Virupaksha is a psychological mystery thriller starring Sai Dharam Tej and Samyuktha Menon in the lead roles.

Premise:

Sai Dharam Tej visits his village for a festival. He falls in love with Samyuktha Menon. After a point, the whole village becomes haunted and the heroine happens to be the main target. How the hero saves the day is the remaining story.

Writing/ Direction:

The arc of the lead characters, the screenplay pattern and the revenge formula are usual and much-seen-before. But what makes the film afresh is its compelling concept, how the story neatly evolves to be big in the flow and reasoning for the vengeance. Being a mystery movie that too on a horror tone, it never felt like the regular formulaic flick. There are plenty of unique elements to keep us engrossed, also nothing is overly stuffed, knots are tied and unfold fluently one by one. Yes, there are some biscuity moments here and there that fool around conveniently. The detailing is fascinating, the Astram points are crystal clear, the backstory has several layers that are revealed with twists that work well. Just the fact that conveys how powerful a human eye is even after death is such a unique selling point and sums the whole logic of the script. The flow of the first half is a bit familiar and even though the love portions make a lot of sense later on in the movie, especially in the climax, they were a tad bit long. Sukumar wins yet again with his writing that is completely justified by Karthik Varm Dandu’s gritty vision and promising directors skills.

Performances:

Sai Dharam Tej isn’t a spoilsport as a measured performance with stock expressions is enough to make it convincing and he has delivered that. But the problem relies with his screen presence, he struggles to be naturally heroic at many places, while he is running for example. On the other hand, Samyuktha Menon hits it out of the park, she is intimidating and suits the rural backdrop nicely. All round performance from her, she has given her best both in romantic and serious situations. There are some other well-written characters played fine by the artists, a mix of fresh and popular faces.

Technicalities:

The first impression the film gives is that it is technically rich, in all aspects. No-nonsense songs, just a couple of passing montages as the focus is mainly on the subject. Background score matches the happenings at the right level. Splendid camera work with apt angles along with disturbances, the props are also covered in a sufficiently captivating manner. Sharp cuts in most parts, but editing could’ve been a little crisper in the first half. Solid sound effects and mixing, helped to create goosebumps moments during the dark sequences.

Bottomline

Rating - 3.25/ 5