Basthi , billed as the debut vehicle of actress Jayasudha’s son Shreyan Kapoor, has a story that’s almost as old as Indian cinema itself. The plot involves two warring factions, one headed by Mukesh Rishi and the other by Kota Srinivasa Rao and his son Abhimanyu Singh. To settle scores after a murder caused by Abhimanyu’s group, Mukesh Rishi’s henchmen kidnap Kota’s daughter Pragati. She is kept hidden away in Mukesh Rishi’s house where Shreyan chances upon her. He pities her condition, gives her food, clothing, spends the evenings chatting up with her and love blossoms on the plush terrace, despite both being aware of the resistance they will face.
Director Vasu Mantena tries to infuse some novelty into this done-to-death storyline by showing the heads of the rival gangs agreeing to burry their differences and the opposition coming only from Abhimanyu Singh. But Singh is not someone who can be dismissed easily and the young couple is on the run.
Soon, the storyteller runs out of ideas and introduces an item number and comic sequences that have no relevance to the narrative. Even at a run time of 116 minutes, this plot seems stretched, showing the lack of thought that has gone into the screenplay.
We are treated to a chain of inane jokes. Some, like the ones cracked by Sapthagiri who does a cameo, are annoying. Others, like the ones involving Snigdha who plays the hero’s friend, are in poor taste. Until now, Snigdha has been at the risk of being typecast as a tomboy who tickles the funny bone, given her cropped hair and androgynous dressing. In this film, she is the butt of ribald jokes. There’s a long scene showing Ali as Lord Brahma. Apparently an overworked and hypertensive Brahma mixes up races and genders in his creations and Snigdha was supposed to be created a man and inadvertently has been given a woman’s features. Why would an actress, established or not, allow herself to be humiliated in the name of such comedy?
Certain films hold attention despite having an oft-repeated storyline. But Basthi isn’t one of those. The narration is amateurish. The less said about the technical departments the better.
Most parts of the first half focus on Mukesh Rishi, Abhimanyu Singh and Kota Srinivasa Rao. Shreyan and Pragati get enough footage in the later portions but their lack of experience is evident. The two have a long way to go in terms of screen presence and acting skills.
Basthi
Cast: Shreyan Kapoor and Pragati Chourasia
Direction: Vasu Mantena
Genre: Drama
Bottom line: An amateurish attempt
