On the surface, it’s a regular revenge drama. A road accident wrecks havoc in a young boy’s life. He has to come to terms with the twist of fate, fend for himself and protect his sister who’s paralysed for life. He doesn’t let the wounds heal. He grows up and studies in a law college, surrounded by friends and peers who worry about normal things like exams, attendance and girlfriends. Our protagonist, though, is a meticulous murderer. He isn’t a typical macho hero baying for blood. A heart condition warrants that he stay calm and composed even when he’s murdering someone.
Director Sudheer Varma, of the gritty Swamy Ra Ra, walks down the thriller path again, doffing his hat to The Godfather (revenge is a dish best served cold) and popular Telugu cinema. The transition of time is shown through changing film posters on a dark night. Prashant Pillai’s background score and Divakar Mani’s cinematography help Sudheer Varma set the right tone for the thriller. Smaller towns like Amalapuram and Annavaram turn into areas of lurking danger where no one might be around for miles if someone needs help.
The film rides on that opening sequence, the accident, and we are shown the many points of views as Keshava (Nikhil) keeps murdering one cop after another.
Finer details are tucked away in scribbles that adorn every single inch of Keshava’s room. Thankfully, the makers don’t over simplify the mystery. Shots of post-its with information about someone living 20km away from the police station, or that of rowdies who can be allies do the explaining.
Keshava is riveting until it stays in that zone of a college guy sneaking out to commit murders and hanging the bodies to make a statement. Priyadarshi doesn’t sense anything fishy in his friend but the childhood sweetheart, Satyabhama (Ritu Varma), knows something doesn’t add up. Vennela Kishore and team lighten up the proceedings, particularly in that spin-off of Athadu in the classroom.
But as you get an idea of where it’s all headed, it gets weary despite the presence of the feisty cop Sharmila (Isha Koppikar, with a distinct voiceover by Anasuya Baradwaj – Kshanam anyone?). After an underwhelming pre-interval sequence, you expect something smarter because you don’t expect Keshava to be outwitted easily. But the little twist can be guessed from a mile.
The film’s biggest undoing, apart from its wafer-thin plot, is that it doesn’t offer wow moments that you want from a thriller. You can guess how the face-off between Keshava and Sharmila will go and, even, who might have hidden secrets towards the end.
What works in favour of the film, apart from the able technical crew, is the ensemble cast of Nikhil, Ritu Varma, Priyadarshi, Isha and Rao Ramesh doing just what is required of them.
The film also leaves us with questions — like how did Keshava rise above his peculiar heart condition? Without that, his condition remains like a surface detail that’s neither relevant to the plot nor does it make you sympathise with him.
Keshava is good, but it had potential to be smarter and exceptional.
Keshava
Cast : Nikhil Siddhartha, Ritu Varma, Priyadarshi and Isha Koppikar
Direction : Sudheer Varma
