Andhadhi (2015)

Andhadhi gets the structure of a crime film right. There are corrupt ministers, scheming robbers, eager police officers, backstabbing associates, crores of rupees... And director Ramesh Venkatraman keeps the plot just a little bit convoluted, so that we are unsure of the motivations of the characters and where things are leading to. There are the friends, Guna and Deva, who are aspiring to become police officers when we first see them and they manage to get into the force. There is the power minister Vallarasu, who demands Rs 300 crore as kickback from entrepreneur Rajesh for sanctioning his solar power plant project. The money gets stolen and an inspector is murdered. Guna and Deva are part of the team investigating this crime and their prime suspect is a notorious robber. Meanwhile, a businessman's son is kidnapped and there is suspicion that the same robber might be involved. And Guna stumbles upon a clue that makes him suspect the motives of Deva. What is true? Who can he trust? And, how can he nab the criminal and save the boy? These are the questions for which he has to find answers fast.

On paper, this plot promises a thrill ride of a film but sadly, despite having the bare-bones of a solid thriller, the film never feels compelling. A plot that is a web of intrigue and mystery is presented in rather dull fashion. Rather than getting into the plot, we are initially burdened with a lifeless romance (where lovers break into a duet at the prospect of going together to the grocery store!) and an uninvolving drama about Guna's attempts to become a cop. Both the writing and filmmaking at best resemble a student effort. Added to this, none of the leads look the part. They come across more like people at a costume party, and this makes it hard for us to take the characters — and the film — seriously. There is sign of spark here, but one cannot expect audiences to put up with such amateurishness just because it's a low-budget film.