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Story
Jay (Sree Vishnu) is an orphan who works in the marketing department of a newspaper, specializing in securing obituary advertisements. Though he has a keen eye for detail and aspires to become a crime reporter, the newspaper’s MD does not take his ambitions seriously. During one of his visits related to an obituary, Jay notices something unusual about a dead person. While the police dismiss it as an accident, Jay suspects it could be a murder. The rest of the story follows how he investigates the case, tracks down the killer, and ultimately brings him to justice while helping the victim’s daughter find closure.
Artists Performance
Sree Vishnu has always been regarded as an actor who gravitates toward content-driven films. In this film, he simply immerses himself in the character, consciously avoiding the use of his recently established entertainer image, as it would not suit the role. He delivers an excellent performance. Reba Monica John plays a cop who initially resists the hero’s involvement in the case but eventually encourages him to pursue the investigation. She delivers a good performance. Sudarshan adds a touch of humor to this murder thriller in the role of the hero’s friend. Racha Ravi and Ayyappa Sharma perform their parts effectively, while Veer Aryan portraying the killer makes a strong impact. Uha Reddy, who previously appeared as the son of Chiranjeevi in Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu, plays a pivotal role in this film and leaves a good impression. Baladitya is solid in a crucial role as well. Interestingly, the styling of Sree Vishnu and Baladitya appears quite similar - a detail that will make sense once you watch the film. Veteran actress Aishwarya Bhaskaran also appears in an important role, marking her return to Telugu cinema after a long gap.
Story - screenplay - direction:
Mrithyunjay is a kind of thriller where the director reveals the central conflict and the identity of the killer fairly early in the narrative. Director Hussain Sha Kiran has written the film with considerable attention to detail, planting seeds in the first half and delivering their payoffs in the second half. He approaches the film with the sensibility of an independent filmmaker, and the slight amateurishness visible at times actually adds a certain freshness to the storytelling. At the interval point, the otherwise meticulous contract killer suddenly loses his composure, which might initially raise questions. However, the director justifies this behavior convincingly in the second half. The story itself is simple but is presented with an engaging screenplay. Though the narration occasionally shows uneven pacing, it does not significantly affect the audience’s involvement. The mind game between the hero and the villain works well. That said, if the police investigation had been more tightly woven into this cat-and-mouse dynamic, the script could have felt even stronger and more compelling.
Other departments: Music composed by Kaala Bhairava stands out, particularly the background score, which works effectively for the film’s tone. Vidhya Sagar’s cinematography is decent, though the visuals appear somewhat inconsistent at places—possibly due to delays during the shooting schedule. Sreekar Prasad’s editing is neat and keeps the narrative moving. The production design by Manisha A. Dutt deserves special mention for the thoughtful selection of locations, while the film’s visual tone is enhanced by a predominantly dark cyan colour palette. Producers Sandeep Gunnam and Vinay Chilakapati deserve credit for backing a content-driven film.
Analysis: Mrithyunjay is a purely content-driven film with no duets, romance, or forced comedy. It relies entirely on its investigative thriller narrative to drive the story. At times, the film feels slightly amateurish and somewhat inconsistent, but the director presents an original idea supported by a well-crafted screenplay. Sree Vishnu’s presence adds strength to the film. The crisp runtime of around two hours also works in its favor. Overall, it is a different, indie-style thriller that manages to keep the audience engaged despite a few minor hiccups. It is definitely worth watching in theatres.
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