Movie: IIT Krishnamurthy
Cast : Prudhvi Dandamudi, Maira Doshi Anand and Vinay Verma
Director: Sreevardhan
Rating: 2.5
Review: With thrillers, the big reveal has to be invariably exciting. Some thrillers that don't have much to offer in terms of suspense perk up the appeal of the screenplay by attempting to make the protagonist's character look novel. IIT Krishnamurthy, which is streaming on Amazon Prime from December 10, does that to an extent, although not to the desired effect. In the climax, after the flashback is over, the story unfolds something that has been hidden from the audience all along.
Krishnamurthy (Prudhvi Dandamudi) has taken a sabbatical from his stint at IIT-Bombay to be in Hyderabad to search for his missing uncle. He crosses paths with ACP Vinay Varma (Vinay Varma), who takes a keen interest in the case. Soon, just as the ACP begins to think that the missing person is dead, the male lead is perplexed by a phone call from an unknown malcontent. This is when the plot thickens.
Much of what passes for investigation in this film is actually superficial. Investigative procedurals have to be tight, but what is on offer here are some glaring loopholes. It appears that the ACP thinks exactly like how a key character wants him to think and behave. Such convenient writing is what make thrillers questionable.
There was so much potential in Vinay Varma's character. As a somewhat unpredictable and egoistic cop, he exudes arrogance. His anger issues should have been used well in the scenes involving the villains. The dialogues between him and Krishnamurthy could have been intriguing for the same reason.
As the male lead says, the emotion has to be strong. But it's this emotion that is not felt, probably because the flashback is old-fashioned.
The villain, a corporate honcho, is a caricature. For a film that was billed as a corporate crime thriller, this is puzzling. The romantic track (involving Prudhvi and Meira Doshi) could have been soulful, given the mental state of the hero. Interrupted by unwelcome songs and bizarre conversations, it comes undone. Comedian Sathya's weight issues don't evoke laughter either.
For all the flaws, director Sree Vardhan shows promise, especially in the way he treats the final moments. At 113 minutes, the length is alright. Helped by Nagarjuna Manapaka's writing, the film does show some flashes of intelligence here and there. Naresh Kumaran's music elevates the slow-motion walk shots. But the technical output, by and large, should have pushed the envelope.
