Why choose us for this fuss?,’ that is the subtle cuss for Octopus from the viewers. For Kishore, otherwise a talented actor, this is a disappointing outing; he should have known that a one-liner is not enough to sign a film. While the concept is rare, unfortunately, the makers employed a classic story-changer to ruin it, leaving no stone unturned to make it as mundane as possible.
The slow moving mystery thriller is about love and the revenge unleashed when a loved one’s life is snuffed out. Yashwanth (Kishore) in Octopus is a doctor by profession who discovers an affordable medicine for a heart problem. The rest of the film revolves around Yashwanth’s battle to market his discovery, his sacrifice and the subsequent revenge. The medical miracle he discovered loses track in the first half itself, taken over by the vengeance of a man who apart from using fists, guns and drones, even uses hypnotism to get even.
Had director Annayya P, tightly kept the plot with the concept, rather than engaging in a regular revenge drama, Octopus could just have found its plus.
Kishore needs to hold on to the right subject as well as the director, who can use his talent. Yagna Shetty, as a journalist and the doctor’s wife, does not have much to play. Ashwini’s glam quotient has no impact. Except for Sharath Lohithshwa, artistes like Tara, Tilak, Bullet Prakash and a few others have nothing much in terms of performance. Manohar Joshi’s cinematography is dull and so is the music by A K Rishal Sai.
The title has no relevance too. Subjects like Octopus needs the makers to discuss and not just guess, else they just make a mess and miss the bus