Ashwamedham review: An intelligent, fast-paced action thriller

Ashwamedham, starring debutant Dhruva Karunakar is directed by Nitin G and bankrolled by Aishwarya Yadav and presented by Kaushik Reddy under the banner of Eloquence Media Pvt Ltd in association with Aurous Avatar Entertainment. Touted as a mystery action thriller, the film has hit the screens on Friday. Let’s see how the film turns out to be.

Ashwamedham is the story of a common man Dhruva, who is an undercover International Bureau agent by profession runs a chain of cyber cafes to hide his identity. He sorts out the things whenever the authorities assign him. Like the way he does, he is on a mission to trace out the address of some professional hackers who want to loot the National treasure of precious information. With the help of a senior IB officer, Dhruva tries to find out the wrongdoers who steal the financial information of individuals. In the end, the undercover agent has succeeded in penetrating the criminal world of Cybercrime gangs in the city.

Ashwamedham, directed by Nitin G, did add some new dimensions to the story. The primary asset of the film is its unpredictable writing. Its biggest win lies in the fact that even if the audience almost becomes a participant in its proceedings, the film manages to throw in a twist that you never saw coming. The first half, where everything seems to have more than one meaning, is a breathless watch, with bodies piling up, and the film questioning the morals and intrigues of each of its characters. Director Nitin is aided by N Jaypal Reddy’s compelling camerawork that uses to portray the moral contradiction of the characters.

What also makes this action-thriller beat are the performances, with Dhruva Karunakar making his role both affable and amiable. His best comes in the last hour. Each of the other actors - Suman as senior IB officer, Prachi as leading lady and Priyadarshi as protagonist’s friend and Vennela Kishore - is perfectly cast. But it is Dhruva Karunakar who makes Ashwamedham what it is. He was born to be a cinema hero. You will realize it after watching the film. He does everything that he is capable of.

Ashwamedham is an intelligent and fast-paced action thriller. It works because director Nitin G successfully manages to temper the thrill with moments of wry wit and keen intelligence. Outfitted with brilliant performances from some of the most talented actors around, it’s a fast-paced action-thriller unlike anything you’ve ever seen before, and one that only a genius like Nitin G could deliver. It has been lauded by the audience for its distinct style of making and visual appeal. Chinna’s background score adds a lot of depth to the film and takes the proceedings to another level.