Garuda Purana review: Looks ordinary but ends extraordinarily

This week, no less than six Kannada movies made by newcomers have hit the screens. Garuda Purana is one among them.

It is helmed by Manjunath B Nagba, an online film editor who worked for the pan-India blockbuster Kantara (2022).

Of late, Sandalwood has been a witness to a good number of impressive content made by newcomers despite being low-budget affairs. Even the audience appreciated such attempts irrespective of their box-office success.

So, let’s find out the connection between the sacred Hindu mythology text — “Garuda Purana” and the dark crime thriller.

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Synopsis

The film kickstarts with a specially-constituted police team investigating a series of rape and murder of women across the state.

While the bodies of the victims found by the police do not match any missing cases, the brutality and the modus operandi of the crime baffle the cops.

On the other hand, director Manjunath, who also plays the protagonist, showcases a love story parallelly running to the crime incidents.

The twist in the tale occurs when the female lead played by Disha is found dead. She too is found murdered with her dead body wrapped in a gunny bag and thrown in a secluded place.

Who’s the murderer? Was she killed by the same gang members who have already raped and killed several women in the recent past, for whom the police launched a manhunt? The answer to it is the rest of the film.

A dull start

The first 30 minutes or so will test the patience of the audience for its dull start.

The performances are also below par considering the qualities of a crime thriller, which needless to say requires holding the attention of the viewers, right from the word go.

Once the initial phase gets over, the movie picks up pace with police digging deep into the serial rape and murder cases.

Unlike the usual cinematic representation of the investigation of crimes on the silver screen, the two senior police officers played by Santhosh Karki and Rajkumar Bhagavanth keep things close to reality.

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Simple and elegant

Apart from the content and how the dark crime thriller has been treated by the writer-actor-director Manjunath B Nagba, the rest is quite simple and elegant.

With no known faces, almost every actor in the film is a newcomer.

The attempt is more than impressive since it compels one to watch right till the end once the initial phase has been weathered out.

The best moments in the movie are simple conversations.

For instance, a senior police officer shares with his colleagues that expectations over solving a crime have increased ever since many watched multiple series of web crimes during the lockdown period.

Garuda Purana

As fast as the connection to the Hindu Mythological text of “Garuda Purana” and the mysteries behind the murders, especially that of Nandini (Disha), the director comes up with a logical reasoning that is worth watching in the end.

For those unfamiliar with the importance of “Garuda Purana“, it is one of the 18 maha puranas in Hinduism.

In short, the text provides a comprehensive account, narrated by God Vishnu himself, of a person’s journey from birth to death and beyond. It also gives vivid descriptions of hell and heaven.

Manjunath deserves appreciation for the concept and linking it to the learnings from the mythological text.

Verdict

With no starry glitz and glory, Garuda Purana offers decent entertainment by a team of newcomers. It’s a  one-time watch for the honest efforts wrapped up in a well-done whodunit saga.

(Views expressed here are personal.)

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