Maestro review: Safe remake of Andhadhun that could have been more impactful

Merlapaka Gandhi’s Maestro (2021) is a safe and rather unimpressive remake of the Ayushmann’s Khurrana-starrer Andhadhun (2018), but despite not making an effort to leave its mark, it works. The minor tweaks to the plot to suit Telugu sensibilities helps Maestro stay true to the original to a large extent, but spoonfeeding of the key plot points is a major disappointment.

Arun (Nithiin) is a blind pianist in Goa, living with only his cat Rani for company. He earns a livelihood by playing at local restaurants but dreams of going abroad. He gets an opportunity to play at a restaurant owned by Sophie (Nabha Natesh) and her father Pedro (Balakrishna).

Naresh plays an ageing actor named Mohan, who loves watching over and over again his old films and living in memories of lost stardom. Simran (Tamannaah Bhatia) plays his much-younger wife who yearns to become an actress. The film also features Jisshu Sengupta as a corrupt circle inspector called Bobby while Sreemukhi plays his wife. What happens when the paths of these characters cross and a murder takes place that makes everyone a suspect is what the plot if all about.

What’s refreshing about Maestro by Telugu cinema standards is that all its characters have shades of grey and it’s hard to tell who is less harmful. It’s not a film that expects its hero to be morally right, and Nithiin seems to have had fun playing the character. Even Tamannaah Bhatia getting to play a negative character comes as a huge relief; it is something she is not quite known for in mainstream cinema.

Where Maestro is found wanting, however, is in its handling of the dark humour which worked so effectively in the Hindi original by Sriram Raghavan. It’s as though the remake needed a better writer to bring more freshness in the dark-comedy space.

In terms of performances, Nithiin and Bhatia score all the brownie points. Both complement each other in the kind of roles we have rarely seen them in, and they hold their own in a movie that relies heavily on the performances of its leads. Nabha, too, gets a decent part and is aptly cast in a role in which she shines. All of which leaves you with the feeling that the film could have been a lot more impactful if only the makers had not chosen a safe route.

Maestro is now available on Disney+ Hotstar.