What’s it about?
Mysterious deaths occur in the village of ‘Rudra Vanam’ as a result of an unknown person’s occult practice. Surya (Sai Dharam Tej), who has come to the village on a visit from the city, decides to investigate the deaths. Meanwhile, the poojari of the village performs astadigbandhanam (the locking of the village from eight corners) to save them. According to the scriptures, no one should leave the village for a few days, and no outsiders are permitted to enter the village.
Surya, on the other hand, discovers a pattern in these mysterious deaths, and the next victim is none other than Nandini (Samyuktha Menon), the village belle with whom he falls in love.
Will Surya track down the person responsible for the deaths? Will he be able to save Nandini?
Analysis
Karthik Varma Dandu, a protégé of director Sukumar, previously directed “Bham Bolenath,” which starred Navdeep and Naveen Chandra. After a long gap, he came out with his second film, “Virupaksha,” with a screenplay written by his guru Sukumar. The story and setting of Karthik Dandu stand out in the film.
The period setting and the forest village provided the director with the opportunity to create some thrilling episodes. The majority of horror films take place in a house. The story in “Virupaksha” is also confined to a single location, but this time it is a village rather than a house. Furthermore, he wrote the story in such a way that the village could be locked, limiting the drama to a single location. In many ways, it adheres to all of the genre elements of horror drama. Yet, the overall packaging of the story has given a fresh look.
This spooky thriller also benefits greatly from a compelling narration. The first act is fairly routine, but things pick up and stay on track dramatically once the second act begins. A thriller isn’t a thriller unless there’s a final twist. The surprising conclusion in “Virupaksha” is also a huge win.
As I watched the proceedings, the Netflix’s “Kingdom” series came to mind. While the series is a zombie drama, many similarities can be found between “Kingdom” and “Virupaksha”. Of course, the recent Kannada film “Vikrant Rona” is also on the similar lines. But “Virupaksha” is in its own different and quite an engaging period horror drama.
Karthik Dandu deserves praise for his captivating storytelling in the second half. His skills shine through in the main sequence of the hero’s journey to uncover the occult practitioner. This segment provides the most exciting, surprising parts of the whole setup.
On the downside, the film is also suffers from excess runtime, regular scenes and some practicable portions. But they are very few.
Sai Dharam Tej does a neat job. Even though he has recently recovered from a serious bike accident, he looks fit and apt for the role. Samyuktha Menon shines in the climactic scene. She does well in those parts. Sai Chand is convincing in his role of a poojari. Rajeev Kanakala is good.
Cinematographer Shamdat, the film’s score composer, and the set decorator all deserve a lot of credit. They’ve all put forth their best effort.
Bottom line: “Virupaksha” is a well-crafted period horror drama. The film makes an engaging watch to the most part. The setting make it stand out from the crowd of standard thrillers, despite a few problems.
Rating: 3/5
By Jalapathy Gudelli
Film: Virupaksha
Cast: Sai Dharam Tej, Samyuktha, Sunil, Brahmaji, Ajay, Abhinav Gomatam, Sai Chand, and others
Screenplay: Sukumar
Dialogue: Krishna Hari
DOP: Shamdat Sainudeen
Music: B. Ajaneesh Loknath
Editor: Navin Nooli
Production Designer: Sri Nagendra Tangala
Creative Producer: Satish BKR
Producer: BVSN Prasad
Story and Directed by: Karthik Dandu
Release Date: April 21, 2023
