‘Case of Kondana’ movie review: Vijay Raghavendra anchors a gripping thriller

Devi Prasad Shetty’s ‘Case of Kondana’, starring Vijay Raghavendra, has a distinct mood for a thriller and a screenplay that moves at breakneck speed; it may not become a classic, but the pluses do outweigh the minuses

The issue with the 2021 suspense thriller Seetharam Benoy Case No. 18, starring Vijay Raghavendra and directed by Devi Prasad Shetty, was that it tried too hard to be a thriller. Thankfully, with Case of Kondana, also starring Vijay, Devi Prasad Shetty has made a thriller without the pretentiousness we saw in Seetharam Benoy; almost every scene in Case of Kondana has a purpose, as it nicely sets up what’s going to happen next.

The movie begins with ACP Lakshmi (Bhavana Menon) investigating a serial killer case. Even as Lakshmi gets close to her target, the director jolts us by spicing up the plot with another crime episode involving the protagonist, sub-inspector Wilson (Vijay Raghavendra), a fresher in the police department.

The film’s writing focuses on the psyche of each of its characters and connects it with the major twists of the story. Wilson reacts to situations without thinking much, while Lakshmi takes the law into her own hands while dealing with criminals. Even if they are morally right, their actions come back to haunt them.

Others in the mix are Wilson’s girlfriend Sahana (Kushee Ravi), a helpful doctor, a pani puri vendor who is worried about his son’s deteriorating health, and a gang of rowdies. To the film’s credit, all central characters play a part in the proceedings.

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Director Devi Prasad puts an interesting spin on the thriller template that we are used to. The all-important crime at the fictional place, Kondana, and the incidents that lead to it are purely accidental. It’s refreshing to see the protagonist as an innocent on the run and one who is constantly gripped with fear and guilt.

The film goes into the Drishyam zone when Wilson starts to outsmart the police, and you root for him because you know he never planned to have the victim’s blood on his hands. The movie even reminds you of Nayattu, where the traditional hunters get hunted.