Jump to content

Costao

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Costao
Promotional release poster
Directed by[[Sejal Shah]]
Written byBhavesh Mandalia
Meghna Srivastava
Produced byVinod Bhanushali
Kamlesh Bhanushali
Bhavesh Mandalia
Sejal Shah
Shyam Sunder
Faizuddin Siddiqui
StarringNawazuddin Siddiqui
Priya Bapat
Kishore Kumar G
Hussain Dalal
Mahika Sharma
CinematographyRafey Mahmood
Edited byUnnikrishnan Payoor Parameswaran
Production
companies
Bhanushali Studios
Bombay Fables Motion Pictures
Side Hero Entertainment
Distributed byZEE5
Release date
  • 1 May 2025 (2025-05-01)
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi

Costao is a 2025 Indian Hindi-language biographical crime drama film directed by Sejal Shah.[1][2][3] The film stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Priya Bapat, Kishore, Hussain Dalal, and Mahika Sharma.[4] It was written by Bhavesh Mandalia and Meghna Srivastava and produced by Vinod Bhanushali, Kamlesh Bhanushali, Bhavesh Mandalia, Sejal Shah, Shyam Sunder and Faizuddin Siddiqui.

Set in the 1990s, Costao is based on the true story of Costao Fernandes,[5] a Goa customs officer who sacrificed everything to dismantle a major gold smuggling operation.[6] The film was released on 1 May 2025 on ZEE5.[7][8]

Plot

[edit]

The film depicts the efforts of Costao Fernandes (portrayed by Nawazuddin Siddiqui), a customs officer in Goa during the 1990s. His dedication to law enforcement drives him to uncover a gold smuggling syndicate. Working on a tip, he follows the gold smugglers, and in an act of self defence kills Peter, who was running away with gold. Peter happens to be brother of a politician, who soon wins the upcoming state election and uses all state forces to crush Costao and give him an unjust trial.

The narrative follows Costao's actions as he works to expose the smugglers, facing significant personal and professional challenges along the way. His pursuit of justice results in conflict with the smuggling ring, leading to a series of tense events. Eventually, post two convictions in lower courts, the Supreme Court rules in his favour.

Cast

[edit]

Production

[edit]

Costao is produced by Bhanushali Studios Limited and Bombay Fables Motion Pictures, with a screenplay written by Bhavesh Mandalia and Meghna Srivastava.[9] The story of Costao is based on real-life events surrounding a gold smuggling operation in 1990s Goa, and the film highlights the personal and professional challenges faced by Costao Fernandes.[10][11] Filming took place on location in Goa, with cinematography by Rafey Mehmood and editing by Unnikrishnan Payoor Parameswaran.

Release

[edit]

Costao was released on 1 May 2025 on the ZEE5 streaming platform.[12] The trailer was released in mid-April 2025.[13]

Reception

[edit]

Costao received positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for Nawazuddin Siddiqui's performance and the film's storytelling, direction, and pacing:

Pinkvilla called Costao "one of the rare Hindi OTT delights these days" and praised Nawazuddin Siddiqui for playing "a larger-than-life hero most realistically.[14] Lachmi Deb Roy of Firstpost lauded the film as a "delightful movie" with a "terrific performance" by Siddiqui, appreciating its restrained storytelling and honest portrayal of real events.[15] Ronak Kotecha from The Times of India gave a mixed review, stating that Siddiqui's brilliance was evident, but the sluggish pacing and weak script diminished the impact of the real-life story.[16] Firstpost described the film as "a delightful movie" and commended Siddiqui's return to form, noting his "terrific performance" and the film's "beautifully restrained way of storytelling."[17] News9Live referred to Costao as "a powerful blend of emotion, corruption, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui's brilliance," noting his performance as "layered, restrained, and deeply affecting.[18] Moneycontrol highlighted Costao as "a sharp, engaging real-life drama," emphasizing Siddiqui's portrayal as "at his best."[19] Koimoi lauded the film as a "22-carat gold story," stating that it delivers "what Bollywood missed- good films," and praised Siddiqui's headlining role.[20] Arpita Sarkar of OTTplay gave a positive review, rating it 4.5/5 and commending Siddiqui's natural acting and the film's enthralling narrative through the daughter's perspective, though she noted minor issues with plot execution.[21]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Pahalgam terror attack: Nawazuddin Siddiqui wears black band at Costao press con". Mid-day. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
  2. ^ "Was Nawazuddin Siddiqui cast in Costao because of his resemblance to Customs officer? Director Sejal Shah spills the beans". OTTPlay. Archived from the original on 2025-04-23. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
  3. ^ "Meet Costao Fernandes, Customs Officer Who Killed Goa CM's Brother For Smuggling Gold; How It Inspired Nawazuddin Siddiqui's Role In ZEE5 Movie?". English Jagran. 2025-04-15. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
  4. ^ "Costao set for OTT release: When and where to watch Nawazuddin Siddiqui movie - CNBC TV18". CNBCTV18. 2025-04-18. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
  5. ^ "First look from Nawazuddin Siddiqui's Costao unveiled". Cinema Express. 2025-04-12. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
  6. ^ Gupta, Twinkle (2025-04-23). "Costao release date: Know when and where to watch Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer". India TV News. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
  7. ^ "For 10 years of 'Badlapur': Nawazuddin Siddiqui's dialogue improv added another dimension to his character". www.thehansindia.com. 2025-02-20. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
  8. ^ "Nawazuddin Siddiqui's 'Costao' to stream on this OTT platform". Telangana Today. 2025-04-14. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
  9. ^ "Costao trailer: 'Honest customs officer' Nawazuddin Siddiqui is accused of murder, fights battle against corrupt system". Hindustan Times. 2025-04-17. Archived from the original on 2025-04-17. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
  10. ^ "Costao Teaser: Nawazuddin Siddiqui Is Up Against Goa's Most Notorious Smuggler". NDTV. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
  11. ^ "Costao: Release date, OTT platform, cast, plot, and more about Nawazuddin Siddiqui's drama". OTTPlay. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
  12. ^ Soji, Alwin Benjamin (2025-04-26). "7 exciting OTT releases to watch between April 25 and May 1". Indulgexpress. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
  13. ^ "'Costao' trailer: Nawazuddin Siddiqui fights crime and corruption in gripping gold-smuggling thriller". The Times of India. 2025-04-17. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
  14. ^ "Nawazuddin Siddiqui plays a larger-than-life hero most realistically and there's nothing to complain. Pinkvilla".
  15. ^ Deb Roy, Lachmi. "'Costao' Movie Review: Terrific performance by Nawazuddin Siddiqui & what a beautifully restrained way of storytelling". Firstpost. Retrieved 2025-05-03.
  16. ^ Kotecha, Ronak. "Costao Review: While Nawazuddin Siddiqui's performance offers glimpses of brilliance, the film ultimately doesn't capitalise on the intriguing real-life events it draws inspiration from". The Times of India. Retrieved 2025-05-03.
  17. ^ "Lachmi Deb Roy. "'Costao' Movie Review: Terrific performance by Nawazuddin Siddiqui & what a beautifully restrained way of storytelling." Firstpost".
  18. ^ "Taru Masand. "Costao review: A powerful blend of emotion, corruption, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui's brilliance." News9Live".
  19. ^ "A sharp, engaging real-life drama that sees Nawazuddin Siddiqui at his best." Moneycontrol".
  20. ^ "Trisha Gaur. "Costao Movie Review: Nawazuddin Siddiqui Arrives With A '22 Carat Gold Story' Giving Bollywood What It Missed- Good Films!" Koimoi".
  21. ^ Sarkar, Arpita. "Costao Movie Review: A gold smuggling ring, bold pursuit of justice and Nawazuddin Siddiqui at his best". OTTplay. Retrieved 2025-05-03.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Costao&oldid=1292863897"