Review : Virupaksha : Thriller with a jigsaw puzzle!

In the 21st century, superstition still prevails but with lesser intensity. Earlier times the degree of #superstition was extremely high and people used to rely on #Pujaris or someone connected with religion for solutions. The film #Virupaksha’s story happens in the nineties and dwells on the same subject. Though the proceedings may look outdated but the director has kept the narration engrossing. The #Hindi dubbed version’s dialogues are captivating and this thriller scores brownie points in the romantic scenes too.

Surya (Sai Dharam Tej) and his mother are visiting their native place Rudravanam, after a gap of a decade. He happens to meet a veiled girl, Nandini (Samyukta Menon) stealing a cock, but instead of handing her over to the villagers, he gets engulfed in the depth of her beautiful eyes. Later he finds out that she is Sarpanch’s daughter. It’s love at first sight for him but she isn’t ready to commit anything. While everything is hunky dory on the romantic front, gory things are happening on the other side. Suddenly the village witnesses a lot of deaths and it’s found out that there’s a dark secret. When villagers want to sacrifice Nandini’s life for peace, Surya gets into action to save Nandini and the village. What transpires later and in between forms the crux of the story.

Director Karthik Varma Dandu has done a sincere job in attempting this subject. Sukumar’s screenplay, though has innumerable scenes, which make it a jigsaw puzzle, pulls off an effective plot for the horror film. The entire atmosphere seems suffocating and the cinematography does justice to the film. The music enhances the value of scenes making the film more gripping. The sound design is noteworthy. First half is racy with romance thrown in but lacks the chemistry between the lead pair. Individually both Sai and Samyukta are good and deliver convincing performances. Others lend good support.

Though Virupaksha has made more than 70-80 cr business in southern languages, it may not appeal to the Hindi audiences.

**1/2