BOTTOM LINE
Novel, But Highly Flawed
OUR RATING
2.25/5
CENSOR
A, 2h 16m
What Is the Film About?
The city of Hyderabad is terrorised as many women go missing. The government constitutes a special investigative unit headed by Aadhya (Nandita Swetha) to catch the culprit quickly and bring justice to grieving families. Abhay (Ashwin) is a team member who goes by his guts.
What are the problems faced by Abhay and Aadhya? The movie’s primary plot is finding out who the serial killer is and his motive behind them.
Performances
Ashwin is back on the big screen after a gap. He has picked a crime thriller which is the current trend, and plays a police officer. He looks fit for the part physically; however, it is one note when it comes to emotions. Be it fights or drama, there is a stiff expression summoning up all the energy, contracting all the muscles from the neck up. It is a constant feature throughout.
Ashwin makes the over-the-top action look convincing due to his body, but his weakness comes to the fore regarding the dialogue and diction. He has done better in the past, but still, it is a decent character and an upgrade from the past outings.
Nandita Swetha plays a cop who is in charge of the case. She tries hard but doesn’t look like someone in control. Some regular dramatic parts are alright, but the big moments where she needs to be tough and authoritative could have been better.
Analysis
Aneel Kanneganti of Asadhyudu, Mr Nookayya, and Run fame directs Hidimba. It is a serial killer investigative thriller with over-the-top action blocks in between.
The opening, with eerie music and a creepy setting, immediately makes one curious about the plot. The theme of missing girls is also neatly established. However, what follows takes one out of seriousness instantly.
The drama featuring the primary characters inhibiting the space is weak. The writing gets the primary blame, but the direction is unsatisfactory, making the whole thing look rushed and flat.
The hero introduction and the fun further deplete the serious-looking narrative. The comedy, however brief, fails to gel with the core plot and looks forced to have commercial elements. The good thing is they don’t last long.
It is now up to the primary investigation, and some bits look fine here, even if following the genre cliches to the hilt. The conflict between the leads, the lead and the higher officials are all poorly executed writing and direction-wise. The fun banter and romance add cringe to the mix.
A big action block is placed amidst all this, which looks straight out of a regular commercial movie. It is executed well, as the hero’s physique helps. But, the whole thing comes to an abrupt end of sorts.
Only when the investigation takes front and centre and we see the curious guys in action that some hold occurs again narratively. The pre-interval and interval are okay in parts, making one interested in the second half.
Hidimba’s real content is revealed at the beginning of the second half. It is lengthy and pace dips but has a consistent and cohesive tone to keep one engaged intermittently. The visuals are gory and are not for everybody, but it does the job of hooking the audience.
Things derail once the flashback ends, and the interest starts to fade. The haphazard editing and messy feeling are the reason. Just when one thinks it is all over and there is no coming back, a twist in the tale takes one by surprise. It is illogical but helps salvage the collapsing narrative.
Overall, Hidimba is a thriller ticking all the genre cliches with a unique and gory backdrop. However, it is poorly executed, with few workable parts. Try it for the core mystery if you like the genre but have the least expectations.
Performances by Others Actors
Makarand Deshpande and Sijju have crucial roles in the narrative. They are sincere and do their parts well. Makarand Deshpande is utilised well and adds to the creepiness.
Srinivas Reddy is wasted, whereas Subhalekha Sudhar and Sanjay Swaroop have never been this listless. Raghu Kunche gets some moments, but ultimately they don’t lead to anything. Among the rest, the actor playing Boya gets a massive build-up but fails to sizzle when the time to deliver.
Music and Other Departments?
Vikas Badisa’s background score is impressive in that he manages to keep the narrative thumping with an electric mix of sounds heavily borrowed from KGF, Vikram, Stranger Things and the like. The songs are below par, and it doesn’t surprise that they are cut short on-screen.
The cinematography is good in parts giving the movie a slick action thriller look. Few scenes look ordinary, too. The editing is terrible and irritating. Sometimes it is so jarring that all the good work goes undone. The KGF-style fade-out is poorly executed. The writing (barring a few parts) is laughable, with a lot of cringe.
Highlights?
Core Mystery
Interval Block
Parts Of The Second Half
Drawbacks?
Climax/Closure
Editing
Over The Top Parts
Writing
Drama And Romance
Gory Visuals (Not For Everyone*)
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, but only in parts
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, But With Huge Reservation
Hidimbha Movie Review by M9News
Final Report:
Hidimbha’s second half is better, comparatively, with cohesive plotting and revelation of shocking content, and an unexpected twist. It is illogical and over the top giving it limited appeal, which is the case with Hidimbha as well.
First Half Report:
Hidimbha is a crime thriller with an exciting backdrop of a serial killer; parts of it work, but the experience is marred by inconsistent tone and unnecessary commercial trappings. The second half holds the key now.
— Hidimbha show started with an intense backdrop of missing cases concerning girls. Stay tuned for the first half report.
Cast : Ashwin Babu, Nandita Swetha
Conceived and Directed By : Aneel Kanneganti
Produced By : Sreedhar Gangapatnam , SVK Cinemas
Presented by : AK entertainments
Cinematography : B.Rajasekhar
Music Director : Vikas Badisa
Editor : M.R. Varma
Art : Sharmila Yalisetty
Dialogues : Kalyana Chakravarthy
Lyrics : “Saraswati Putra” Ramajogayya Sastry, B subbaraya sharma, Virinchi putla, Pranavam,
Action : Real Sathish, Jashuva, Aneel Kanneganti
Hidimbha Movie Review by M9News
