Second Case of Seetharam movie review: Vijay Raghavendra’s investigation of a series of murders makes for an engaging sequel

Second Case of Seetharam is the sequel to Vijay Raghavendra’s Seetharam Benoy Case No.18 and is definitely an upgrade on the original in terms of story-telling and execution

Vijay Raghavendra in Second Case of Seetharam

Second Case of Seetharam movie story: SI Seetharam (Vijay Raghavendra) and team investigate a spate of heinous murders, wherein the victims are subjected to severe torture before the eventual death blow. Every time Seetharam seems to have figured out what’s at play and who’s behind, another murder unfolds and he has to go back and investigate everything from scratch again. Can Seetharam crack the case before it’s too late?

Second Case of Seetharam movie review: In 2021, when Seetharam Benoy Case No 18 came out, the verdict was that the film had an interesting plot that failed in execution. Director Deviprasad Shetty, who was a debutant back then, took a leaf out of that review and has strived to fine-tune his story-telling with every passing film. Second Case of Seetharam is his third and the second in his Seetharam franchise. He gets Vijay Raghavendra to reprise the character from his milestone 50th film and gives him a series of murders to solve.

Men of a certain age are dropping dead, each sporting 50-odd wounds of torture that were inflicted before the death blow was landed. Besides the cause of death, the pathologist determines it is the work of a severely mentally-disturbed person. Fair point, given the suffering unleashed on each of the victims. But besides that, he gives Seetharam nothing else to go by – no forensic evidence whatsoever. Nothing about the murder weapon, DNA, etc. Things you’d expect to be cornerstones of an investigative thriller, especially when technology to pinpoint the exact location of a cell phone is in use. That is one of the biggest misses in this thriller set in modern times.

Also read: Seetharam Benoy Case No. 18 review: Vijay Raghavendra's 50th film falters in execution

Seetharam uses only his powers of deduction and gut feeling to zero down on suspects. Turns out, he’s not all that brilliant, because he falters a few times before eventually going down the right path. Hell, he even gets shot in the line of duty. This does humanize Seetharam a great deal, compared to the superhuman cops of mainstream commercial cinema. It also makes one overlook the flaws in the process and continue to root for him, especially in the face of imminent danger to a near-and-dear one.

Personally, I felt that the narrative had one too many red herrings along the way, but that was a conscious design, am told. Despite this, what holds the Second Case of Seetharam together is a script that is several notches above the original film, and execution backed by good performances across board. Vijay Raghavendra and Gopalkrishna Deshpande are, of course, the more popular names, but everyone else, known or unknown, does not make one misstep. Everyone was on point, doing only what’s required for the role; never going over the top. Navaneeth Sham’s background score deserves a special mention, elevating the film, without ever succumbing to the temptation of pomp and show.

The big question, of course, is how will a film like Second Case of Seetharam fare on the big screen. It is not flashy and does not have high-octane action sequences, as seen in star-led films in the same genre. Also, despite the 2-hour run-time it is not fast-paced either. Deviprasad takes his time unravelling the mystery, ties up loose ends and presents a passable payoff, revolving around the repercussions of an event on an impressionable mind. It is not ground-breaking stuff, but there’s an effort to at least try and give audiences something different to sink their teeth into. That conviction, despite the obvious budgetary limitations, is commendable and deserves encouragement.

If you liked Seetharam Benoy Case No.18, Second Case of Seetharam will, no doubt, come across as an impressive follow up. I am team Case of Kondana, so, this one doesn’t quite measure up, but one thing’s for sure – no complaints about the story-telling. It did have me wondering, though, what Deviprasad and team would have been able to pull off if they’d been armed with even a tenth of the budget of a star-led thriller.

Second Case of Seetharam verdict: As a sequel, Second Case of Seetharam is much better than the original. If substance, and not style, is what you are looking for in a thriller, give this one a chance. It’s engaging and won’t disappoint.

PS: Rating reflects brownie points for the team for not taking audiences for granted and focusing on getting the writing right, if not perfect, and executing it to the best of their capabilities.

The Rs 1 paid premieres are still going on for the film, which officially opens in theatres on February 20, 2026

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