‘Costao’ Movie Review: Nawazuddin Siddiqui Is His Usual Self in This Gritty Biopic With a Flat Screenplay (LatestLY Exclusive)
Costao Movie Review: Cinematographer Sejal Shah makes her directorial debut with Costao, a biopic of former customs officer Costao Fernandes. The film centres on the murder trial that nearly derailed his career and family life, and the events leading up to it. On paper, Costao has all the ingredients of a solid potboiler drama – an upright officer trapped in a dangerous situation, pitted against a powerful adversary, with the system seemingly stacked against him, only for the hero to triumph against all odds. Except, instead of a climactic fight, the final showdown unfolds in the courtroom. ‘Costao’ Teaser Out: Nawazuddin Siddiqui Locks Horns With Goa’s Most Notorious Smuggler in This OTT Film.
While Costao does pack in some masala elements – including a hospital fight scene – it also adopts a more restrained tone, staying true to the fact that it is based on a real person and a real story. This attempt to blend thriller with realism results in a few compelling moments, but it also robs the film of the dramatic highs it sorely needs to make a lasting impact.
‘Costao’ Movie Review – The Plot
The story follows Costao (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) who receives a tip-off from an informer that a powerful smuggler and aspiring politician, D’Mello (Kishore), is bringing 1,500 kilos of gold into Goa. Determined to catch him red-handed, Costao sets up a bust – but in the ensuing chaos, D’Mello’s brother Peter (Hussain Dalal) is killed in an act of self-defence, and the gold vanishes.
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Accused of first-degree murder, Costao must now fight to prove his innocence, all while being pursued by D’Mello’s men and abandoned by a system unwilling to support him. His family, especially his wife Mariya (Priya Bapat), suffers the collateral damage of his uprightness, as she struggles to protect their children amidst the turmoil.
‘Costao’ Movie Review – An Okayish First Half
The film divides Costao’s life into two phases – before and after Peter’s death. We see how he operates as a no-nonsense officer and how the incident impacts his reputation, mental state, and home life. His young daughter narrates parts of the story, describing her father as both a diligent officer and devoted family man, and later, how D’Mello’s goons harassed them, even as Costao refused to give in. The film aims for a gritty yet realistic tone, seemingly in the vein of E Niwas’ Shool – though there’s no Shilpa Shetty here dancing to “Aayi Hoon Panaji Lootne“.
A Still From Costao
The narrative takes its time getting to the incriminating incident, first establishing Costao’s flippant charm, his use of sports skills in fieldwork, and his textbook dedication to the job, often at the expense of his family. We witness his relentless pursuit to intercept D’Mello’s gold shipment, although it’s never entirely clear how he intended to catch 1,500 kilos of smuggled gold on his own. The action is occasionally let down by awkward continuity – at one point, Costao dives headfirst through a car window, and in the very next shot he’s already inside – but Peter’s death scene is otherwise neatly executed. The film, set three decades ago, also captures the communication hurdles officers like Costao faced at the time.
‘Costao’ Movie Review – Too Grounded For Its Own Good
I expected Costao to get grittier after Peter’s death, as the protagonist is forced to grapple with the consequences while the missing gold becomes a lingering mystery. The film attempts to channel Ardh Satya territory, exploring how honesty amounts to little in a corrupt system. Costao is insulted, ostracised, and even beaten up (by a mob of women, including Peter’s widow) for what he sees as simply doing his duty. While the framework is familiar, its basis in a true story lends it some weight. Still, the film lacks the punch that made Govind Nihalani’s work so enduring. Its commitment to being too grounded results in a tone that’s too subdued to be compelling, and it leans too heavily on repetitive beats – like Mariya’s ongoing trauma – to elevate the drama.
A Still From Costao
A few moments stand out: a shouting match between Mariya and Costao that marks the beginning of their relationship’s downward spiral, and a tense face-off between Costao and D’Mello where the former finally gets the upper hand in a war of words. Otherwise, D’Mello, despite being positioned as a dangerous antagonist, comes across as surprisingly restrained, opting for psychological torment over outright menace, while obsessing over discovering the identity of the informer.
‘Costao’ Movie Review – The Performances
Although the legal battle is central to Costao’s story, the courtroom scenes fizzle, lacking the dramatic heft found in the sequences outside the court, sometimes quite literally. But where Costao truly stumbles is in letting it become a Nawazuddin Siddiqui showcase rather than a full embodiment of Costao Fernandes. The film relies heavily on Nawazuddin’s trademark deadpan delivery and wry one-liners, which turn even tense moments into commentary. He largely sticks to this mode, except in a rare scene near the end at Peter’s grave, where he finally sheds the veneer and lets the character’s emotional vulnerability show – it’s the only moment that truly lands.
A Still From Costao
Priya Bapat delivers a moving performance as Mariya, particularly strong in the emotionally charged scenes. Kishore, meanwhile, plays his role a bit too quietly to leave a lasting impression. Gagan Dev Riar, as a sleazy investigating officer, does his part convincingly.
A Still From Costao
Set in the 1990s, the film leans heavily on the usual yellow-brown tint to evoke a period look, which, while functional, prevents it from carving out a distinct visual identity. Though I was surprised that Sejal Shah, being a cinematographer herself, hands over the camera duties to Rafey Mahmood.
‘Costao’ Movie Review – Final Thoughts
Costao is a film that wants to honour the grit of a real-life officer caught in the storm of duty, corruption, and consequence, but it ends up playing things too safe to truly leave a mark. It’s earnest in its storytelling and anchored by some committed performances, but the lack of dramatic bite and a too-measured tone stop it from becoming the hard-hitting drama it could’ve been. Costao is streaming on Zee5.
(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of Today News 24.)
(The above story first appeared on Today News 24 on Apr 30, 2025 10:07 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website todaynews24.top).
