Director - Sejal Shah
Cast - Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Priya Bapat, Kishore, Hussain Dalal, and Mahika Sharma.
Writer - Bhavesh Mandalia and Meghna Srivastava 
Platform – ZEE5
Duration – 2h4m
 
Costao is the kind of film that doesn’t walk into the room with fireworks — it knocks politely, enters with quiet intensity, and slowly turns up the heat until you’re leaning in, popcorn forgotten. Directed by Sejal Shah, this biographical crime drama dives into the true story of Costao Fernandes, a fearless customs officer in 1990s Goa who takes on a mammoth gold smuggling syndicate. It’s gritty, grounded, and unexpectedly heartfelt — like Singham with emotional baggage and better acting.
 
At the center of the storm is Nawazuddin Siddiqui, playing Costao with a simmering resolve that feels personal. He’s not your typical action hero — there are no slow-motion sunglasses or exaggerated punchlines — just a man who believes in the system, even when it’s rigged against him. Costao gets a tip about a 1500 crore gold smuggling operation, orchestrated by a power-hungry politician, D’Mello. With the kind of courage that could get a person killed (and nearly does), he goes after the truth, even when it means alienating his family, risking his life, and being brutalized by the people he's trying to bring to justice. The film follows his unraveling — emotionally, professionally, and morally — as he fights a battle that seems impossible to win.
 
What makes Costao shine isn’t just the crime plot — it’s the emotional undertone woven through the film like threads of sea breeze and tension. Priya Bapat, as Costao’s wife, adds rich texture to the story. Their scenes, especially the moments of argument and vulnerability, feel raw and real. There’s also a refreshing narrative twist: much of the story is told through the eyes of Costao’s daughter, who believes in her father when the world starts to doubt him. It’s a small but effective storytelling choice that softens the film’s hard edges. The film also delivers a few goosebump moments, like when Costao says, “Humare society mein sabko chahiye ki officer honest ho aur brave ho... lekin ghar mein nahi.” It hits hard — a truth too many public servants and their families live with.
 
That said, Costao isn’t without flaws. The pacing dips in the middle, with a few scenes lingering longer than they should. The villain D’Mello is more caricature than character — all menace, no nuance. And while the film builds well emotionally, it sometimes stumbles in execution, missing opportunities to go deeper or darker when it really could have. Still, Nawazuddin’s performance anchors it all. He brings quiet fire to the role, and you can see the toll of integrity in every weary look, every clenched jaw, every fatherly hug cut short by duty.
 
Overall, Costao is not the kind of crime drama that dazzles with gunfights or car chases — it’s slower, more thoughtful, and grounded in the messy, moral greys of real life. It doesn’t try to glorify heroism; instead, it shows the cost of it — the loneliness, the loss, and the rare, hard-earned dignity. For fans of Nawazuddin Siddiqui, it’s a reminder of just how good he is when given a character with weight. For the rest of us, it’s a surprisingly poignant tale of one man’s fight for justice in a system that punishes the honest.
 
Watch Costao if you’re in the mood for a film that makes you think, feel, and maybe even Google who Costao Fernandes really was. You won’t regret the trip to 90s Goa — even if it’s less about beaches and more about bravery.