‘Secret Soldier’ review: A gripping spy thriller with a realistic touch

Secret Soldier takes a grounded approach to the spy-thriller genre, focusing on friendship, patriotism and national security rather than typical commercial aspects. The film piqued the interest of people as it went through several layers of clearance prior to its release. Director Akki Viswanatha Reddy utilizes this premise to create a story that is character-driven and more realistic.

Story

The film follows Vali (Nihal Kodhatty) and Prithvi (Surya Srinivas), best friends from Nellore. Vali dreams of serving the nation and after not being able to join the Army, he turns towards RAW. An unfortunate incident lands him in jail and brands him a terrorist. At the same time, sensitive defense-related intelligence goes missing and as the probes begin revealing startling connections with national security, Vali and Prithvi are inextricably linked to the espionage activities.

Performances

Nihal Kodhatty portrays Vali in a naturalistic manner. He balances action and drama well. Surya Srinivas plays a pivotal role as Prithvi. As the friendship between Vali and Prithvi is the emotional core of the movie, the duo made it look realistic. Kamal Kamaraju, Raghubabu, Rangasthalam Mahesh, Srinivas Vadlamani and Srikanth Iyengar provide strong performances as well.

Technicalities

Director Akki Viswanatha Reddy deserves kudos for going the realistic route and not resorting to typical commercial elements one usually finds in the spy-thriller space like grand action sequences or exotic locales. The convergence of defense leak, conspiracy and friendship is well executed and lends a unique flavor to the film. Shots are well-framed to keep the grounded feel intact and the background score keeps the suspense quotient high. Action sequences are not exaggerated and add to the realism. However, some scenes could have been cut to maintain a good pace especially in the first half.

Analysis

Secret Soldier is a spy-thriller with a strong premise, one that balances patriotism with a character-driven mystery about everyday people. The movie does not forget its’ genre roots, as Vali and Prithvi’s friendship is a staple of the story that keeps the focus on emotional aspects. The patriotism angle is a welcome change, too, especially since the government is not portrayed as corrupt or dysfunctional. In fact, the defense leak and conspiracy around it are the main subject of the film. The resolution to it, as well as the events in the second half, are intriguing, too, keeping the interest high. However, there was room for improvement, and the film’s first half is a bit meandering. More clarity is needed, especially in terms of the defense leak and conspiracy, which would have made the experience even more satisfying. As it stands, Secret Soldier is a competent film that manages to balance several aspects well. The grounded approach, combined with solid performances, is an experience every viewer who wants to enjoy a patriotic, spy-thriller movie should consider.

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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