Fahadh Faasil shines in Don't Trouble the Trouble, but weak pacing lets down fantasy film

Suri is a small-time street magician and con artist in Hyderabad who scrapes together a living through petty scams. His life changes when he meets Divya, a young girl with real supernatural powers that spin out of control when she gets angry. The film Don't Trouble the Trouble is directed by Shashank Yeleti and stars Fahadh Faasil alongside child actor Ssara Palekar.

Cast Performances

Fahadh Faasil delivers a sincere and technically impressive performance, especially since he acts entirely in Telugu, a language he does not normally think in. Ssara Palekar is a natural and unforced screen discovery. However, other cast members like Saurabh Sachdeva, Subbaraju, Venkatesh Kakumanu, and Mahesh Manjrekar are largely under-utilised and wasted.

Technical and Script Flaws

The film runs for two hours and thirty-eight minutes, which is at least twenty minutes too long due to problematic editing by Praveen Anthony. The screenplay struggles with pacing, and the comedy lands only in patches instead of smooth waves. Kaala Bhairava's background music fails to find the tenderness missing in the script, though Brad Francis's cinematography captures Hyderabad's streets with warmth.

Context

Fantasy films rely heavily on a brisk pace and steady misdirection to keep the audience engaged, much like a live magic show. When a screenplay repeats the same emotional beats without variation, it can make a mid-budget project feel sluggish despite strong lead performances.