Shyam Singha Roy Review- Strong in parts but offers very little else

Movie: Shyam Singha Roy
Rating: 3/5
Cast: Nani, Sai Pallavi, Kriti Shetty, Madonna Sebastian
Director: Rahul Sankrityan
Produced By: Niharika Entertainment
Release Date: 24th December

Nani is back to the Silver Screen 2 years after Nani’s Gang Leader with a reincarnation drama directed by Taxiwaala fame Rahul Sankrityan. He pairs up with Sai Pallavi (after their previous successful outing MCA) and Kriti Shetty (who made a strong debut with Uppena this year). The movie has hit the screens amidst huge expectations; read on to find out whether the team delivered.

Story: The movie kicks off with the story of present-day Nani (Ghanta Vasudev), an aspiring film director who has been offered a directorial chance if he can prove himself by directing a short film first. He runs into Keerti (Kriti Shetty) and decides to cast her as the lead actress in his short film. Once he successfully completes the short film, he goes on to direct his first feature film which gains him Pan India fame. It is at this point that the key element of the story takes off with the introduction of plot twists and Nani’s Shyam Singha Roy character in erstwhile Kharagpur. The latter part of the movie is dominated by the flashback episode of Shyam and Rosie (Sai Pallavi). The director ties it back to the present towards the end of the film

Performances: Nani dons both the roles with ease and confidence. Vasudev is a run of the mill character for Nani, one that is like numerous other roles he did, but Shyam Singha Roy is the role where he shines. He looked the part as a 20th century reformer who sympathizes with the Naxal movement but rather uses pen as his weapon, that is until he needs to bash up the bad guys. Sai Pallavi delivers another memorable performance as Rosie, a vulnerable Devadasi who was sold into the system by her parents and meets the outside world for the first time. Kriti Shetty had very little to do along with a host of other character artists who all did justice to their limited screen time. Apart from the lead actors, it is Madonna Sebastian and Rahul Ravindran who deliver stand out performances as Vasu’s lawyer and Shyam’s brother respectively.

Analysis: Shyam Singha Roy starts off slow and takes its time to reach the first conflict point in the plot. Nani and Kriti do their best to keep us engaged throughout the first half, but it is not until the pre-interval episode that the movie really finds its groove. The real strength of the movie lies in the flashback episode, particularly the scenes between Nani and Sai Pallavi which are emotional and engaging. The music and background score by Mickey J Meyer is an asset to the movie, especially the legendary Sirivennela Sitarama Sastry’s last song ‘Sirivennela’ stealing the show. The art department did an excellent job in bringing 1960s West Bengal to life. One of the biggest assets of the movie are the dialogues penned by Janga Satyadev.

Plus Points:

• Nani and Sai Pallavi
• Flashback episode and Mickey’s music
• Courtroom scenes

Minus Points:

• Story takes a while to come to life
• Few rushed episodes in 2nd half
• Unconvincing scenes

Verdict: Shyam Singha Roy is a decent entertainer with commercial elements that are expected from a Tollywood reincarnation drama. The movie expects audience to be invested in the lives of Vasu and Keerti for almost an hour and rewards them from then onwards till the end. The flashback has its highs and lows as the wonderful love story is negated by few rushed scenes to establish Shyam as a famous reformer. The performances, the visuals, and the music make sure that the audience is not disconnected from the proceedings at any point in the latter half. The ending could have been better as the movie ends on an extremely predictable note after an excellent courtroom scene. Overall, Nani makes a good comeback to the big screen with a decent movie but whether it delivers at the box office is left to be seen.