U Turn

Intern reporter Rachana is following a story revolving offenders who disrupt the divider and take a U-turn on the Double Road flyover in Bengaluru. Her trail gets her embroiled in a story more sinister than what she expected. Can she get out of the mess?

Pawan Kumar's first film was a feel-good love story about a man and his tryst with love. His second was a trippy take on lucid dreams. This time around, with U-Turn, he has chosen a mystery thriller, which deals with traffic offenders.

The story follows the life of rebellious Rachana, who is an intern reporter, aspiring to crack that 'one killer story'. For this, she begins following a story about traffic offenders atop the Double Road flyover. Just when she thinks her story, as well as her cutesy office romance, is on track and life seems to be sorted, she ends up in a messy situation, courtesy the story she is following for the paper. Revealing anything extra would be unfair to this well-knit screenplay and story that Pawan has woven.

This film is a definite must watch for Bengalureans, as that flyover in the Central Business District and the disrupted divider on it with Baadal Nanjundaswamy's art work is something we all know about. The film can also be read on philosophical and symbolic levels with leitmotifs and what not, but the triumph is that it even appeals to the lay viewer who seeks thrill and entertainment and nothing more.

What impresses is the cinematography, editing and the brisk screenplay, and not to forget Poornachandra Tejaswi's background score. While some can try and make some guesses, Pawan has a clever storyline indeed, with a hard-hitting message.

The casting is one of the biggest plus points of the film. Shraddha Srinath is a good find and she is a talent to look out for in the future. Similarly, Roger Narayan as the empathetic and sharp cop is another new talent to applaud. Radhika Chetan, Dileep Raj and Skanda Ashok deliver just want they were asked for, as do the rest of the cast members.

The film has some good subtitling that works for the non-Sandalwood audience too. Go take this U-Turn to the cinema hall, Pawan proves why he is sought after globally as one of the young, intelligent minds to talk about the changing face of cinema.