'Veedevadu', starring Sachin Joshi and Eesha Gupta in lead roles, hits the screens this Friday.  Here is our review.

Story:

Sathya (Sachin Joshi) is accused of murdering his newly-wed wife Shruti (Eesha Gupta).  He is brooding, doesn't talk much and looks rather absorbed in himself.

Prakash (Kishore) and his assistant Haider (Harshavardhan) in their investigation keep collecting the threads of the incidents before Shruti's murder at the hands of her husband.  In the jail where he has been incarcerated, cop Albert (Supreet) is seething with anger over Sathya, who is believed to have killed his (Albert's) brother in a kabaddi match.

Shruti's father (Prabhu) wants justice at the earliest.  Much as he tries to solve the murder mystery, Prakash only realizes that it's a conundrum for which there are no easy answers.

Who is Sathya and what are his motives?  Does he really suffer from a personality disorder that a psychiatrist says he does?  Why did Shruti meet the fate?  Answers to these questions are found in the climax.

Analysis:

For a least-awaited movie like this, 'Veedevadu' comes with a fairly good narration and superior technical output.  Director Thathineni Sathya must be lauded for writing a racy, gripping screenplay for a good part of the film.

The initial 30 minutes or so is quite embarrassing.  The rom-com track involving Sachin, Eesha and her friend (played by Dhanya Balakrishnan) comes half-done.  Although the behaviour of Eesha's character in these scenes ultimately makes sense by the end, the scenes could have done away with those animated expressions and the cliched body language.

After these initial, forgivable hiccups, 'Veedevadu' gets intense.  Sathya's rivalry with the rogue elements in the jail is ominous.  But despite the presence of a selfie-crazy cop (Vennela Kishore in an underwhelming role) and comedian Sathya as a prisoner, there is no such thing as comedy in these portions.  Srinivas Reddy (as the hero's friend) doesn't help either.

Once Inspector Prakash confronts Sathya, the second half gets interesting, at least to a reasonable extent.  The hero has the ability to confuse others at will, he is always ahead of the cops and his enemies, and hits the bull's eye when they least expect.

However, while the plot line keeps you guessing and is thrilling at times, the scenes are not always exciting.  As the scene shifts to Goa, you are bombarded with gay comedy (although it doesn't overstay), a forgettable club song and some bad chemistry between the lead pair.  When the film is back to acquiring its crime thriller-self, it once again starts to look convincing.

The kabaddi backdrop doesn't go a long way in increasing the film's appeal. The director is assisted by an adept team for sure.  Thaman's background music makes a cool impact.  There is no over-the-top score, no trace of playing to the gallery.  Binendra Menon's cinematography makes for a pleasant watch.  The frames and the colour-grading are skillful.  Prawin Pudi's slick editing deserves a special mention.  The kabaddi match in rain effect that comes in the climax is very well-shot.

Sachin Joshi's performance doesn't make a mark.  The lip sync is horrible (is it even a bilingual?).  He is immensely unwelcome in those songs.  As for Eesha, she is more a model-material.  If the scenes involving Kishore and Harshavardhan are that good, it's because of their near-perfect performance.  The latter's humorous lines add the much-needed spice.  Supreet is somewhat jaded, repetitive as he becomes.  Prabhu has an extended cameo.  Dhanya Balakrishnan, although good, is made to show some improper reactions.

Verdict:

'Veedevadu' is a fairly decent entertainer.  A crime thriller, it has a gripping narration for a good part.  The lead pair can't be given a thumbs-up.

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