'Nindha', directed and produced by Rajesh Jagannadham, is arriving at the cinemas this Friday (June 21). Bankrolled by The Fervent Indie Productions, the film is a whodunit and an investigative thriller.
Plot:
A bunch of men (played by Bhadram, Surya Kumar and others) from different walks of life are held captive for a mysterious reason. One of them is a government doctor, another one is a lawyer, yet another one is a hot-headed cop, so on and so forth. The captor speaks to them anonymously, wearing a mask-like covering. He is a Bigg Boss-like mystery man who instructs them to follow three rules while they are besieged: They can't lie, they have to tell the truth within a stipulated time, and they can't afford to anger him.
The captor asks them about one Balaraju (Chatrapathi Sekhar), a middle-aged villager from Kandrakota who has been convicted for raping and murdering a young girl. Ahead of his hanging, why is the captor (who is revealed to be Varun Sandesh) interested in knowing about him?
Performances:
Varun Sandesh makes a decent comeback in an out-and-out serious role. Tanikella Bharani, who plays a retired judge with a conscience, has an extended cameo. Annie is seen in an effective role even though her screen time is limited. Bhadram, Surya Kumar, Siddharth Gollapudi, Arun Dalai and others are also seen.
Chatrapathi Sekhar has a semi-complex role, while Shreya Rani Reddy plays the lead man's love interest.
Technical Departments:
1. Cinematography: Ramiz Naveeth A's work is amplified by the right colour grading.
2. Music: Santhu Omkar's background score could have been a little more tense and less persistent.
3. Editing: Anil Kumar P's work is a plus.
4. Production Values: Looks like the limited budget was spent smartly.
Analysis:
The film's tagline, 'A Kandrakota Mystery', says it all. A murder mystery and a whodunit rolled into one, 'Nindha' also examines the functioning of the criminal justice system, power dynamics within a village, and the conscientiousness that those who are responsible to deliver justice can be capable of. There is a redemption arc, there is a character who can go to any lengths for the sake of his loved one, and there is also the law of Karma at work.
The dialogues written by Sireesha Manikrishna would have worked better had they been used sparingly. The conversations between the captor and his captives are too prolonged. Kittu Vissapragada's lyrics are strictly driven by the story, barring those of the one romantic song.
The dynamics between the captor and the captives is dragged down by the comic tone. With comedian Bhadram, the tension is somewhat diluted.
The screenplay should have been tighter. In a montage song, a particular shot involving two key characters shouldn't have been included. It's a dead giveaway, letting the viewer guess the twist thirty minutes before the climax.
Vox Verdict:
'Nindha' is a whodunit that draws from a unique premise. Although the screenplay is far from being perfect, the focused narrative makes the film count.
Rating: 2.75/5
