2nd Half Review: Interesting crime thriller that is let down by the slow pace

Considering that the audience today are looking for new-age films with relevant content, filmmakers constantly have their thinking caps on to to cater to these demands. They are constantly on their toes to work on fresh scripts with mass-appealing content. The latest such offering is newcomer Yogi Devagange's 2nd Half.

Cast: Priyanka Upendra, Niranjan, Surabhi Santhosh
Director: Yogi Devagange

The plot is based on a police constable Anuradha (Priyanka Upendra) who handles the on-ground work at the police station and keeps a watch on the CCTV footage of a particular area, informing her seniors of any untoward incidents. A dedicated constable, Anuradha goes that extra mile to solve some cases on her own. One such that manages to catch her eye is of Saranya (Surabhi Santosh) and Niranjan (Niranjan Sudhindra).

While the latter is street smart, Saranya is an artist, who works on street art. The turning point of the film is when Saranya is kidnapped by a few miscreants. A series of incidents in the area related to the kidnap helps Anuradha connect the dots. She feels that there is something more than meets the eye. But, not getting support from her immediate senior police officer, she takes on the responsibility of solving the case.

Anuradha looks for help from Niranjan, having a clue that he had some romantic inclinations towards the victim. While one part of the story is about whether she will be able to solve the case, the other part is figuring out the reason behind Sharanya’s kidnap. The latter, in fact, is the highlight of 2nd Half.

True to its title, many unexplained portions in the first half are clarified in the second half. As the film explores the treatment of on-ground police officers, especially lady constables, it also looks into the thoughts of a young girl, who has incomplete information about who her father is.

The paradox of the film is its pace. Though a crime thriller, the director has chosen to tell the story at a very slow pace. In fact, the first part of the film tests the patience of the audience. Scenes are repeated and at many points, like it feels like the film is not moving forward. Even the manner in which the second half of the film is handled is not seamless.

Priyanka carries a lot of responsibility on her shoulders. Being the central focus of the film, she has ample scope to perform and does justice to her role. For Niranjan, 2nd Half is basically a trail run, before he gets his next big picture. This is just the beginning and he has a long way to go. Surabhi Santhosh doesn't have much screen space, though the film mostly revolves around her character. 

The premise of this crime plot is different enough from the rest to warrant attention. Just be warned of the slow build up.