Terror is a rare razor-sharp cop film that stays loyal to the storytelling patterns it adopts, right from the start. Taking the least of cinematic liberties and avoiding commercial compromises, it is a nail-biting film that hardly strikes a false note.
With a cast of experienced and young faces who let the story take centre stage, it’s led by a no-nuisance cop Vijay essayed by Srikanth who talks less and acts more. Vijay, an ode to Amitabh Bachchan's Zanjeer , is a suspended CI, caught in the crossfire between corrupt politicos and terrorists. He finds something fishy brewing in a series of incidents across the city. As he connects the dots, he realises this is a well coordinated terrorist activity. The story is about his attempts to foil a bomb blast plot. That is his best chance to reclaim his past glory, heal the strained equation with his father and prove he's still 'Mr Dependable' in his department.
The film, shot mostly outdoors, maintains a measured tone and relies more on mind power than muscle power. When a young cop tells Vijay that the uniform is what gives him strength, he replies, “That happens only in films.” Terror is also progressive by Telugu film standards to have its lead character marry his girl despite knowing she can’t conceive. The detailing with respect to the daily life of a cop, the departments, terrorism, is neat yet not indulgent. Terror has multiple sub-plots and the maker takes time to bind them together.
In this intense film, Kota Srinivasa Rao and Prudhviraj as a corrupt minister and an MLA respectively, have witty lines to add life to the film in crucial junctures. The short-yet-effective chases are choreographed with good finesse. The director manages to keep the vulnerability in the lead character intact, despite his superiority. In a script run vehicle such as this, all Srikanth has to do is bank on his experience, not try too hard and he's in good control. This is just the right film for him to salvage his solo hero image.
Other interesting casting choices are Vinay Varma as a double-edged cop, Rajesh Touchriver in a blink-and-miss appearance and Mayanand Thakur. Nikita's presence, though minimal, strikes a chord. You notice the absence of a strong antagonist, but the script more then makes up for it. All along, the treatment does well to break the award-filmmaker image that has stayed with director Satish Kasetty. With a leisured start and a fantastic edge-of-the-seat finish aided by Sai Karthik's haunting background score, Terror is a film you shouldn’t miss.
Terror
Cast: Srikanth, Nikita Thukral, Vinay Varma, Kota
Genre: Action-thriller
Director: Satish Kasetty
Music: Sai Karthik
Rating: 3.5
