Shiva Kandukuri who is trying to make his own mark with all kinds of genres has now arrived with an investigative thriller 'Bhoothadham Bhaskar Narayana'. The film has successfully captured the audience's attention through its compelling promotional content. The attention grabbing trailer along with 'Shiva Trap Trance' song created a buzz around the film. The film which has Rashi Singh as the heroine is helmed by debut director Purushotham Raaj. Bhoothaddam Bhaskar Narayana hit the screens on March 1st. Let's delve into the review.
Bhaskar Narayana (Shiva Kandukuri) aspires to be a detective right from his young age, inspired by his elder brother. The story takes an interesting turn when a psychopathic killer commits a series of murders in the Andhra - Karnataka border region. Women were being brutally murdered decapitating their heads and replacing them with Dishti dolls. Bhaskar Narayana gets into the mission of solving the case. As the story progresses, Bhaskar finds a connection between mythological elements to the murders. What follows is an intriguing tale blended with thrills and twists unfolding in an interesting manner.
Shiva Kandukuri suits well in the role of a detective, Bhaskar Narayana. He delivered a confident and commendable performance leaving an impression as a detective. His ease in acting is clearly evident in the film. He displayed a remarkable range of expressions, embodying the character's resilience against his father's reprimands and societal perceptions that he was unsuitable for detective work. Furthermore, he skillfully conveyed the deep emotions stemming from his quest to uncover the truth behind his brother's demise. His on-screen presence was compelling, particularly in scenes where he delved into the investigation of the perplexing murders. Heroine Rashi Singh, who is seen as a journalist delivers a decent performance. The ensemble cast, contributes to the narrative with their adequate performances.
Films falling into the genre of suspense thrillers need to have enough tricks up its sleeve to spring a surprise at the audiences. 'Bhoothaddam Bhaskar Narayana' has plenty of them and director Purushotham Raaj has neatly executed them as well. Sricharan Pakala's background music enhances the overall impact and maintains suspense throughout the film. The camera work is impressive capturing the mood effectively. Quality production values provide a slick look for this investigative thriller with decent VFX.
The film especially in the second half, filled with an ample amount of twists and turns keeps the audience at the edge of their seats. The director successfully maintains the interest without giving much clues about the killer till the end. The inclusion of the "Shiva Trap Trance" during the rolling credits amplifies the cinematic experience. 'Bhoothaddam Bhaskar Narayana' successfully caters to the audience longing for a quality thriller. On the flip side, the first half could have been more gripping.
'Bhoothaddham Bhaskar Narayana' moved away from usual crime thrillers by skillfully intertwining elements of crime thriller with mythology. The film succeeded in engaging the audience right from the start. Though the first half fumbles with some pacing issues, it is the second half that worked well for the film. The later half of the narrative introduces a series of gripping twists and turns that heighten the overall thrill, eclipsing even the momentum established in the first half. On the whole, 'Bhoothaddam Bhaskar Narayana' delivers a promising thriller with rural touch and mythological connection to it. Considering all these, CineJosh is going with a 2.75 rating for 'Bhoothaddam Bhaskar Narayana'.