The Last Case: Ramesh Pandit and Shankar Ashwath breathe life into this murder mystery

Cinematographer Satya Hegde’s official YouTube page is a platform for upcoming talent to showcase their creations and every now and then short films are hosted on the page. This week, Satya Hegde Studios has premiered a short film called The Last Case, directed by Pradeep Krishnamurthy.

The Last Case, follows a conversation between a washed-out writer Kamath (Ramesh Pandit) and Inspector Nagarajaiah (Shankar Ashwath), as they speak about the death of Anand, who was Kamath’s disciple at one point of time. Kamath and Anand, however, had a falling out, after the latter alleged that the former had plagiarised his work and passed it off as his own. Since leaving Kamath, Anand had found success as a writer, which could be seen as motive for the former to want to get even with his former mentee.

However, following a failed relationship, Anand took to drugs and eventually died of an overdose. For Nagarajaiah, the fact that the puncture mark was on Anand’s right arm, and the fingerprints on the syringe were also from his right hand, did not tally. How does one use his right hand and inject the vein on his right arm? Nagarajaiah is convinced there was foul play and that it probably was at the hands of Kamath, but the latter had been exonerated by the court for a lack of proof binding him to the crime. For Nagarajaiah, the murder of Anand is his last case, as he’s only days away from retirement, and since he can’t prove Kamath’s involvement, his next best suggestion is to the latter use the real investigation as inspiration for a story. Nagarajaiah will provide the police narrative of the crime, while Kamath can fill in the murderer’s perspective. What is Nagarajaiah’s objective?

Much of The Last Case plays out in one setting and is a conversation between the two men and what they think could have happened on the fateful night that Anand died. The last twist may not seem very convincing, but Ramesh Pandit and Shankar Ashwath ensure that the short film is an engrossing watch for the most part.