‘Missing Meghana’ movie review: Entertaining crime thriller

Missing Meghana is a crime thriller involving elements of love, mystery, murder and drugs in a seemingly simple missing-person case. Created by Vachaspati, the film gradually builds up as the investigation proceeds, revealing a number of interesting connections. Let’s take a look at what the film has to offer at the box-office.

Story

The story follows Meghana (Ammu Abhirami), whose failure to return home one day results in her father approaching the police. When the initial response is far from being satisfactory, Meghana's fiancé, ACP Arjun (Kaushik), decides to get to the bottom of the case himself.

The investigation takes him to Karthik (Ram Karthik), a bike rider who was the last person reported to have seen Meghana. Karthik denies having any connection to her but his romance with Meghana and phone calls with her seem to tell otherwise. As Arjun and Karthik dig deeper, the initially simple case evolves into a complex crime mystery as murders and drugs get mixed in the fray. As the title suggests, the key mystery revolves around Meghana herself and her potential connection to Karthik and the bigger events.

Performances

Abhirami's portrayal of Meghana is simple yet effective, allowing her to balance the youthful charm of the character with the required serious expressions. Karthik's convincing act in the romance and action-laden second half is also worth noticing.

Kaushik's turn at ACP Arjun is energetic, allowing him to seamlessly shift between the investigating officer and participant in the events. Ankit Koyya plays his role well within the given constraints while Goparaju Ramana gives the father role a realistic edge. Overall, performances are generally good and contribute to the quality of the film.

Technicalities

Vachaspati attempts to expand the scope of simply a missing-person case by slowly building up the romance and crime aspects. Which he manages to do well, as the very nature of the case allows the mystery to gain considerable traction by the second half of the film. The cinematography is generally good with a few scenes being particularly well-made. The songs are generally pleasant, adding to the overall appeal. A slightly more thrilling background score would have been an added bonus, as the first half sometimes becomes boring. Similarly, the editing can sometimes feel dragged, especially during the first half. A few scenes could have been removed to make the film flow better.

Analysis

The main strength of Missing Meghana lies in its gradual development as a simple case quickly grows in complexity. The interval twist manages to intrigue and the second half delivers on the promise of a thrilling crime mystery as the investigation gets more involved. The mix of mystery and romance, along with the inclusion of action, keeps the film entertaining.

Though some twists are somewhat predictable and the finale has been seen countless times before, the film manages to hold attention thanks to a good pacing. For fans of the genre, Missing Meghana is an above-average pick, offering a decent theatrical experience.

Rating: 3/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Suhas Sistu

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Suhas Sistu, born in a family with education background, brought up with good principles and education. Though, coming from Engineering backdrop, his love towards language and passion towards cinema made him to pursue career in film journalism. Started his career as a freelance content writer for some Youtube channels, he later joined HANS India as a translator. From translator to Reporter/Sr. Sub-Editor, his journey is continuing in our organisation.

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