‘Costao' movie review: Nawazuddin Siddiqui anchors this biopic which shines in the second half
Costao Fernandes, the ex-officer from Marmagoa Custom House, hid in the jungle for a day after accidentally killing Alvernaz Alemao, brother of former Goa chief minister Churchill Alemao. With his body battered with multiple wounds, Costao faced an immense struggle to stay alive.
Only after he surrendered to the cops the next day did Costao's lone fight against an influential and corrupt system begin, as he gave his all to prove his innocence. What if Sejal Shah's biopic had started from this chilling episode?
In herdirectorial debut Costao, the Hindi thriller on Zee5, Sejal believes in linear storytelling, and that approach sucks out the intensity of the incredible journey of her protagonist. Like several biopics, Costao is content with being family-friendly drama. Hence, the movie is narrated from the point of view of Costao's little daughter.
The movie, set in the 90s, tries to establish Costao as a fitness freak who holds his job and country close to heart. There is a slight detachment from the proceedings as the scenes are marked with a tinge of dullness. Operating leisurely, Costao presents its protagonist as a traditional, rousing hero instead of looking at him as a unique character. Even the dramatic chase that results in Costao's busting of Alemao's gold smuggling in broad daylight comes with a funky background score, making it hard to take the scene seriously.
Costao (Hindi)
Director: Sejal Shah
Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Priya Bapat, Kishore, Gagan Dev Riar, Shyam Sunder
Runtime: 120 minutes
Storyline: Costao Fernandes, a humble customs officer, is known for bringing smuggling down in Goa. What happens when he ends up killing a popular drug lord in self-defence?
After a bumpy start, Costao recovers nicely to an extent when Nawazuddin Siddiqui begins to convince us of the vulnerability of Costao. After a long legal turmoil, when Costao slowly gives in to the inevitability of his situation, you begin to feel for him, thanks to Siddiqui's aching portrayal.
Throughout the film, we tend to understand the real Costao. He is a man who loves to see the lighter side in serious situations. Siddiqui is hilarious in a scene where Costao pranks a woman in his daughter's school, reminding us of his ability to ace grey, quirky characters. Costao is also a man who prefers logic over emotions, and that's why he nonchalantly talks about the importance of eating to counter stress amidst a serious argument.
Perhaps his relentless emphasis on duty and discipline came in the way of balancing his work and family. Despite his self-confession of being an 'absent father' and a 'bad husband', Costao struggles to let go of his love for serving the nation, and this duality comes out superbly during a well-acted quarrel with his wife (Priya Bapat in an affecting performance) where he stresses that he isn't guilty.
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Kishore, as Alemao, gets a one-note villain character. A face-off between Costao and Alemao is gripping, thanks to the authoritative exchanges between Siddiqui and Kishore. Costao has dense scenes that work well, as opposed to the film coming together nicely as a whole. Apart from a gentle ode to Goans, the movie ends up as a humanistic portrayal of an honest officer at the expense of insights and a compelling narrative accompanying a complex legal case.
Costao is currently streaming on Zee5
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