In the latest thriller from Telugu filmmaker KV Guhan (118, WWW), a serial killer on the loose, crosses paths with a woman looking for her father and a wedding photographer trying to get a job. highwaywhich airs on Aha, is entirely predictable, with the only surprise contained in its final scene.
On their way from Vishakhapatnam to Bangalore, Vishnu (Anand Deverakonda) and his friend Samudram (Satya) meet Tulasi (Manasa Radhakrishnan), who has left in the middle of the night to find her father. Misadventure-prone and whiny-prone at the drop of a hat, Tulasi has the words “I’m the next victim of the countryside-terrorizing serial killer” almost tattooed on her forehead.
Das (Abhishek Banerjee) managed to evade Special Task Force officer Asha (Saiyami Kher). He has five kills, rips another woman to pieces under Asha’s watch, and finds his next victim in Tulasi. Thanks to clever thinking by Vishnu, who fell in love with Tulasi, Asha and her team come closer to finding Das.
Filmed and performed superficially from start to finish, the 123-minute film unfolds like a cinematic version of TV crime dramas. Asha’s intelligence in finding clues to Das’ whereabouts is thwarted by Tulasi’s squealing moans.
Das’ ignominy adds nothing to the serial killer canon. The description of one of his murders borders on gratuitous. At least the highlight is a departure from such films, even if it comes after a tour of the all-too-familiar.
