Masooda, streaming on aha, is a horror-film that works for its technical appeal over the plot

There are films you watch for the stars, there are films you watch for the performances and there are films you watch for the plot, but Masooda doesn’t belong to any of these categories. It’s a horror thriller you watch for its atmospherics, ambience, sound design, background score and the spell-binding cinematography. As a horror-film plot, the Sai Kiran directorial doesn’t break any new ground. However, in an industry where storytelling aesthetics are often compromised, Masooda is a credible achievement.

The film is an important addition to a rare list of Telugu films centred on a marginalised community. Masooda revolves around a software employee who helps his neighbour, middle-aged divorcee, in the hour of need (her daughter is possessed by a ghost). The film uses daylight, the surroundings and colours in an exemplary fashion – right from the greens, blues – to drive the story forward. The background score doesn’t try to overpower the narrative and there’s a raw appeal to the storytelling.

Very rarely has a first-time filmmaker in Telugu cinema has paid heed to his craft as much as Sai Kiran in the recent times. The narrative control he exhibits in the first hour is extremely impressive but the plot struggles to progress post the interval. There’s hardly any surprise element in the story and it becomes hard for the technical crew to make up for its writing issues beyond a point. The lead-up to the flashback is set up well and the performances hold the fort to an extent.

The issue with Masooda is its final hour – the narrative feels repetitive and wastes time in reiterating the protagonist’s traits. The climax isn’t convincing at all and Masooda could’ve been a lot better than the final result with more focus in the writing. There’s no issue with the structuring of the film – the major pitfall is the flab. One can’t afford to go beyond 150 minutes for a horror film and if you do, you better do a good job of it.

Masooda neither leaves you satisfied nor dejected, you only wish there was more juice to it. Thiruveer and Sangitha spearhead Masooda with assurance and Bandhavi Sridhar, Kavya Kalyanram make their presence felt. Director Sai Kiran is indeed a promising find. He’s a good technician yes but his writing could be a lot better. Produced by Rahul Yadav Nakka under Swadharm Entertainment, Masooda had music by Prashanth R Vihari, cinematography by Nagesh Banell and was edited by Jeswin Prabhu.