Asalu (UA-13+)

"Asalu" starring Poorna and Ravi Babu is a crime thriller that is now streaming on ETV Win. Ravi Babu is the producer, writer, and supervising director of the film, while Uday and Suresh directed it. The story revolves around the murder of a forensic pathology professor named Venkatesh Chakravarthy (Surya) during an online class. CID cop Ranjith Rao (Ravi Babu) is assigned to crack the case, with four potential suspects and a masked man who visited the professor's residence on the day of the murder. The film quickly gets into the plot, generating curiosity around the murder and its proceedings. Ravi Babu's introduction as the CID cop immerses the audience into the film. The setup and investigation angles are nicely handled, with well-showcased suspects that point fingers at one another. Ravi Babu's acting is stunning, while Poorna does her part with conviction. The film's 100-minute length is an advantage for this crime thriller. However, the film's momentum declines once the killer is revealed, and the backstory of the killer is routine, losing emotional connect. The cat and mouse game between the killer and the police department is not well-handled, and the climax portions are over the top and silly. The family angle of Ravi Babu was unnecessary, and many scenes were conveniently written. The film does not give complete satisfaction, and the second half and climax are not well-handled. The background score by SS Rajesh and cinematography by Charan Madhavaneni are solid, with neat production values and crisp editing. Ravi Babu's mark is visible in a few sequences, but the direction by Uday and Suresh is just okay., "Asalu" is a half-baked crime thriller, with Ravi Babu's screen presence, Poorna's performance, and a few scenes that make it an okay watch this weekend.