Review: Sree Vishnu shines in a grounded yet flawed Telugu crime thriller

Mrithyunjay, a Telugu crime drama written and directed by Hussain Sha Kiran, stars Sree Vishnu as Jay, an aspiring crime reporter, and Reba Monica John as police officer Sita. The film, spanning 122 minutes, tries to focus on a tightly knit narrative, avoiding unnecessary romance or over-the-top comedy. Jay’s investigative journey begins when he notices unusual patterns in deaths that are reported as accidents, leading him to uncover a web of crime, including a bank scam and staged murders. Sree Vishnu delivers a sincere performance, making Jay’s determination and emotional depth compelling, especially as the story touches on his childhood trauma. However, the movie often relies on convenient writing and stretches credibility, such as Jay easily mingling with mourning families to gather information, which slightly undermines the realism of the plot. The police characters, including Sita, remain largely in the background, reducing the tension of the investigation. Despite these flaws, certain moments, especially the cat-and-mouse sequences between Jay and the killer, provide intermittent intrigue. The cinematography by Vidhya Sagar, production design by Manisha A. Dutt, and background score by Kaala Bhairava align with the sombre tone, but the story never fully reaches its potential as a standout crime thriller. Overall, Mrithyunjay is an earnest attempt with strong performances but is weighed down by narrative shortcuts and gaps in plausibility.