Puri Jagannath’s first release of the year ISM hits the screen today. The film stars Nandamuri Kalyan Ram and Aditi Arya in the lead roles while the likes of Jagapati Babu, Posani Krishna Murali, Vennela Kishore and Tanikella Bharani have been given some substantial part to play.

What now from Puri? What does he have to offer us this time? Actually nothing new! He has touched similar subjects in the past and you would have déjà vu at many instances. It’s another movie that has mafia connect, a topic that looks to be Puri’s favorite and he keeps using similar Mafioso moments in most of his films. But the core subject here is about corruption and journalism. But since none of this has been dealt in detail, you hardly get involved with the subject of the film. Probably that’s one of the reasons why you don’t get that patriotic feel that the director intends to infiltrate in us.

The film starts off promising. The dialogues used in the initial part of the film are striking and do make an impact. Along with technology, the criminals keep upgrading themselves. One such giant corporate corrupt criminal is played by Jagapati Babu. He plays a stylish don but his actions do not have depth. His not so terrorizing character makes it so easy for the hero to plant his moves and that indirectly reduces the fun part. Had the villain’s action been a little louder, we might have experienced a different product.

The script offers mighty scope for Kalyan Ram to unleash his range as a performer. His daring, carefree and humor side have been portrayed pretty well in the first half as an illegal street fighter but it's evident that street fighting is just a mask and he has a back story. His character has few surprises that you will have to watch it for yourself at the theaters.

Aditi Arya as the female lead gets a meaty role to play. Her cutesy girly expressions are bound to impress young men. But she looks like the odd one out as her Telugu dialect doesn't match her looks.

Anoop Ruben's music is a letdown. None of the songs make an impact and almost all the songs give you a heard-before feel. Even the BGM could have been a little better as it does not elevate the scene to the fullest.

The 2nd half feels like a stretch, with the key reveal held back till the finale and too many cinematic liberties taken for the climax action sequences. Junaid's cuts are interesting in the early part of the film. Some of the picturesque locations especially during the first half of the film which has been shot abroad are good takeaways. Cinematographer Mukesh needs to be credited for his efforts. His visuals speak for themselves.