Review: Nazriya Nazim’s Sookshmadarshini – Telugu dubbed film on Disney Plus Hotstar

Release Date : January 11, 2025

123telugu.com Rating : 3.25/5

Starring : Nazriya Nazim, Basil Joseph, Manohari Joy, Akhila Bhargavan, Merin Philip, Pooja Mohanraj, Siddharth Bharathan, Deepak Parambol, Kottayam Ramesh, and others

Director : M C Jithin

Producers : A V Anoop, Shyju Khalid, and Sameer Thahir

Music Director : Christo Xavier

Cinematographer : Sharan Velayudhan Nair

Editor : Chaman Chakko

Starring Nazriya Nazim and Basil Joseph, the Malayalam super hit Sookshmadarshini is now streaming on Disney Plus Hotstar with Telugu audio. Read our review to see how the film measures up.

Story:

Priyadarshini (Nazriya Nazim), a homemaker, leads a peaceful life with her family. But when Manuel (Basil Joseph), a bakery owner, moves in as their neighbor, Priya begins to sense something isn’t right. She suspects that Manuel is manipulating her mother and deceiving everyone by claiming his own mother, Gracy (Manohari Joy), has Alzheimer’s. When Gracy suddenly disappears, Priya’s suspicions grow stronger. What will Priya do next? Will she uncover more than she expected? What happened to Gracy? And how will Manuel respond to Priya’s growing doubts? The story gradually unveils the truth.

Plus Points:

The strength of the movie lies in the writing. It starts off slowly, but gradually picks up and immerses us in the world of Priya, making us view the film through her eyes. Nazriya is truly a phenomenal performer, and in this movie, she convincingly portrays a curious neighbour.

Basil Joseph delivers a fine performance, making viewers suspect him as the real culprit behind the crime. This is a testament to the strength of the writing. His portrayal is well-executed.

The black comedy is another great addition to the movie. The other characters also perform well, and the whodunit crime drama, with its layers unfolding gradually, is what truly drives the story.

Minus Points:

The movie is a slow-burn mystery drama. It might not appeal to everyone due to its simple, slow screenplay in the first half and the feeling of repetition.

The team attempts to build excitement with the narration, but the actual cause behind the heinous crime doesn’t seem particularly engaging.

Priya’s investigation progresses well, but presenting it in a more engaging way could have kept the audience on the edge of their seats. The climax feels a bit too simple.

Technical Aspects:

M C Jithin delivers one of the finest mystery films in Mollywood, supported by a neat screenplay featuring a red herring that leads us to believe the story is unfolding as expected, but it isn’t. The writers succeed in this aspect, but a more engaging screenplay could have kept the audience’s attention better.

The soundtrack by Christo Xavier complements the theme of the movie, and the visuals by Sharan Velayudhan Nair are decent. The editing at the beginning of the film and at a few places could have been improved. The production values are good, and the Telugu dubbing works well.

Verdict:

On the whole, Sookshmadarshini is an interesting crime mystery drama with fine performances from Nazriya Nazim and Basil Joseph. The beauty of the movie lies in its red herring writing. On the downside, the slow pace, lack of high moments, and somewhat underwhelming screenplay are its limitations. It is one of the finest mystery dramas made in Mollywood, and you can happily watch it. Those who love this genre will find it more engaging.

123telugu.com Rating: 3.25/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team