Review : Tenant – Only for social message

Satyam Rajesh, who scored a hit with his last flick, Polimera 2, has now come up with an emotional thriller titled Tenant. Y Yungandhar is its director, and the film has hit the screens today. Let’s see how it is.

Story:

Goutham (Satyam Rajesh) and Sandhya (Megha Chowdhury) are a happy couple, but things change drastically. All is not well between the couple and one day, Sandhya dies in a mysterious manner. Goutham becomes the prime suspect in his wife’s death case. At the same time, Goutham’s neighbor Rishi (Bharath Kanth) also attempts suicide. Why is the couple not happy? Is there any connection between Sandhya’s death and Rishi’s suicide attempt? Is it Goutham who killed Sandhya? This is what Tenant is about.

Plus Points:

Keeping aside the good intent of the film, the makers tried to tell the story in 1:30 hours, which is a welcome move. Instead of making it a two-hour movie, the team kept the runtime in check. This particular story doesn’t require a lengthy duration and the makers understood the assignment well. This is something that filmmakers should take note of. The last 20 minutes offer a shock value, and the twists that come here are very disturbing.

The director has delivered a good social message, and the penultimate portions will move us to tears. Lately, Satyam Rajesh is playing different roles, and he did a pretty good job in Tenant. His role required him to remain subtle, and the actor delivers that exactly. Megha Chowdhury’s portrayal of an innocent housewife is satisfactory.

Bharath Kanth and Chandana Payavvula shine in their respective roles. They get significant screen time in the film and make the most out of it. Esther is decent as an investigative officer. Among others, anchor Chandu does an impressive job.

Minus Points:

The major issue with Tenant is that it fails to create the much-required tension in the proceedings. The treatment is a bit different from the regular films, but the impact is clearly missing. Touted to be an emotional thriller, Tenant lacks the basic thrills. The narrative isn’t completely gripping, and the movie only catches our attention during a few moments.

The film is slow-paced for the most part, and it is clearly a deliberate decision. The slow narration isn’t something that will sit well with everyone. We understand that something is bothering Satyam Rajesh and Megha Chowdhury. The director tried to showcase the tension between these characters only through visuals without the usage of dialogues. This is unique but could have worked well with a better background score. As that didn’t happen, boredom creeps in.

Even the second half begins on an ordinary note, and the movie becomes engaging as it reaches the climax. Hence, the overall experience is underwhelming despite the socially relevant subject.

Technical Aspects:

Sahitya Sagar’s work is good in parts. The songs are neat, but the same cannot be said about the background score. Jemin Jom Ayyaneth’s cinematography perfectly suits the film’s tone. The editing could have been better, while the production values are good.

Director Yungandhar also penned the screenplay for Tenant. Though the narration is unusual, it doesn’t pack a punch. The whole first half is devoted to showcasing the mental trauma of the lead pair, but these portions are boring.

Verdict:

On the whole, Tenant deals with a relevant social issue but the presentation doesn’t do complete justice to the chosen point. The performances of Satyam Rajesh, Megha Chowdhury, Chandana, and others are good, and the last few minutes are engaging. The movie’s treatment is different, but there isn’t enough tension in the proceedings to provide a satisfactory experience. Had more care been taken in the screenplay, the impact would have been much better.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.5/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

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