“You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a villain”

As I finished watching COSTAO, starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, these iconic lines from Chris Nolan’s Dark Knight continued to reverberate through my mind. Because that’s what Costao is essentially all about at its most fundamental – how far are you willing to go and what price are you willing to pay for upholding the truth.

Costao takes us back to Goa in the early 90s where the paths of politics, power and crime often overlap, at times uncomfortably so. We meet Costao Fernandes, played by Siddiqui, an honest Goan customs officer whose way soon intersect with one of most powerful men in the tiny state. Working on a tip, Costao apprehends a huge incoming consignment of drugs helmed by the younger brother of a man all set to become the numero uno of Goan politics. In the skirmish that follows, the bad man meets a gruesome end and that marks the beginning of the trouble for Costao. Because big brother is hell bent on revenge.

Costao’s moment of triumph soon turns sour as the entire state machinery is put to work to establish him as the villain of the piece, maligning and destroying his reputation and career. As Costao’s professional life unravels in the court of law, its embers soon reach his home front, singeing his happy family life.

Costao the film is anchored by Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s measured performance. After a long while, this brilliant actor gets an author-backed role and sinks his teeth into it, delivering a powerful yet nuanced performance where silence speaks as much as words. Among the supporting cast, Priya Bapat as Costao’s wife and Gagan Dev Riar – who had earned plaudits for his portrayal of Telgi in Scam season 2 – impress. However, a hero’s redemption story needs a solid anchor in a worthy antagonist. It is here that Costao falters badly as Kishore Kumar G as D’Mello fails to rise to the occasion with a pretty one dimensional performance. It doesn’t help either the writing of his role is also quite poor.

At just over two hours run time, Costao remains a tight, crispy watch. However, the short run time also works against the film as the film struggles to establish an emotional connection with the audience. When Costao’s family suffers, we do not really feel it that much as the script fails to create that bonding. And while I personally enjoyed the understated treatment of the legal affairs, a large majority of Indian audiences, used to powerful courtroom dramas like Damini, Jolly LLB and Pink, may find the proceedings in the second half too slow for their liking.

But at the end, Costao the film makes you think and introspect. Because it is not a figment of someone’s imagination. The film is based on the real life Costao Fernandes – an honest customs officer whose refusal to bow down to the most powerful man in Goan politics saw him become a victim of the system. We Indians always tend to decry our government officials for being inefficient, corrupt or dereliction of duty. Yet, as Costao’s life story shows – the honest man in this country who has dared to stand up to the system has more often than not paid a steep price. And while Costao does eventually secure a win, one is left to wonder if the price paid was too much.

Before ending this review, a word on the man who made the real life Costao’s life hell for many years. While I will refrain from taking names, if you cross-refer Goan politics with Indian football, the answer should be obvious to you.

Costao – streaming now on Zee5.

Based out of Kolkata, Trinanjan is a market researcher by profession with a keen interest in Indian history. Of particular interest to him is the history of Kolkata and the Bengal region. He loves to write about his passion on his blog and also on social media handles.