'Jothi' - Works as an investigative thriller with twists galore
The trailer of 'Jothi' suggests a shocking thriller dealing with the hunt for a psycho killer who cuts open pregnant women's bellies and steals their yet to be born babies. Lets see how the writing and execution has fared on screen.
The film gets to business right from the word go showing a home alone pregnant woman Jothi (Sheela Rajkumar) the wife of a doctor whose stomach is cut open and her child kidnapped by an unknown man. Her neighbour Janani (Krisha Kurup) discovers the unconscious woman and calls in her cop husband Jagan (Vettri) who starts the investigation. The rest of the screenplay then deals with how the SI goes after one suspect after another facing several twists and turns before the shocking truth is revealed.
Vetri, who gained fame in films such as '8 Thottakkal' and 'Jiivi', looks every bit the cop with apt body language and is consistent throughout. Sheela Rajkumar, who plays the title role is excellent especially when turning the tables on the villain in the end. Krisha Kurup who plays Vettri's wife pining for a child, Mime Gopi as a loving father of the heroine and Kumaravel as the nosy head constable have all done a neat job. SP Raja Sethupathi has played a key role as the main suspect convincingly while 'Ratsasan' Saravanan is also adequate as the main character's husband.
What is good in 'Jothi' is the shocking opening and the investigation scenes that drive the screenplay forward for three quarters of the run time. The suspects and their motives are also convincing and the final twist comes with a a shock value as well. The flashback portion involving Sheela Rajkumar's teenage life with her foster father Mime Gopi is truly moving. The film manages to convey the pain of the parents who have lost their children and the contrasting pain of those who cannot have children through the main leads.
On the flip side the good work done for seventy five percent of the film is undone by the superfluous melodrama after the real villain is revealed. There is also a feeling of watching a serial that works as a deterrent. The core issue of baby trafficking and its modus operandi could have been shown with more depth instead of passing it on as a mere statistics. The time wasted after the baby is discovered could have been utilised for that which would have elevated the film to much greater heights.
The music, cinematography and the rest of the technical aspects is on par with the subject and the budget. S.P. Raja Sethupathi the editor of 'Sathuranga Vettai' has turned producer for this film under his banner SPR Studios and has chosen a meaningful film as his debut. Director Krishna Paramathma has done a good job in writing an engaging investigative thriller with twists and turns that work in most places. In spite of a few hiccups he is one to watch out for in the future.
Verdict : Go for this engaging investigative thriller
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