Saindhav, directed by Sailesh Kolanu and headlined by Venkatesh Daggubati, is earnest in its world building and emotional family drama but sorely lacks the smartness required for a gritty thriller
“SaiKo is back,” various characters repeatedly declare in the opening hour of Sailesh Kolanu’s Telugu film Saindhav, while displaying fear in their eyes. SaiKo refers to the protagonist Saindhav Koneru, portrayed by Venkatesh Daggubati. Sailesh is not in a hurry to share the legend surrounding SaiKo and what makes him so terrifying. In part because this is the 75th movie in which the actor has played the role and his persona possesses the necessary aura for the role, he believes that the audience will believe in the myth and wait patiently. The director’s desire to avoid having the backstory overpower the urgent storyline is another factor in the decision. Time is running out and SaiKo has an uphill task.
The challenge then is to present a riveting drama that will keep us hooked to the extent that when the reveal about SaiKo happens, it will be worth the wait. Does it work? The answer is not a resounding yes.
Saindhav (Telugu)
- Director: Sailesh Kolanu
- Cast: Venkatesh Daggubati, Shraddha Srinath, Nawazuddin Siddiqui
- Storyline: The protagonist, with a past, has to cross paths with the underworld if he has to save his daughter from a health crisis and time is running out.
First, the movie’s and its characters’ more positive aspects. Saindhav is not doing anything unusual; he is living a typical life. He works at the port as a crane operator and resides in a middle-class neighborhood with his daughter Gayathri (Ssara Palekar). The movie doesn’t assume that viewers will accept an older actor playing a father figure to a child who might be six or seven years old. Saindhav confides in his neighbor Manognya (Shraddha Srinath), who is devoted to his daughter and provides him with support, about his age. It’s a good move to make the acknowledgment of the age difference. By and by, facets of Manognya’s life are revealed — her past, how she ekes out a living and where her sense of agency comes from.
Given the dark activities in the port city, such as the trading of drugs, ammunition, and power plays, a sense of unease and dread permeates the story even when it concentrates on Saindhav and his family. The activities in the drug cartel become entangled with Saindhav’s personal quest to save his daughter, who has been diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy and needs an injection costing ₹17 crore. The daughter thinks her father is a superhero who will always stand by her side. On paper, the idea of bringing a fiery hero back from hiatus to accomplish the seemingly impossible task of saving his daughter sounds intriguing.
However, the storyline on screen veers between attempts to satisfy the demands of the stars and to present an engrossing action and emotional drama. The declaration that “SaiKo is back” is overused, and the protagonist’s aura is overly developed with slow motion swagger. There is a lot of spoonfeeding when Saindhav enters the arena and the power struggles between the cartel members Viswamitra (Mukesh Rishi), Vikas Malik (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), Jasmine (Andrea Jeremiah), and Michael (Jisshu Sengupta) commence. This is especially true when Saindhav’s every move is explained in detail. Sailesh believed that the audience would follow along and make sense of the proceedings in his first film, HIT: The First Case. That would have been a wise move for Saindhav.
Fortunately, when the battle lines are drawn and we discover that Vikas may be a more formidable opponent than Saindhav anticipated, the movie returns to its intended course. A few of the action scenes and cat-and-mouse games are engaging, and the clever narrative decision to disclose just enough information about Saindhav’s past without going overboard in a flashback is also noteworthy. There are a few delightful payoffs after the first hour, such as an episode featuring a stylish car.
Venkatesh, who carries the movie through all of its high points and weak points, is the rightful owner of Saindhav. It goes without saying that he would do well in the sentimental scenes; in the action sequences, he also makes a strong impression as a menacing old pro who demonstrates his continued seriousness. It’s difficult to ignore the John Wick influences, and Sailesh pays tribute to Kamal Haasan in a fleeting Hey Ram scene.
In order to make Nawazuddin’s desire for dominance seem more real, Sailesh also lends his character some vulnerability. It also works well to have the actor speak a combination of Telugu and Dakhni. In his debut Telugu movie, Nawazuddin is totally natural. Shraddha Srinath, Andrea Jeremiah, and Ruhani Sharma, who plays a brief role as a doctor, are all convincing and lend credibility to their roles. Arya looks the part assigned to him but is relegated to a brief appearance that doesn’t require him to showcase his acting chops.
A lot of work has gone into presenting Chandraprastha, the fictitious port city, with its network of flyovers and luxurious buildings, fitting for a city where a criminal underworld operates. Manikandan’s use of cinematography adds to the story’s gritty quality.
All of this does not cause Saindhav to soar. It’s not quite as compelling as an intensely felt action drama. While there are some really amazing passages, the entire thing could have been much more insightful and captivating. They have their work cut out for them if they decide to make part two.
