The first cut of Shivam Bhaje, featuring Ashwin Babu in the lead, was dropped by the makers on Wednesday and it is all kinds of gripping.
Over one minute long, the teaser opens with Ashwin Babu experiencing constant headaches while he is asleep. He approaches a doctor (played by Brahmaji) over it tagging his friend Hyper Aadi. Cut to an Aghora (Ayyappa Sharma) who reveals that if Ashwin starts thinking on his feet, he will understand what’s happening with him. “This battle is yours. It’s scripted by Lord Shiva to destroy enemies,” he says to Ashwin. Without disclosing the plot, the director later uses a quick-cut edit pattern to show the visuals of a murder and cops investigating it, while the Aghora, addressing Ashwin, continues, “Without your knowledge, you will face a storm head-on.” Ashwin is next seen neutralizing a raft of adversaries as the likes of Murali Sharma, Tanikella Bharani dot the teaser. The teaser concludes with Ashwin lifting a man with his right hand while striking a pose à la Goddess Mahakali with his tongue out.
With striking visuals and a pulsating score (by Vikas Badisa), Apsar (director) manages to build a lot of tension, while preparing the audience for an edge-of-the-seat thriller with necessary commercial bells and whistles. The production values stand out. Ashwin looks sincere as a perplexed youth who slowly begins to understand what’s happening around him.
Also featuring Digangana Suryavanshi, Arbaaz Khan, Sai Dheena, Tulasi, Devi Prasad, Shakalaka Shankar, Kashi Vishwanath and Inaya Sultana, Shivam Bhaje, produced by Maheshwar Reddy Mooli, is presently in post-production.
