Indra - Review
21 Aug 2025
Indra unfolds as a gritty tale of redemption and revenge, centering on a disgraced cop named Indra (portrayed with raw intensity by Vasanth Ravi). Suspended from duty and drowning in alcohol, he's alienated from his wife, Kayal (Mehreen Pirzada), and his spiraling addiction has left him with partial blindness—a cruel irony for a man once sharp-eyed in pursuit of justice. The plot thickens when Kayal falls prey to a vicious serial killer, propelling Indra into a desperate hunt that uncovers dark patterns and buried secrets. Just as the net seems to tighten around the culprit, a enigmatic outsider enters the fray, upending everything with a shocking revelation.
Billed as a pulse-pounding serial killer saga, Indra instead lingers awkwardly on the protagonist's monotonous daily grind and fractured home life, making the opening act feel like a slog through emotional quicksand. Those initial 15 minutes drag with a detached vibe that permeates the rest of the film, never quite building the tension it promises. Once the murders take center stage, the narrative picks up steam, but it skims the surface, shying away from delving into the psychological depths of its tormented souls.
On the plus side, the movie wastes no time diving into its central mystery after the setup. Yet, it treads well-worn paths of thriller tropes, delivering few surprises or innovative twists to keep viewers on edge. Themes of lingering trauma, PTSD, and a poignant refugee subplot are introduced with potential, but they're brushed aside like afterthoughts, failing to evoke genuine empathy or insight.
Where Indra falters most is in its character work. The bond between Indra and Kayal feels superficial, more told than shown, robbing their estrangement of any real heartbreak. Sunil's Abhimanyu, teased as a formidable foe, ends up as a underdeveloped red herring that muddles the story rather than enriching it. The reliance on clunky flashbacks and abrupt plot dumps comes across as lazy, with emotional payoffs that land with a thud instead of a bang.
Vasanth Ravi shines in his brooding role, and Sunil brings a menacing edge to his limited screen time, but these strong turns can't salvage the film's technical shortcomings. A bombastic soundtrack overwhelms subtle moments, while stilted dialogue and a half-baked screenplay sap the thriller's vitality. What could have been a compelling exploration of loss and vengeance devolves into a forgettable genre exercise—predictable, undercooked, and ultimately disengaging.
Tags: indra, vasanth ravi