Shortcut: Disto Pan Nasto

Cyber genius Rohit Pradhan gets entangled in an online scam and has only one way out.

Review: Touted to be the first Marathi film about hacking, one expected in it, a sleek computer-genius hacking his way through firewalls and security systems to get the work done. To some extent Rohit Pradhan (Tatwawdi), the bespectacled hacker, does this but when you introduce multiple plots and random songs sequences followed by entirely unrelated serious scenes, the film falls flat on its face.

So we have the genius Rohit whose life starts and stops at computers. While pursuing computer engineering, he falls in love with Ishika (Balgude) who initially ridicules him but, like all Indian love stories, finally gives in. Interestingly, Rohit uses the means of hacking to impress Ishika, not by hacking into her computer or accounts but by hacking for her. He hacks into a pizza delivery website’s payment gateway, a professor’s husband’s email account and even a radio’s website (which by the way helps him win a high-end SUV). Suddenly, from a shy nobody, Rohit turns into the cool dude of his college and Ishika, his arm candy. But the coolness is short-lived as he is arrested by the cyber-crime division in association to a money laundering case. But is everything the way it looks to be?

The film starts with a cyber crime officer Nimbalkar (Shringarpure) question Rohit about his involvement in a cyber scam and goes into flashback as Rohit narrates the instances that led him here. For his part, Vaibbhav is effortless and fits the character perfectly. Some scenes evoke interest and thrill but otherwise there’s nothing much to look forward to. Balgude looks beautiful but needs to take acting lessons. Shringarpure as the tough cop looks the part but doesn’t express anything apart from anger.

Shoddy camera work and editing hamper the look of the film. You can fancy a watch only if you like Sanskruti Balgude and Vaibbhav Tatwawdi.