Goodachari Review: A taut and riveting thriller

Adivi Sesh’s Goodachari has all the elements needed for a riveting espionage thriller – spine-chilling action sequences, credible performances and exotic locales. The film details the journey of Gopi aka Arjun Kumar (Adivi Sesh), son of a slain RAW agent, who aspires to serve the nation like his father.

Cast: Adivi Sesh, Sobitha Dhulipala, Prakash Raj, Supriya, Jagapathi Babu
Director: Sashi Kiran Tikka

Arjun is raised by his uncle, Satya (Prakash Raj), who fears losing him. But, haunted by his father’s death, Arjun makes 174 futile attempts before living his dream of being a RAW agent. Romance blossoms between him and Dr Sameera Rao (Sobhita Dhulipala), who helps him regain his focus.

From this point, the film depicts how Arjun goes from an amateur to a super-slick agent. Arjun and his counterparts are part of a team called Trinetra that works under the direct command of the Prime Minister. When everything seems to be going right, an unexpected turn of events shocks Arjun and lands him in a mess with his own department, which suspects him of being a double agent. How he finds a way out of this fiasco is the heart of Goodachari.

Sesh, who also penned the story with Sashi Kiran and Rahul Pakala, hits the right notes with his performance. Packed with many unexpected twists and an unwavering attention to detail, the film will keep you on your toes and works as a classy thriller that pulls you into its drama. There is genuine intrigue in these moments as the narrative hardly loses its grip on your attention. The nail-biting screenplay also makes up for the few plot holes that pose a minor threat to this otherwise engaging story. The terrorist group which hatches a plot to kill a central government official, and their decision to frame an officer by doing a thorough background check feels realistic. The film, however, does make us smile incredulously when it shows RAW playing a more or less insignificant part as the protagonist single-handedly takes on the terrorists who are trying to frame him.

But Sesh never misses a beat and brings credibility to the part. His committed performance is the film’s biggest strength. From dialogue delivery to looks, he is riveting as Arjun, the new-found James Bond of Telugu cinema. The comeback star, Surpriya leaves a mark with her nuanced portrayal as Nadia Qureshi. Jagapathi Babu is first-rate, while Prakash Raj and Anish Kuruvilla are delightful, and Vennela Kishore provides breezy wit. Madhu Shalini though serves little purpose as a damsel in distress.

Armed with Shaneil Deo’s stunning camerawork and Sricharan Pakala’s rousing background score that never take away from the storytelling, Sashi Kiran makes an impressive debut with a story that is both thrilling and engaging. And as is the norm with espionage thrillers, Goodachari, too, ends with a hint about a sequel.