Mrithyunjay

As long as the proceedings were around the investigative drama, the film was watchable. The twist during the pre-interval sequence was also fairly interesting. But, in the second half, the film completely turned into a cat-and-mouse drama between the protagonist and antagonist. It is where the film lost its track completely. All we get to see in the second half are the predictable mind games and excessive slow-motion shots of the hero and villain. The team tried their best to excite the audience by using Kaala Bhairava’s background score but it did not work. Background score can enhance the viewing experience when a film is made in a compelling manner but it alone cannot pull off a film that is not so well written and executed. Overall, the makers of Mrithyunjay, should be appreciated for their intent to give a unique viewing experience to the audience but that is about it. Unexciting writing, very few thrilling moments and unnecessary commercial elements, worked against the film.

Sree Vishnu's natural comic instincts surface occasionally, keeping the mood from becoming too heavy. It is also genuinely refreshing to see him in a serious role after a string of comedy outings, and he handles the transition with reasonable ease. But even he cannot paper over the cracks in a script that consistently opts for convenience over craft. Mrithyunjay is a thriller that knows what it wants to be but does not quite get there. The ideas are interesting enough to hold your attention, and the setup is promising enough to make the eventual disappointment sting a little more. With sharper writing and a greater willingness to let its characters earn their victories, this could have been one of the better Telugu thrillers in recent memory. Instead, it settles for being a frustrating reminder of what might have been.

Kala Bhairava’s background score is one of the major highlights of the film. The cinematography work is decent and the lighting matches the characterizations of the lead actor and the lead antagonist. The editing work is good and the film has a runtime of just two hours. Hussain Sha Kiran takes up the Malayalam pattern of narration and the film is impressive at times. But from the protege of Sukumar, the audience will be expecting more moments with mind games and thrills. This goes missing in Mrithyunjay. On the whole, Mrithyunjay is a decent attempt if given a watch with low expectations. Mrithyunjay makes a decent one time watch.