Rating: 7.5/10 (Pulsating Suspense Thriller)

Cast: Adivi Sesh. Regina Cassandra, Naveen Chandra, Murali Sharma, Pavitra Lokesh

Adapted Screenplay-Direction: Venkat Ramji

Dialogues: Abburi Ravi

Music: Sricharan Pakala

Producer: Pearl and Param V Potluri

Banner: PVP Cinema

Format Watched: Amazon Prime 

After delivering two sensational blockbusters in Kshanam and Goodachari, actor Adivi Sesh is back with his latest movie Evaru. Evaru is the official Telugu adaption of the Spanish film The Invisible Guest which was remade in Hindi as Badla earlier this year with Amitabh Bachchan and Tapsee Pannu. The film ended up becoming a blockbuster when released on August 15th. Let's find out why in this review.

Plot: A police officer Vikram Vasudev (Adivi Sesh) interrogates Vaishnavi (Regina Cassandra) about an alleged rape case between her and an officer Ashok Krishna (Naveen Chandra). Through a series of conversations, Vasudev finds out there's more than meets the eye. What actually happened? This forms the rest of Evaru.

Performances: Adivi Sesh is natural and excellent as a corrupt cop. His screen presence is getting better with every film.

Regina Cassandra makes a comeback after a long gap in Telugu and she is fabulous in her role. The crying might be a bit too much at times, but nevertheless she is convincing in a role with grey shades.

Naveen Chandra is fantastic as well as a cop with anger issues.

Murali Sharma gets a very important role and does well in what he is given.

Lastly, Pavitra Lokesh garu gives an emotional performance and her friendly screen presence always makes her a joy to watch.

All the other actors who are cast are competent for their respective roles.

Direction: This is Venkat Ramji's debut film. And in each of his movies, it seems Sesh and the director sit down and make the required changes in the pre production phase which results in a thrilling experience every time. The basic concept of the Invisible Guest is the story of woman who twists the truth and tries to take advantage of the situation by creating a fake story for everybody else to believe.  Having not seen Badla, I can't make the comparison but all I can say is that the film does work in Telugu. The screenplay proceeds with a lot of backstories and versions of each incident. At times it gets a big much, but in the end everything comes full circle. The first 20 mins is quite slow but after Sesh's case is introduced all the way till the climax, the film is nail biting and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The required nativity changes are evident and Ramji directs them effectively. There are many twists in the film. But it's the suspense revealed in the last 20 minutes of the film that elevates it and leaves you with a goosebumps inducing feeling. Overall, Venkat Ramji does a fine job in adapting Evaru to the Telugu audiences sensitibilites and the result is a gripping thriller in the end.

Technicalities: Music and BGM by Sricharan Pakala is outstanding. Similar to Goodachari, the BGM plays a pivotal role in elevating other routine scenes and makes their impact even greater. The climax BGM deserves a special mention as it's probably going to give you goosebumps. Cinematography by Venkat Patchipulusu is good given the tight budget and the limited locations the film is shot in. Production Design by Avinash Kolla is fine. Dialogues by Abburi Ravi are solid and contemporary. Production Values by PVP Cinemas are extravagant and rich. They are another production house that never compromises on quality given the content.

Positives: 

+ Adivi Sesh

+ Twists and Turns

+ Last 20 mins 

+ Screenplay 

+ BGM

Negatives:

- First 20 mins 

- Rape Scene one too many times

- Adarsh Character

Analysis and Final Verdict: Sesh has been delivering solid suspense movies and thrillers albeit some inspiration since 2016 in Kshanam. Evaru is a pure suspense thriller and it needs the right screenplay and twists to succeed. And Evaru succeeds big time and results in a very good viewing experience.

The film starts off in a stunning way but then the conversations and Regina's recalling of the event gets a little tedious with a constant reshowing of a sexual assault incident. The film really gets interesting when Sesh starts narrating his story about a case he's working on. The interval reveals a huge twist and sets up the 2nd half nicely. From there on the film takes off and there are so many twists and turns. But the icing on the cake is the last 20 mins which features a massive climax twist that is sure to leave you speechless. The way that everything comes together shows the brilliance of Venkat Ramji and Sesh once again.

The film's one flaw is probably with the one character of a so called Adarsh. If I say anymore then it's a spoiler, but the director could have added some family drama to make it seem more realistic and not just a plot device. This is more so because the young man who plays Adarsh is outstanding. If you've seen the original or Badla, then you probably know what to expect. But if you haven't then Evaru is probably going to be a riveting experience.

Overall, Evaru makes for a pulsating suspense thriller. Solid performances from the cast, loads of twists and turns in the screenplay, and the climax are the highlights of this movie. Sesh is gaining a good name with film to name as an intelligent writer and Evaru solidifies his position among the best in the Telugu film industry. If you like suspense thrillers or like Adivi Sesh, then Evaru is a must watch.