6ne Maili Review: An amatuer attempt at a suspense thriller

Filmmaking is not an easy job. Often the end-product turns out vastly different from the filmmaker’s vision. And new-age audience, in particular, can be quite a judgemental lot. With 6ne Maili (6th Mile), director Seeni fails miserably because he hasn’t been able to see the story through the eyes of the audience. Supposed to be a suspense thriller, the film comes across as an amateur effort, one that is desperately trying to portray real-life incidents.

Director: Seeni
Cast: Sanchari Vijay, RJ Nethra, RJ Sudesh, Jhavi Jyoti

The story takes us through the journey of a group of four on a trekking expedition. Once they reach Ujjire at night, they hire a private cab to Dhavalagiri. Travelling the lonely stretch, the four go missing when they reach the 6th Mile. The story then goes back to a similar incident when an RJ, his girl friend and a dentist disappear. There's a Naxalite angle, police involvement (the only episode with some suspense), and the solving of the case -- all shown in an extremely disoriented fashion.

Seeni’s film could have clicked only if he had spiced up his project with the right ingredients required to make a suspense thriller. A simple story, correct characterisation, suspense, appropriate music, and, above all, a steady narrative would have ensured a box office hit. 

Unfortunately, he seems to have taken the wrong route. There are lengthy episodes that stretch to over an hour, which could have been tightly edited and cut down. The trip is far from exciting for the audience, and monotony sets in pretty quickly. While the film is said to be inspired from real-life incidents, the shooting locations are visibily different, and this inauthenticity is distracting.

Considering that 6ne Maili is his debut, we expect better from the director. Seeni will really have go the extra mile if he has plans to make a second film. 

While Sanchari Vijay manages to get into the skin of the character, RJ Sudesh, RJ Nethra, and Jhanvi Jyothi are decent. The only song in the film, which is a death metal track, doesn't really work. While the cinematographer Paramesh manages a good job, the background score by Sai Kiran is annoying. 

The destination 6ne Maili may be beautiful, but the film that takes its name from the famous location is, sadly, quite unimpressive.