‘Mrithyunjay’ movie review: Sree Vishnu leads a partly engaging crime drama

Some films try to punch above their weight while others play to the strengths of their core team and work within set limits. Mrithyunjay, the Telugu film written and directed by Hussain Sha Kiran and led by Sree Vishnu, falls into the latter category. Designed as an investigative thriller, it builds intrigue in parts. A few smart stretches, however, are undercut by convenient writing choices that keep the film from becoming fully engaging.

On the positive side, Mrithyunjay stays focused on its core story and characters across its 122-minute runtime. It avoids needless frills. The comedy is situational and blends smoothly into the narrative, and the film resists forcing in a romantic track. Sree Vishnu plays Jay, an aspiring crime reporter, while Reba Monica John appears as Sita, a police officer. Their paths cross solely during the investigation. The story keeps her personal life out of the frame, while Jay’s past trauma is revealed only enough to lend the narrative emotional weight.

On the flip side, Mrithyunjay assumes its viewers will not ask too many practical questions. Jay is introduced as a chameleon who slips into different avatars and uses sharp observation skills to outsmart any gathering. His job is to secure obituary ads for a newspaper. He visits mourning households, poses as an acquaintance of the deceased and persuades families to publish heartfelt obituaries. People pool in money and he meets his targets.

Anyone familiar with how mainstream newspapers function will know that securing ads is the domain of marketing teams, not reporters. The film blurs these roles, with Jay repeatedly pleading with his boss and a senior reporter to let him join the crime bureau. There is also the obvious question: how do none of the mourners grow suspicious of a stranger among them?

When two deaths in the city, initially seen as freak accidents, occur, Jay, who visits the families for obituary ads, suspects foul play. The narrative ties his determination to the trauma of a young girl and echoes of his own troubled childhood. These moments lend emotional grounding, but the film struggles to turn the premise into a gripping crime drama.

The story contains intriguing elements: a bank scam, contract killers and murders staged as accidents. Yet while the film focuses on Jay’s dogged pursuit of the truth, the police remain largely peripheral. Even Sita, who is meant to be resolute in seeking answers, does not do enough to push the investigation forward.

Despite these gaps, the stretches leading to Jay crossing paths with the killer generate some intrigue. The ensuing cat-and-mouse game avoids predictability. The film positions Jay and the killer as formidable adversaries. Their mind games and chases work in parts, though several loopholes are hard to ignore. How, for instance, does a gas leak in an apartment go unnoticed by the neighbourhood? And the bank scam, along with the masterminds behind the murders, remains sketchily developed.

A few smaller details work in the film’s favour: Jay’s bond with his aunt and his attempt to find closure for his own childhood trauma by helping the young girl. The title refers not only to one who conquers death but also juxtaposes mrithyu (death) and Jay (victory). Jay and his opponent emerge as mirror images — both masters of disguise; one causes death while the other appears in mourning homes. The subtext, however, is spelled out rather than allowed to unfold subtly.

Manisha A. Dutt’s production design, Vidhya Sagar’s cinematography and Kaala Bhairava’s background score align well with the film’s sombre tone. Ultimately, Mrithyunjay benefits most from Sree Vishnu’s earnest performance, which contrasts effectively with the cold, steely antagonist whose identity the makers have kept under wraps. The film remains intermittently intriguing but never quite realises its potential to become a standout crime drama.