Falls short of expectations

W/o Ram was screened at the Ottawa Indian Film Festival, which created some buzz ahead of its theatrical release. Manchu Lakshmi plays the lead in the film directed by debutant Vijay Yelakanti. Deeksha (Manchu Lakshmi) loses her husband Ram (Samrat) and suffers a miscarriage in what police says is a road accident. Deeksha argues that it is a case of murder and she starts her own investigation with the help of a young cop, Chary (Priyadarshi). She gets a clue from her husband’s Facebook timeline and suspects his friend Rocky (Adarsh Balakrish-nan), son of a top politician, who stays in Bangkok and gets support from the police.

For his first film, Vijay Yelakanti takes off in the footsteps of the Vidya Balan-starrer Kahaani, considered to be a trendsetter in the thriller genre. Vijay Yelakanti comes up with a nice subject but should have concentrated on a tighter screenplay. Besides, he reveals the plot early. The scene where Deeksha meets an escort is extended, as also a few other scenes. Though there are some good moments in between, the film lacks something essential.

Manchu Lakshmi does a neat job in this woman-oriented film. Priyadarshi is very effective in his meaty role. Samrat in a cameo as Lakshmi’s husband and Adarsh in a negative role are just okay. Srikanth Iyengar as a corrupt police officer is average.

The thriller needs a good background score to elevate the mood and Raghu Dixist’s music is just the usual. The cinematography by Samala Bhaskar merits a mention.