Vishnu Vinay’s debut directorial Anand Sreebala is a mystery thriller that attempts to balance entertainment with an examination of justice and the human cost of investigative oversights. Loosely inspired by real-life cases where the deaths of young women were hastily dismissed as suicides, the film does not claim to recount any particular incident but instead crafts a fictional narrative with striking familiarity. The film opens with the quote, “It is through intellect that we prove, but through intuition that we discover,” setting the thematic tone for what follows. The story begins with distraught parents reporting their missing daughter, Merin, at a police station in Kochi, only to be met with indifference. This portrayal of systemic apathy feels all too real as the parents are sent from one station to another before the case is finally taken up. Their ordeal worsens when Merin’s body is discovered in the backwaters near Kochi Wharf, and the police conclude the death was a suicide following a lovers’ quarrel. Unsatisfied with the investigation and its conclusion, the grieving parents demand further inquiry, but their pleas largely fall on deaf ears. The circumstances of Merin’s death—her body found in the backwaters with inconsistencies in the post-mortem report—are reminiscent of the Mishel Shaji case from 2017, where similar lapses in the investigation led to public outcry.

Director: Vishnu Vinay
Cast: Arjun Ashokan, Sangita, Aparna Das, Siddique, Saiju Kurup

The narrative then shifts to 27-year-old Anand Sreebala (Arjun Ashokan), who aspires to be a police officer but is haunted by trauma from his childhood. Anand’s late mother, Sreebala (Sangita), was a brilliant police officer murdered when Anand was 12, leaving him deeply scarred. This tragedy continues to shape his life and his perception of justice. Anand has frequent hallucinations of his mother, who appears as a guiding figure in his life. While this narrative device could easily lapse into melodrama, the film handles it with surprising restraint, ensuring the emotional arc feels organic rather than cloying. Anand’s life takes a turn when his journalist girlfriend, also named Sreebala (Aparna Das), decides to cover Merin’s death for a crime show, as the crime remains unsolved after six months. Anand, driven by his own sense of justice, joins her in unravelling the inconsistencies in the case. This sets the stage for a procedural drama where Anand questions the police’s findings and challenges their conclusion of suicide. While Anand’s discoveries are often engaging, they are occasionally marred by leaps in logic or overly convenient deductions. For instance, his claim that Merin, a level-headed law student, wouldn’t commit suicide over a lovers’ spat relies on flimsy evidence, such as a poster in her room commemorating the Pulwama attack.

Arjun delivers a compelling performance as Anand, deftly balancing vulnerability and determination. His portrayal of a man burdened by trauma, yet driven to seek justice, feels genuine. Sangita, as the late Sreebala, makes a solid impression, with her character’s backstory as a justice-driven cop being aptly woven into the narrative. Aparna, as journalist Sreebala, is adequate but largely sidelined by the script. While her character serves as a catalyst for Anand’s involvement, she does not significantly contribute to the investigation itself. The screenplay by Abhilash Pillai is mostly engaging, with the mystery unfolding at a steady pace. However, not all plot points are equally convincing. Anand’s participation in a crime show criticising the Kerala Police feels contradictory, given his aspirations to join the force. While the narrative justifies this as Anand’s way of exposing the truth, it strains credibility and risks undermining his character’s motivations. The police are depicted as largely indifferent or defensive, quick to dismiss alternative theories to protect their conclusions, reinforcing a one-dimensional view of law enforcement. 

Kiran Das’s editing is crisp, while Ranjin Raj’s background score is understated and functional, avoiding the bombast typical of many thrillers. This restraint extends to the film’s depiction of violence, which is refreshingly subdued. In an era where many films resort to gratuitous gore or triggering imagery for shock value, Anand Sreebala proves that a thriller can be effective without resorting to such gimmicks. While the film is engaging, its reliance on old-school narrative techniques may not appeal to all viewers. The use of a melancholic montage to depict the parents’ grief and a romantic song to establish Anand’s relationship with Sreebala are functional but uninspired choices. These elements, while not detracting significantly from the overall experience, underscore the film’s dependence on familiar tropes rather than innovative storytelling. Despite its imperfections, Anand Sreebala is a reasonably impressive debut for Vishnu Vinay, offering an emotionally resonant narrative.