Double iSmart

Puri Jagannadh’s much-awaited Telugu action thriller Double iSmart starring Ram Pothineni in a high-octane role. In this sequel to iSmart Shankar, the trademark energy and drama of the original returns, but with an inconsistent result. The film centers around a clash of underworld power and scientific ambition, and tries to deliver something unique, but does it?

Plot

It is the story of an infamous international mafia don diagnosed with a terminal illness, glioma (Big Bull) (Sanjay Dutt). In his quest to defy death, he turns to an innovative scientific solution: He transfers his memory to another person’s brain. Indulging in this search for the perfect candidate leads him to Hyderabad, where he discovers Shankar (Ram Potheineni), a neat no-nonsense sort and a rebel at heart. Once the memory transfer process starts, the narrative gets going and the confrontation and intense conflicts start.

Performance

Ram Pothineni returns as Shankar and with his typical energy and charm, he once again reprises his role. The dialogues are appallingly, amazingly, excitingly, dialoguing, and so are the scenes: intense, furious, conjured out of some personal experience of carnage; his part is delivered with conviction. While the script limits his talent, some fans will feel he’s underutilized. The only bit of gravitas comes from Sanjay Dutt playing the villain, a part he doesn’t offer much innovation to. Kavya Thapar’s Ram-centric few pleasant moments on screen are few and far between, only a fraction of her screen times and development. Ali and Getup Srinu are good in their respective roles but don’t do much to make an impact.

Direction and Screenplay

Puri Jagannadh, a master of dynamic storytelling, gets the world to vibrate but doesn’t sustain the thrill. The film starts strong with a great first act, and then the screenplay loses way, momentum wasn’t happening, in the second act. The story is too stretched, and many scenes feel stretched too. Emotionally you can’t connect with the characters, it’s too surface-level. Furthermore, any attempt to bring some humor to Ali’s character undermines the fun one ought to see.

Music

The music by Mani Sharma is good, with tracks as a perfect complement to the high-energy tone of the film. None of the compositions are memorable or impactful, however. The story behind the background score goes well with the sudden extremely somber moments of a film, but there aren’t any lasting impacts. The music helps but doesn’t make the whole thing something better than it already was.

Theme

Themes of power, immortality, and ambition are explored in double iSmart. It is a story about how far people might go to defy death and control their legacy. The issue of the themes is not explored in any great depth in the film, which is still fairly surface-level. The concept of memory transfer is intriguing but lacks the exploration that could have added depth and engagement to the story.

Conclusion

All in all, Double iSmart attempts to recreate the charm of its predecessor, but it fails on weak script and a half-baked execution. Though Ram Pothineni’s presence is always powerful and his efforts commendable, the film is inconsistent enough to make it fail. Sanjay Dutt’s villainous role isn’t new and the supporting cast isn’t much of a draw. Despite the action and drama, there are big missing moments of humor and the second half drags. This movie will be worth a go for die-hard fans of action thrillers on iBOMMA, but it is not the best choice for those looking for a good and well-rounded story.