Paisa Vasool

Plot

The film begins with Bob Marley, a powerful mafia kingpin who controls the criminal underworld of Hyderabad remotely from Portugal. Finding him impossible to capture through normal means, the Chief of India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) tasks a local IPS Officer, ACP Kiranmayi, with finding a ruthless criminal for a covert operation. Kiranmayi tracks down Theda Singh, a deadly gangster recently released from Tihar Jail, and recruits him.

Theda Singh moves into a new neighborhood and becomes the neighbor of Harika, a young woman searching for her missing sister, Sarika, who disappeared in Portugal. Because Harika filed official complaints about the disappearance, she is constantly targeted by Bob Marley's henchmen. Theda Singh repeatedly protects Harika, and the two fall in love. Meanwhile, RAW authorities are shocked to discover that Theda Singh was actually involved in a recent bloodbath in Portugal. Believing that Theda Singh murdered her sister, Harika shoots him. The Indian police arrest him, and during his interrogation, his true past is revealed.

Past: Theda Singh is living as a cab driver and petty rogue in Portugal. He meets Sarika when she rides in his cab. As an investigative journalist, Sarika is running a high-risk sting operation against Bob Marley to expose his network of corrupt Indian politicians and professionals. The two eventually fall in love. When Bob Marley discovers her investigation, his men ambush her. Theda Singh fights them off, revealing that he is actually Balakrishna Nandamuri, an elite RAW agent undercover to eliminate the kingpin. During the chaos, Sarika is fatally wounded. Before she dies in Balakrishna's arms, she begs him to protect her family. Devastated by her death and disillusioned when his superiors order him to stand down, Balakrishna fakes his own death and disappears.

Present: The RAW Chief attempts to contact Balakrishna, but assassins ambush and severely injure the Chief, leaving him in a coma. Because the Chief was the only one who knew Balakrishna's true identity, the agency tests the captured Theda Singh to confirm who he is. Balakrishna easily passes their tests and reassumes command. Once the RAW Chief awakens, he orders Balakrishna to finally travel to Portugal and assassinate Bob Marley. Balakrishna reveals that he already killed Bob Marley on the exact day Sarika died. The corrupt politicians and gangsters had merely been pretending Marley was alive to maintain their criminal empire. Balakrishna systematically eliminates the remaining corrupt officials, and the film concludes with him embarking on his next dangerous mission.

Soundtrack

Music composed by Anup Rubens. Music released by ADITYA Music Company.

Production

In February 2017, director Puri Jagannath announced on Twitter that he would be directing Nandamuri Balakrishna's 101st film in his next directorial venture to be bankrolled by Bhavya Creations. The muhurtham shot took place on 9 March 2017 in Hyderabad amidst much fanfare. S. S. Rajamouli, Boyapati Srinu, Krish and other dignitaries attended the muhurat ceremony. While Rajamouli gave the clap, Boyapati directed the first shot. The first look of the movie along with the title was launched on 9 June 2017 on the eve of Balakrishna's birthday. On 27 August 2017, as a part of the film promotion Puri Jagannadh released a track called "Jai Balayya" composed by Sandeep Chowta and sung by Sujay Harthi. N.T.Rama Rao's old song "Kanti Choopu Cheptondi" from the movie Jeevitha Chakram was remixed in the film.

Reception

Critical response

Siddhartha of Mirchi9 wrote about the movie "Paisa Vasool is a very ordinary movie story wise. The film looks like a combination of past Puri Jagannadh films with best bits taken from each of them." He also added that "Overall, the movie is just an average fare if one is a fan of the star (Balakrishna), for others, it is nothing unmissable."