Language : Kannada.
Director : Jaishankar Pandit.
Writers : Jaishankar Pandit, Vinod Sudheer, Balasubramanya D.V. (dialogue writer), Sukruth Venkata (dialogue writer).
Cast : Dhananjaya, Durga Krishna, Sudev Nair, Rahul Madhav.
Genre : Thriller.
Imdb: Twenty One Hours (2022).
Streaming on Amazon Prime.
Twenty one Hours, a Kannada crime thriller written and directed by Jaishankar Pandit is arguably one of the best thriller films from Karnataka in recent years. The film stars Dhananjaya in the role of Srikanth, a police officer. The film has many actors from Malayalam as the story revolves around a Malayali family hailing from Palakkad.
The story revolves around Madhuri, played by Durga Krishna, who walked out of her husband’s house. Her parents somehow managed to arrange for Sreekanth to take her to the Whitefield police station. But when they reach the police station neither Madhuri nor Sreekanth, who was supposed to bring her to the station, is at the station. In fact, no one in the station knows Sreekanth. What has happened to her? Is she still alive or has something else happened to her? Answers to these questions drive the film forward.
The protagonist, played by Dhananjaya, is a peculiar character. His intuitions after interrogating every suspect keep the thrilling element intact. The character behaves indifferently throughout the whole film, and the actor has done an excellent job of connecting the dots of his character. The first 83 minutes of the film are in a full-fledged investigation mood. The rest of the film consists of twists. Not one but multiple twists in every other minute. A thriller film fan may predict it, but the experience is very different for the viewers when it comes to its making.
The director has done a decent job and what makes this film standout is its cinematography and background music. Also, Malayalam film fans have a lot to connect with, as the hero uses iconic Malayalam film dialogues in appropriate situations. Durga Krishna has done a nice job, but her character is too small in her Kannada debut. Overall, 21 Hours(2022) is a decent thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout its runtime, with remarkable twists in the climax.
Verdict : 5/7 stars
Excellent.
