Tenant, directed by Sridhar Shastri, begins as a reflection of the intense 21-day Covid-19 lockdown, a period that tested societal structures and human resilience in myriad ways. While many filmmakers are still grappling with the far-reaching consequences of the pandemic—economic strain, loss, and uncertainty—Sridhar takes a different approach in Tenant. He uses the claustrophobic atmosphere of isolation to tell a story of psychological tension, crime, and moral decay.
Director Sridhar Shastri
Cast: Sonu Gowda, Rakesh Maiya, Dharma Keerthiraj, Tilak Shekar, and Ugramm Manju
The film uses striking colour, particularly red and white tones, to symbolise the emotional states of its characters and the sense of looming danger. Red suggests violence and urgency, while white evokes isolation and emptiness. This visual language enhances the suffocating atmosphere of the lockdown.
At the heart of the story are Kamalesh (Rakesh Maiya) and his wife, Damini (Sonu Gowda), a couple coping with economic strain while managing a troubling tenant (Dharma Keerthiraj) in their Bengaluru home. The confined setting and a slow-burn crime plot create a growing sense of unease. As financial hardship mounts, so does the tension between the couple and their tenant, culminating in a murder that exposes dark secrets. The film explores not just the physical confinement of lockdown, but the psychological prison of guilt, fear, and the uncertainty of a world on edge.
What starts as a simple domestic drama evolves into a layered crime thriller. The film gradually reveals the identity of the victim and the motivations behind the crime, offering a deep exploration of the psychological toll of isolation. However, the pacing can feel laboured in the first half, where the drama takes time to gain momentum. Yet, this deliberate progression heightens the eventual payoff, mirroring the suffocating sense of helplessness many felt during the lockdown.
Where Tenant stands out is in its exploration of extramarital affairs and their connection to violent crime. Inspired by a statistic from the National Crime Records Bureau, which reveals that one in ten murders in India are linked to extramarital affairs, the film tackles a societal issue often overlooked in public discourse. In Tenant, the characters’ personal lives and hidden desires surface in the wake of the crime.
Extramarital affairs are not merely incidental to the plot; they are central to the suspense and moral conflict. The affair, and the violence that follows, serves as a microcosm of the pandemic. Much like COVID-19, which spread silently before exploding into a global crisis, the emotional contagion of infidelity simmers beneath the surface, culminating in a tragic outburst. Infidelity, with its emotional complexity and its capacity for generating conflict, has become a staple in crime thrillers, reflecting society's growing awareness of the psychological toll of betrayal.
In Tenant, the issue of infidelity is front and centre, adding a layer of social commentary. Extramarital affairs are nothing new in cinema, but director thoughtfully uses Covid as the catalyst. The film not only asks who committed the murder, but why such betrayals happen and how they lead to a breakdown in morality and trust. Contributing to the film's intense atmosphere, with strong performances, is its small cast, including Sonu Gowda, Rakesh Maiya, and Tilak, as well as Dharma Keerthiraj, who surprises in a departure from his usual "chocolate boy" roles. However, some casting choices, like Tilak as the inspector investigating the crime, are predictable, making his involvement somewhat obvious. Similarly, Rakesh Maiya, who often plays the victim, and Sonu Gowda, known for her sharp portrayals, don’t bring as much unpredictability as they might have in other roles. That said, their performances still add depth to the narrative, which focuses more on character psychology than on action-driven suspense. Dharma Keerthiraj’s role marks a deviation from his usual fare, and Ugramm Manju rounds out the cast effectively.
Tenant is an atmospheric crime thriller that uses the backdrop of the Covid-19 lockdown to explore themes of isolation, guilt, and moral decay. Its deliberate pacing and psychological focus make it a slow-burn film that rewards patience. The film’s treatment of extramarital affairs raises broader questions about their role in modern society, making you wonder whether these personal betrayals are like a kind of pandemic, spreading silently until they reach a breaking point. The emotional fallout of infidelity can be just as destructive as any viral disease.