Ustaad review: This ambitious premise doesn’t have the wings to fly high
Despite arresting visual metaphors and impressive performances, most of the film’s good ideas are lost in translation
2.5/5
Aug 12, 2023
Ustaad
Ustaad
Story:
Surya is a youngster living in a suburb outside Hyderabad, who loses his father early, and is raised by his mom. He experiences the first brush of freedom through a second hand bike - which his mechanic names Ustaad - a constant companion in his life. He falls in love with Meghana, a fiesty girl with big dreams. How far will he go to overcome his fears and succeed in love and his career?
Review:
Ustaad is a love story between Surya and his bike - the girl Meghana is just another passenger in his journey. When Surya goes to a garage to buy a second hand bike, there’s magic in his eyes, the cover comes off due to the wind, there’s rain and it’s love at first sight. The bike calms him, is a mute witness through his highs and lows. It’s literally an avenue that paves the way to his dreams.
The director Phanideep exhibits a taste for visual storytelling with his plot points - the film unfolds through a flashback while Surya begins his duties as a pilot. Through his journey on a flight, we go back in time to see his rags-to-riches story. The protagonist’s character is layered and equally flawed - he is largely directionless, has the fear of heights, doesn’t have a control on his emotions.
Through his love life with Meghana, Surya realises the importance of holding onto things, fighting for those who mean much to him. Ustaad is a film documenting his fight for love and his dreams and the various obstacles that come his way. While it is like poetry in motion till it establishes the importance of the bike in Surya’s life, it’s the romance chapter where it loses track.
A bulk of the director’s ideas with Surya-Meghana’s track appear quirky on paper but lack spunk in execution. He meets Meghana on a road in the middle of a funeral procession, communicates with her secretly through letters, over landline calls, SMSs (the film is set in mid 2000s) and drives all the way from Hyderabad to Araku to woo his love. The relationship appears more cinematic than earnest.
While the film wants to showcase the youngster’s psychological evolution through love, it doesn’t translate convincingly enough on the screen. However, there’s a superb sequence capturing Surya’s motivation to chase his dreams. He forgets about acrophobia as he spots a flight standing atop a rock, treats it like a kite, imagines a manja in his hand, hops onto his bike and playfully chases the flight on the road - he finds bliss, loses track of time and makes up his mind.
Such mini-sparkles where you sense the storyteller’s determination to capture the essence of the moment are far few and between. Beyond a point, the director is obsessed about the bike - he tries to reemphasise its significance through various characters. The romance angle - except for the well-filmed confrontation scene between Meghana’s father and Surya - lacks meat.
In a story about a character’s ambition and self-transformation, you don’t get to witness Surya’s evolution enough. The film needed better sequences to portray his struggles at the aviation academy - you see his notorious side but you don’t get a sense of how he overcomes his limitations (the paragliding sequence is poorly executed). Budgetary issues may have been a reason though the writing too needed more imagination.
Ustaad gives decent screenspace to the people in and around Surya’s life - his friend, girlfriend, mother and the mechanic, but the characterisation is vague. You want to know more about Meghana’s interests to pursue her MBA, how Surya’s mother goes about her profession and struggles to raise her son, what his friend does beyond boozing around and accompanying him wherever he goes.
The connection between Surya’s bike and the magical cupboard in The Chronicles of Narnia during his conversation with his superior is intriguing. Ustaad is ultimately an imaginative script with many promising ideas but it needed some fine-tuning for better results. On the technical front, what the team manages to achieve within its limitations is quite impressive.
The cinematographer Pavan’s finesse reflects in the wide expanses, panoramic shots and his visual detailing to showcase Surya’s love for flying. Akeeva’s music has a certain recall value, though the song placement leaves a lot to be desired. With the background score, he gives a rustic touch to the proceedings while more sophistication could’ve enhanced the impact better. The narrative structure is apt, generates intrigue, but the film overstays its welcome by at least 30 minutes.
Sri Simha Koduri’s unconventional script choices may/may not have yielded the right results to date, but they’re definitely helping him progress as a performer with each outing. Kavya Kalyanram is impressive though it’s time that writers looked beyond her spunky persona and give her different roles. Anu Hasan is aptly cast as the strong, friendly single parent.
Ravi Sivateja displays a good knack for comedy while Ravindra Vijay’s potential is underutilised in the brief role.Venkatesh Maha, Gautham Menon’s special appearances make a considerable impact in the story.
Verdict:
Ustaad is a coming-of-age story depicting the transition of a directionless teenager to a pilot where a bike is a metaphor to portray his journey. The film struggles to keep you invested in the protagonist’s journey despite the impressive performances, visual detailing and technical finesse.
Also read: Sri Simha Koduri: A bike brings stability to my life in Ustaad | Exclusive
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