Kavaludaari Review: Hemanth M Rao's film takes perfect decisions at every junction

Hemanth M Rao's debut, Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattau, struck an emotional chord. In his second outing, the director probes the audience's mental faculties. Kavaludaari is a taut thriller. A sinister murder mystery, it brings to screen intelligent, cold-blooded and amoral beings. It is also timely with the election season underway as Hemanth, through his film, puts the viewers at crossroads and asks if they are indeed voting for the right candidate.

Cast: Rishi, Anant Nag, Siddharth, Achyuth Kumar, Roshini Prakash, Sidhaartha Maadhyamika, Suman Ranganath, Siri Ravikumar and Samanvita Shetty
Director: Hemanth M Rao

The film opens with a disturbing scene of cops finding human bones during a road widening process. These bones are identified as those belonging to Gurudas Naidu (Sidhaartha Maadhyamika), his wife Vijayalakshmi Naidu (Samanvita Shetty) and their daughter Vaidehi, giving rise to a lot of speculation around their murders.

Shyam (Rishi) is posted as a traffic cop around the same area the murder took place in. A passionate cop, who is known for his investigative skills, he takes up the case, despite being discouraged by his seniors. When Shyam accidentally meets editor Kumar (Achyutch Kumar) of Lock Up News, he manages to get some vital clues. He then accesses files detailing missing persons between 1970-75, which forms the bulk of the case. It is at this time that Shyam connects with Muttanna (Anant Nag), a retired cop, who was individually handling the case. Now, disillusioned with life, Muttanna has taken to drinking. The case has haunted Mutanna even after he retired, and Shyam convinces him to come out of retirement and work with him to crack the case.

The case now unfolds rapidly, and armed with clues given by Kumar and with the company of Muttanna, the question is will Shyam be successful in solving the murder? The sacrifices he makes through this journey concludes with the film giving us an enduring sense of respect for men and women in uniform.

Hemanth has taken time to deliver this film but the wait has been worth it. The end result is a wonderful piece of work that gives us a glimpse into the lives of police personnel. Kaavaludaari also delves into the current socio-political scenario mirroring the nature of corruption that exists in society. The narration that takes us back and forth, brings to screen every single character who has a history of committing crimes. Hemanth believes that the devil lies in the details and such detailing is one of the film's high points. 

Kaavaludaari doesn't waver from the central plot during its entire 144-minute runtime. Rishi makes a lasting impression and convinces us with his sombre role; there is more to his character than just being a traffic cop. Anant Nag's presence drives the film forward and leaves the audience wanting more. Achyuth Kumar rounds up the main cast and his role is one to watch out for. The fantastic supporting cast -- Sidhaartha Maadhyamika, Siri Ravikumar, Samanvita Shetty -- all have important roles to play and they all do a good job in the flashback episodes. Suman Ranganath as the heroine, Madhuri, adds glamour and Roshini Prakash justifies her homely character.

Charan Raj's music and songs are woven welll into the plot, and cinematographer Advaitha Gurumurthys stays true to the film's theme. 

A quality production made under PRK, Kavaludaari is an intriguing murder mystery. The film puts everyone at crossroads about right and wrong and asks them to make the right decisions at all times.