Vrithra

Indra Rao (Nithya Shri), a rookie officer with the city crime branch, yearns for a case of her own, as she reluctantly files paperwork for investigations handled by others at the precinct. She is, eventually, handled a seemingly easy case – identify the remains of a suicide victim. In doing so, though, she stumbles upon a can of worms.

Vrithra, according to the makers, is a crime thriller. There is a crime, no doubt, but does the narrative thrill? It may, if you overlook just how immaculately turned out Indra is on the job, with her bespoke outfits and shades, how easily she drops her confidence and appears like a child terrified of being summoned to the principal’s office and how casually police officers contaminate crime scenes. As Indra, Nithya Shri has her moments. The first half makes for an engrossing watch, which the second, unfortunately, fails to match. DA Vasanth’s background score works for the mood, but is too loud at times.

The main premise of the story is not new and director Gautham throws in plot points that are not addressed well. For a debutant, though, he deserves a pat on the back for the attempt to try something different in terms of the execution.