Police Story review: Srinath Maganti shoulders a decent investigative thriller

3/5

Story:

Karthik, an IT employee, is found dead in the washroom in the middle of his night shift. The founder of the software firm is a politician who wants this case solved by morning, before it grabs media attention. While the politician tries to clean up the mess unofficially through a cop Riaz, the latter is shocked to meet his arch rival, suspended officer Shiva at the crime scene. Will Shiva connect the dots and find the culprit?

Review:

The moment a director is given the liberty to tell a story as authentically as possible and choose actors that are apt and only as a medium to drive the narrative forward, there are more chances that one could witness a meaningful product. Police Story, an investigative thriller, may not boast anything pathbreaking but benefits from its focus and sincerity in the storytelling sans any major distractions.

The setup is quite generic/basic, but it works. Two warring cops (one official, one unofficial) are entrusted with a case that needs to be solved within a night. The plot unfolds at a corporate firm where the officers interrogate the colleagues of a murdered IT employee and need to unlock various dimensions to the crime but are hard-pressed for time. The protagonist, beyond his profession, has a personal connection with the case.

Within a 105 minute narrative, director Ram Vignesh, beyond the core investigation, makes good use of compact subplots to enhance the tension. The backstory behind Shiva’s failed marriage with Aarthi (due to their inability to strike a work-life balance) and how it subsequently affects his work, equation with his fellow colleagues are ideated well. The execution of these sequences appears simplistic but the director makes his point clear without beating around the bush.

The thriller is based on a video footage, multiple versions of the same incident and showcases Shiva’s intellect in looking beyond the obvious. Karthik’s ex-girlfriend, his drug-addict ‘friend’, Shiva’s ex-wife and others are under the scanner. The final twist creates the intended impact and the tension leading to climax is sustained well. The team, despite the limitations with the budgets and backdrops, ensures the viewing experience isn’t compromised.

Police Story isn’t without its fair share of missteps in the execution. The sequence where Shiva gifts Aarthi a knife to ensure her safety is quite absurd. While weaving a conflict between two cops Shiva and Riaz, the director conveniently antagonises the latter, portraying him as a corrupt officer, a womaniser, egoist who’s devoid of intellect. The film would’ve been more absorbing if it was a contest between two equal matches and dealt with their approaches to the case.

The dialogue where the cop blames novels, films and web shows as influences behind crimes was unwarranted. It’s tiring to listen to cops utter lines like ‘it’s a pre-meditated, pre-planned murder’ to add drama to the proceedings film after film. Detailing isn’t the strength of Police Story but the tight-knit screenplay ensures that a viewer is hooked. Meenakshi Bhujang’s tense background score, precise cinematography aid the director’s cause.

Srinath Maganti, the actor from Hit: The First Case, isn’t new to the crime-thriller setup as a cop and handles the angry young man avatar with enough restraint. Shweta Avasthi sticks to the needs of the plot and comes up with an assured performance. Temper Vamsi, in a ‘been there done that’ part as a corrupt, perverted cop, fits the bill. The supporting cast, including Koushik, Dhamotharan, Sai Priyanka Ruth, Prathana Nathan and others do what’s expected of them.

Verdict:

While Police Story isn’t a must watch, it is a compact, decent thriller that sustains your attention for a little over 100 minutes and offers a few surprises. Director Ram Vignesh is in good control of the storytelling barring a few missteps and extracts measured performances from Srinath Maganti, Shweta Avasthi and the supporting cast. A not-so-bad watch on OTT!