I, Nobody (Telugu) Review: Begins well, goes directionless midway

What’s “I, Nobody” About?

Rajeev (Prithviraj Sukumaran) is a middle-class government employee leading a routine life while dealing with problems in his marriage with Meera (Parvathy Thiruvothu). One day, he walks into a bank to confront its manager over a personal issue. At that very moment, a gang executes a daring robbery.

As Rajeev gets caught in the middle of the heist, he is chased by the robbers. Soon after, the gang meets with a fatal accident, leaving everyone dead except Rajeev. The police and the public begin to suspect that he has escaped with the stolen Rs 17 crore and hidden the money somewhere.

With the media, social media, the police, and even ordinary people convinced that he knows the whereabouts of the loot, Rajeev finds himself trapped in a nightmare. Frustrated and desperate to prove his innocence, he devises a fake kidnapping plan. But things soon spiral out of control.

Analysis

The title “I, Nobody” refers to an ordinary man who suddenly becomes the center of public attention. Director Nisam Basheer uses a bank robbery as the trigger to explore how quickly television debates, social media, and public opinion can brand an innocent man guilty without any evidence.

The film gets off to a gripping start. The bank robbery sequence immediately pulls the audience into the narrative, and the central conflict is established effectively. Rajeev’s struggle to escape suspicion forms the backbone of an engaging first half. The film also raises relevant questions about trial by media and how narratives are manufactured in the social media era.

The screenplay remains absorbing for most of the first half. Although the character introductions take slightly longer than necessary, the mystery surrounding the missing money and Rajeev’s desperate attempts to clear his name sustain the intrigue. The supporting characters are written with enough individuality to make the situations feel believable.

The action choreography is another strong point. The fight inside the apartment lift is executed with impressive realism and stands out as one of the film’s best sequences. Similarly, the suspended police officer’s parallel investigation into the missing loot adds another layer of suspense.

The film also introduces some interesting ideas. One sequence, in which a police officer explains society through the analogy of the food chain, effectively sets up the film’s underlying theme about survival and human greed. Unfortunately, these ideas are gradually abandoned.

After the interval, the film begins to lose focus. Once the kidnapping subplot kicks in, the screenplay starts depending on exaggerated situations and convenient writing. The final act turns chaotic, moving away from the grounded tone established earlier. More importantly, the social commentary that the film attempts to make loses its impact, leaving the central message muddled by the end.

Prithviraj Sukumaran delivers another sincere performance. He is convincing as a middle-class husband and father thrust into extraordinary circumstances, and his action sequences are particularly effective. However, his emotional graph remains largely unchanged throughout the film.

Parvathy Thiruvothu is equally natural as Rajeev’s wife. Her role is more substantial than that of a conventional heroine and contributes meaningfully to the narrative. The child actors also perform well in their limited but important roles.

Bottom-line: “I, Nobody” starts as an engaging thriller with a relevant premise about media trials and social media influence. However, it loses direction after the midpoint, relying on implausible developments and an over-the-top climax. Despite Prithviraj’s committed performance, the film ultimately falls short of delivering what it initially promises.

Rating: 2.25/5

By TC Staff