Nawazuddin Siddiqui has returned to the OTT screen with the story of a real-life hero. Based on a true story, this film narrates the life of Goa’s customs officer, Costao Fernandes, who caught people’s attention by exposing gold smuggling in the 1990s. An attempt has been made to show his selflessness towards the country through this film. This story has pain, emotion, storytelling, brilliant acting and a strong personality; the only drawback is its weak direction, which is a fake coin of the 24-carat story. Read the full review to learn about the story of the film.
Story
The case of Costao Fernandes was a landmark decision. He was by no means a selfish husband, as many people consider him, but he was a selfless customs officer. He was not an absent father and this is what his elder daughter also felt, as she was the only one among his three children who was able to understand the whole incident. Seeing her father’s journey, she could understand what he going through and about the uncertainties of his life. Moreover, the security of his family was affecting his marriage as well. Costao begins with the narration of a little girl who takes the name of Costao and describes his qualities and also She is the storyteller of the story, who keeps you engaged till the end.
The story shows how Costao Fernandes gets embroiled in a murder case while trying to catch a politically connected smuggler. While catching this mafia, a scuffle takes place and in an attempt to save himself, he kills the mafia, but all this was done in self-defence. After this, the story goes through a long struggle, scenes of the destruction of the family, court and many legal investigations. Where the focus has not been on the details, but an attempt has been made to highlight the difficulties of Costao’s life. This film tried to show a family’s perspective more than focusing on this landmark judgment, how the layers of the case were revealed and what the main points of the investigation were, which has hugely affected the film.
Some serious scenes in the story show how mental stress eats up a man and what effects the fight between parents has on an 8-10-year-old. The girl sees her mother being molested on the street, but is unable to understand how to react to it. She sees her father, whom she always considered a hero, being beaten up outside the court by a group of women. The trauma inflicted on the girl’s mind and soul is given more importance, which gives a different perspective to the story but distracts the film from its motive, which was actually to portray Costao’s story on screen and the makers should’ve focused more on the landmark judgment than family drama.
Acting
No actor could match Nawazuddin Siddiqui for this film as he is the perfect choice for this role. He is spontaneous and knows how to get into character. His expressions are superb. There is conviction in his dialogue delivery. Nawazuddin is seen expressing all the emotions in this film, thrill, humour, pain and anger. His honesty and responsibility towards acting are both visible. Among the other characters seen in the film, Priya Bapat is commendable in the role of Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s wife. She has done a good job. Her acting is powerful and she has shown the right emotions at the right places on screen. The worry for her husband, the concern for her children, the fear on her face and the determination to handle everything alone are clearly visible in her eyes.
Hussain Dalal has played the role of Peter. This role is quite small but impactful. Gagan Dev Riyar is perfect in the role of a grumpy, dull and corrupt officer in the role of CBI officer. Kishore Kumar G, who is a seasoned actor, has played the role of the lead villain Demelo in the film. He has already left a mark in South Indian films and despite less screen space, the actor has left no stone unturned in staging the right tone. The work of the informer and fellow customs officer Nayak, shown in the film, also seems to give direction to the story. After Nawazuddin Siddiqui, the most important character in this story was that of Costao’s daughter, the child artist who played this role has done a heart-winning job. You will be able to relate to her innocence.
Direction and writing
The film has been directed and written by Sejal Shah, who tried to give shape to the story in a good and effective way, but failed at it. Despite a great start, the story went astray in the middle. In this 2 hours and 5 minutes long film, she kept focusing on the emotional aspects. The landmark judgment gets the least screen space. It actually came in the very end, leaving a huge margin for disappointment. Moreover, how the decision was made, what the aspects were and how Costao won the case in the Supreme Court, even after losing the case twice in the lower court and the High Court, all seem too rushed to be understood.
Several other parts from the real-life story seem missing in the film, like what research was done on the case, on what basis the decision was given and whether the Customs Department seized the gold or any concrete evidence was found which helped Costao escape; all this is not revealed in the film. As claimed that this is the story of Costao, it was necessary to focus closely on his personal and professional life, which did not happen, nor was every aspect of professional life shown in the film, nor his personal life shown accurately. Both the cinematography and editing of the film were good. The vibe of Goa adds to the film’s experience. The camera angles are also great.
Verdict
Overall, this is a film that you can definitely watch once. The beginning will set a high bar for you, but the climax of the story will disappoint. In such a situation, you may feel a little cheated, but the correct portrayal of emotions and the strong acting of the actors are the film’s soul. Costao is not for people looking for substance in the story, but only for those who like to watch a hardcore emotional journey. We are giving this film 3 stars.