What’s “Prasanna Vadanam” about?
Surya (Suhas), a radio jockey, survives a road accident but tragically loses both of his parents and also suffers from prosopagnosia, the inability to recognize faces. The impairment of his ability to recognize faces leads to various difficulties in his daily life, such as being unable to identify the person he is speaking to or distinguish between his girlfriend (Payal Radhakrishna) and his maid. Frequently, his roommate (Harsha Chemudu) rescues him from awkward predicaments.
One day, he witnesses a girl being killed by being thrown in front of a speeding truck on the road. Because he is unable to identify the perpetrator’s face, he calls the police station from a phone box and reports that Amrutha was murdered.
The girl’s murder was, in fact, committed by Sub Inspector of Police (Nitin Prasanna), who works at the same police station. So, S.I. is out to capture him. In addition to trying to save himself from Sub Inspector of Police, Surya now has to investigate the murder and identify the true mastermind.
Analysis
“Prasanna Vadanam,” directed by newcomer Arjun JK, a former protégé of director Sukumar, is a thriller replete with a substantial amount of twists and turns. The hero’s facial recognition issue is introduced at the very start. However, the director shifts focus towards depicting the protagonist’s frequent involvement in humiliating situations caused by this issue at his workplace and at other places. This ultimately leads to his encounter with a girl who later becomes his romantic partner. These extended episodes disrupt the rhythm and also slowdown the proceedings.
Luckily, the film regains its intrigue when the protagonist witnesses the killing of a young woman, only to discover that the perpetrator is a police officer. From here on, unexpected turns provide thrills. In particular, the plot twist at the interval is captivating. The director discloses the real villain during the intermission episode, grabbing our interest further.
The latter part of the film follows a conventional pattern commonly seen in many thrillers, featuring a cat-and-mouse game between the antagonist and the protagonist. Although not consistently captivating, the film concludes with engaging pre-climax and climax sequences that reminds us of Murugadoss’s “Ghajini.”
Although the film “Prasanna Vadanam” suffers from inconsistent pacing, it is still a watchable thriller.
The primary motive behind the murder and the latter portion of the crime appear to have been influenced by the novel “Salvation of a Saint” authored by Keigo Higashino.
Suhas portrays the role convincingly and is well-suited for it. His purported “spontaneous acting style” has become somewhat predictable. Out of all the actors, Rashi Singh delivers the most surprising performance. As ACP Vaidehi, she steals the show. Payal Radhakrishna as Suhas’s girlfriend, and Nandu as Vaidehi’s husband are okay. Nitin Prasanna’s portrayal of the corrupt police officer is equally good.
The technical crew has given neat output. New director, Arjun YK, has demonstrated considerable potential in his skill to effectively incorporate unexpected turns in the plot and connect them seamlessly.
Bottom line: “Prasanna Vadanam” is a thriller with a satisfactory number of plot twists and turns, although it does have some pacing problems. Overall, it is a decent watch. The interval episode and pre-climax stand out.
Rating: 2.75/5
Film: Prasanna Vadanam
Cast: Suhas, Payal Radhakrishna, Rashi Singh, Nandu, Viva Harsha, Nitin Prasanna,
Music: Vijai Bulganin
DoP: S. Chandrasekaran
Editor: Karthika Srinivas R
Art: Kranthi Priyam
Producers: Manikanta J S, Prasad Reddy T R
Written and directed by: Arjun Y K
Release Date: May 03, 2024
