Actor Pavel Navageethan makes a fairly watchable directorial debut with V1 Murder Case, a minimalistic investigative drama that holds your attention for most parts. The biggest takeaway from the film is its setting, which is made on the forensic side of the investigation for the case.
The murder in V1 takes place right at the beginning, with the series of events narrating the incidents in a ‘Rashomon’ style at first, and then taking a turn post the halfway mark. Pavel packs his narrative with a traumatic back story for the protagonist, a personal disorder and some small twists. Most of the film takes place inside closed doors, of the house and the office, which limits the world of the film and the narrative by a bit. However, the unexpected twist at the end is a fine payoff though the needless preaching that comes thereafter is something that could have been avoided.
Newcomer Arun Castro is a good fit to play the lead, with his strong voice being a big plus. There are a couple of other characters in the cast who are impressive, such as the hero’s colleague and Lijeesh. The rest of the cast is packed with new or relatively new names who all fit the bill decently.
V1’s technical core is basic, and it works with passable cinematography and music which aids the narration. On the whole, this is a film which is pretty good on paper but somewhat loses the fizz when it comes onscreen. Nevertheless, a decent watch for those who like murder mysteries.