie will get ensures it finally ends up being a blended bag.
Aditya (Nithiin) is dealing with critical expenses of terrorism and is sentenced to demise. He appeals to the court docket to nominate him a lawyer who will assist him show his innocence. Manasa (Rakul Preet Singh) is compelled to take up the case by her father (Posani Krishna Murali) in hope that her profession will profit from it. Whilst Aditya waits in hope of discovering a strategy to escape demise sentence, he meets a chess participant, fellow prisoner Sriman Narayana (Sai Chand) who excels on the sport. Whereas the scholar quickly surpasses the grasp within the sport, life retains throwing curveballs. If he manages to live on types the story.
Within the early 2000s when Chandrasekhar Yeleti made movies like Aithe and Anukokunda Oka Roju, it was laborious to not be in awe of the tales he informed. This nonetheless stays the case for essentially the most half in the case of the core story of Test. As a substitute of the standard heroic protagonists who will defy gravity and nary shed a tear, he writes a protagonist who’s in a susceptible place for no fault of his personal.
He experiences trauma attributable to solitary confinement, however manages to show even that have right into a helpful one. He additionally faces risk from fellow prisoners like Set off (Rohit Pathak), who exists to tick off the field of that disgusting, ruthless, cliché felony. And extra importantly, he falls in love with Yatra (Priya Prakash Varrier) solely to sing a duet (fortunately the one track within the movie) and realise too late that he has been conned. An irony, seeing as how he’s knowledgeable conman who’s purported to be clever. None-the-less, Chandrasekhar dredges on, in hope that in midst of all of the random, closely choreographed struggle scenes, the viewers notices the small print which were put in, particularly in the case of Aditya’s backstory and the rationale why he will get so good at chess.
However the movie suffers a significant downside in the case of its pacing and casting each. Nithiin falters in some key scenes to lend the required depth to his character, whereas he aces via different bits. Despite the fact that he performs a conman/prisoner, his physique language comes throughout as each boy-next-door he has ever performed earlier than. The background rating by Kalyani Malik tries too laborious to set the temper, working solely in components. Rakul then again provides efficiency, switching between timid and fierce, as and when required. Sai Chand leaves an impression, even when his character isn’t fleshed out effectively. Priya and Simran Choudhary additionally make one of the best of what they’re given. The climax is means too harking back to a sure well-known American jail drama, so are a couple of different scenes.
Test has the potential to be a fascinating jail drama however falters in parts it’s purported to excel in. It does have good bits and potential, however if you happen to’re a fan of participating jail dramas, it would go away you wanting. Yeleti does make you wish to keep invested until the tip, however solely as a result of you already know what he is able to.
