Show Time

Naveen Chandra, who has had a handful of theatrical releases this year, has been steadily winning over audiences across OTT platforms with a stream of consistent, assured performances. His latest Telugu film, Show Time, perfectly aligns with his forte: a crime thriller with a minimalistic setup, banking on a supposedly offbeat concept. The core premise of the film seems to be an offshoot of Ayyappanum Koshiyum (the inspiration behind Pawan Kalyan’s Telugu film Bheemla Nayak). It centres on an ego-driven, crooked cop named Lakshmi Kanth (Raja Ravindra) and a hot-blooded common man, Surya (Naveen Chandra), who refuses to yield. However, their confrontation largely takes place within the confines of a crime scene. Both men have an ugly face-off when Lakshmi Kanth desperately instigates Surya, his family, and neighbours, rebuking them for creating a nuisance at night. Just when the tense atmosphere seems to settle, Surya’s wife, Shanti (Kamakshi Bhaskarla), finds herself trapped in a crime. As Surya attempts to resolve the crisis with the help of a lawyer, the cop tries to prove he’s in charge.