In the village of Rudravanam, set in the 1990s, Surya (played by Sai Dharam Tej) and his mother visit after a long time. Surya falls for Nandini (Samyukta Menon), the daughter of Rudravanam’s sarpanch. However, mysterious events start happening in the village, leading to multiple deaths. The movie follows Surya as he tries to uncover the reason behind the strange occurrences in Rudravanam and solve the mystery.
The first half of the movie is fast-paced, with the director wasting no time in setting up the plot. The screenplay by Sukumar is brilliant and keeps the viewer engaged. The production design team has done an excellent job in creating the world of Rudravanam, and the sound effects are scintillating, adding to the suspense and thrill.
Sai Dharam Tej sheds his mass image and plays his role with maturity, while Samyukta Menon gives a spectacular performance. The characterizations are strongly written, and even the brief roles drive the story forward.
However, the second half of the movie is slightly disappointing, with the pacing dipping and the impact weakening. The romantic track in the beginning is also a bit boring, and the love scenes could have been written better. The movie is not for the faint-hearted, as it has gore sequences.
Technically, Virupaksha is well-crafted. The background score by Ajaneesh Loknath is top-notch, and the sound effects are integral to the story. The cinematography and production values are excellent, but the editing could have been better.
Director Karthik Dandu has done a good job, but the second half and climax could have been improved. Overall, Virupaksha is an engaging mystical thriller with a good storyline, commendable performances, pulse-pounding sound effects, and neat direction. Despite the slightly slow second half, the movie is recommended for its incredible technical values and deserves a theatrical experience.
