'Elumale' movie review: Taut, intense thriller from Tharun Sudhir’s stable

Kaatera fame Tharun Sudhir’s second production Elumale begins gently in the hills of Ooty. Taxi driver Harisha (played by Raanna) is making frantic calls to Chinni aka Revathy, the love of his life (Priyanka Achar). She is from a rich Tamil family from Salem while Harisha is an orphan from Chamarajanagara; the two plan to elope that night.

While they are at it, they get entangled in a high profile police operation to nab a notorious forest brigand. Simultaneously, a group of policemen is planning something vicious. How and when will the lovers meet? That question forms the crux of the 133-minute intense thriller.

Nagabharana and Priyanka Achar in the film.

Set in 2004, Elumale evokes nostalgia with the help of vintage Nokia phones, movie posters and hit songs from the time playing on the radio. The writing is razor-sharp. The well-researched and intelligently constructed narrative offers dramatic tension keeping the audience hooked throughout. Both Raana and debutante Priyanka Achar deliver compelling performances. A brilliant Kishore plays a brutal police officer. But among all performers, Nagabharana as a head constable stands out.

What sets the film apart is director Punith Rangaswamy’s ability to marry visual storytelling with emotional depth. Advaita Gurumurthy’s shots of the Male Mahadeshwara Hills work with D Imman’s music to create a sombre atmosphere. The more gripping it gets, the more emotional you become. If an edge-of-the-seat thriller accompanied by an intense love story is your thing, then Elumale is what you should be watching. It may not be a one-of-a-kind experience, but the cinematic experience is definitely worth your time.

(Elumale is currently running in theatres)