'IIT Krishnamurthy', now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, is directed by Sree Vardhan. What does the thriller have to offer? Is it worth a watch? Find out in our review.
Story
Krishnamurthy (Prudhvi Dandamudi), a student of IIT-Bombay, is in Hyderabad to trace his missing uncle. When ACP Vinay Varma (Vinay Varma) sees his Missing Person ad in a newspaper, he gets interested and takes up the case. The early investigation makes him believe that the "missing person" had actually died a natural death. But Krishnamurthy starts receiving warning calls, which makes him implore the ACP to keep the investigation going. Can the top cop crack the case?
Performances
The film's de jure lead man is Vinay Varma, who delivers a studied performance as a dutiful and unrelenting cop. Prudhvi should have been better, especially in the intense scenes. Meira Doshi, who plays a bubbly college girl in love with the hero, passes muster. Satya's comedy doesn't add any value. Banerjee is good in his limited role.
Technical aspects
Naresh Kumaran's background score is good overall despite flashes of rehashing. Yesu's cinematography is average.
Plus Points
The last 13 minutes where the retrospective reveals some interesting facts is interesting.
The film assumes the form of a mystery thriller towards the interval. This is sort of creative tinkering with the genre.
Minus Points
For an investigative thriller that involves a corporate crime, this film is too underdeveloped. There is nothing exciting in the way the suspense gets unravelled.
The pre-climax phase, wherein the suspense behind the disappearance of Krishnamurthy's babai is revealed, is dull.
The production values are unimaginably underwhelming.
The songs hamper the flow of the story.
The love track is an insult to the aesthetic sense of even the most unromantic fellow on the planet.
Analysis
One too many thrillers have been made of late. This year must be the worst for thrillers. 'V', 'Nishabdham', 'Penguin' and '47 Days', just to name four of them in a year of too few releases, have all bombed. 'IIT Krishnamurthy' doesn't even make an attempt to outdo the last of these, let alone the first three.
