Candyflip review: Goes into a stoned trance after a confident walk

Rohan Sippy’s Dum Maaro Dum (2011), which featured Abhishek Bachchan, Rana Daggubati and Bipasha Basu, was based on the drug menace in Goa. First-time director Shanawaz Nellikunnil’s Candyflip explores the same subject.

Two films with exactly the same subject can be as different as chalk and cheese and this is exactly the case here.

Dum Maaro Dum spoke a lot about drugs, but it was a Bollywood-ised product that touched the issue only on the surface. Candyflip, on the other hand, goes to ground zero and presents a much more believable picture of Goa’s dark underbelly.

The film establishes the subject and menace of drugs in a subtle way. We are introduced to the routine yet enjoyable life of two close friends Roy (Prashant Prakash) and Altaf (Gulshan Devaiah), who jointly own a shack [makeshift restaurant] in Goa. They are successful in keeping their customers happy and also earn good money.

The key period of Christmas and New Year is approaching and they are expecting a large turnout. Roy comes across Emily (Kalki Koechlin), a tourist from England, and becomes her close pal. Just then, Altaf reveals that he recently got a girlfriend in Maya (Valeriya Polyanychko).

Maya once casually urges Roy to try the drug Acid while they wait for Altaf. After hesitating for some time, he gives in. This move turns his and Altaf's life topsy-turvy.

It is believed that Hindi cinema has presented Goa in a stereotypical way as a place where people are always drinking and dancing. Candyflip also presents the quintessential party picture of the land most of the times. However, the portrayal is far from stereotypical, and offers a genuine picture.

It is impressive how the film gets you completely involved in the world of these shack owners and their friends. It establishes the characters convincingly and that too in such a short duration. The effective performances of the actors also play a major role.

Prashant Prakash is quite a find. The actor has appeared in films like The Girl In Yellow Boots (2010), Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011), Talaash (2012) and Fest Of Varanasi (2016). But this is his first film as a lead character and he makes the most of it by giving a thoroughly natural performance.

Candyflip throws in a surprise by suddenly getting into the murder mystery mode. This pushes the drama to a high and also generates excitement.

But strangely, after getting you so interested in the proceedings, the film changes gears later, just as if someone changes the channel of a television.

A needless amount of time is spent in showing the hallucinatory effects of drugs and Roy's state of mind. It seemed the writers didn’t know what to do with the story after establishing it so well. It not only becomes a drag in the end, but also forces you to wonder where it is heading.

In the end we are told that the film is based on a real-life story of a youngster in Goa, who is also shown on screen. But this does little to justify the accident the film suffered in the middle.

Candyflip is promoted as a film starring Kalki Koechlin and Gulshan Devaiah. Unfortunately, they don’t have much screen time, although they have acted well. Prakash Raj shows a lot of enthusiasm and passion, but his character is quite confusing.

In the end, this reviewer felt either stoned half way or the script went haywire. It's most likely the latter.

Candyflip was released on the digital platform Netflix on 15 February.