Movie: Prasanna Vadanam
Rating: 2.75/5
Banner: Arah Media, Little Thoughts Cinemas
Cast: Suhas, Payal Radhakrishna, Rashi Singh, Nandu, Viva Harsha, Nitin Prasanna, and others
Music Director: Vijay Bulganin
DOP: S. Chandrasekaran
Editor: Karthika Srinivas R
Production Designer: Kranthi Priyam
Producers: Manikanta J S, Prasad Reddy T R
Written and Directed by: Arjun Y K
Release Date: May 03, 2024
Suhas has successfully transitioned from comedy to lead roles. His new film as a hero is "Prasanna Vadanam," which opened in theaters today.
Let us examine its advantages and disadvantages.
Story:
Surya (Suhas) is a Radio Jockey at an FM station. He experiences prosopagnosia as a result of a car accident. Upon witnessing a murder on the road, his life is thrown into disarray. Despite witnessing someone hurling a girl towards a rapidly moving truck, his condition prevents him from identifying the perpetrator's face.
The optimal course of action he should take is to inform the police through an anonymous phone call. He contacts the police station and informs them that the girl's death was not the result of a road accident, but rather a deliberate act of murder.
The twist in the story is that the S.I (Nitin Prasanna), who is working at the police station, is the perpetrator of the murder. The narrative of the story unfolds with numerous intricate developments, gradually exposing more persons involved in the murder of the girl.
Who is the main perpetrator and what are their motivations? Will Surya evade capture by the police officer?
Artistes’ Performances:
Suhas has played the role in his usual manner. He is good. Payal Radhakrishna as his girlfriend is okay. Harsha Chemudu as his friend does a routine job.
Rashi Singh is the real scene-stealer. She not only gets a lengthy role, but she also impresses with her performance.
Nandu gets to play a passive role. After Rashi Singh, Nitin Prasanna is another actor who is impressive in this film.
Technical Excellence:
Vijay Bulganin's background score is appropriate for the thriller genre, but his songs don’t work. The cinematography is neat. Editing lacks sharp focus.
Highlights:
Interval episode
Pre-climax fight
Basic plotline
Drawback:
Slow pace
The episodes involving hero and heroine
Drags on at many places
Analysis
At its core, "Prasanna Vadanam" is a thriller about 'face blindness,' or the inability to recognise faces. New director Arjun JK has not only written a script with enough twists and turns, but he has also managed to keep the audience interested to some extent in the film.
The one interesting aspect of this thriller is that it does not take long to reveal two major plot points: the hero's problem with face blindness and the revelation of the identity of the murderer. Because the story contains additional twists, these points are revealed at the beginning of the film.
The thriller works well in two parts of the story: the reveal of the main villain during the interval, and the action sequence involving the hero and two girls. Because the hero's face blindness prevents him from distinguishing between the two girls, the action episode became interesting to watch. These two episodes have turned out quite nicely.
However, the film also meanders at many places. Certain episodes, such as the hero's fight with two rowdies in a hospital, unnecessarily prolongs. The romantic track between the hero and the heroine lacks the same level of intelligence as the other parts of the story. There are also many sequences that bore us. The film lacks a focussed approach.
If the tone had been consistent, the movie could have evolved into a superb thriller. Our Telugu filmmakers should take inspiration from Malayalam filmmakers in presenting thrillers in a direct and gripping manner. “Prasanna Vadanam” has an interesting basic plotline but for deviation from the main plot is what lessens the impact.
Still, the film makes an interesting watch. Despite the slow pace, the thriller has enough twists and turns in the second half that keep us engaged.
New director Arjun has demonstrated his talent in scriptwriting. However, he should have refrained from employing a template style of narration in certain portions
Despite its inconsistent tone and narration, "Prasanna Vadanam" is a thriller with intriguing episodes that makes a neat watch.
Bottom Line: Good but not great