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New Indian Express

The Verdict Movie Review: Sruthi Hariharan shines in a courtroom drama that fails to deliver

When Elisa (Suhasini Mani Ratnam), a billionaire, is found dead, Namrutha (Sruthi Hariharan), her close friend and well-wisher, is accused of cutting off her oxygen supply and murdering her. The motive? Namrutha was recently added to Elisa's will and stood to inherit a staggering $150 billion. The Verdict follows Maya (Varalaxmi Sarathkumar) as she takes on the case, determined to prove Namrutha's innocence and unmask the real killer. Set in Texas, USA, the film opens with Elisa's murder and swiftly moves to the courtroom, where a jury is weighing the evidence and arguments to decide whether Namrutha is guilty or innocent. While most jury members lean towards acquittal, one juror, played by Vidyulekha Raman, asks a pointed, 'Why?' Her initial belief in Namrutha's guilt suggests she might crack open a Pandora's box of secrets. Instead, she merely rehashes the court proceedings, which feels more like a procedural snooze than a tense cross-examination. Even the interval twist, a moment ripe with potential, is reduced to a convenient reveal. With an idea that has immense potential for exploration, The Verdict stands accused of poor execution. The director opts for a non-linear narrative, perhaps to let us play jury. Each witness takes the stand to recount Namrutha's ties with Elisa, her marriage with Varun (Prakash Mohandas), the involvement of the butler Rafael in the murder, and a host of other aspects. Much of the first half is spent in exposition, which culminates in a reveal at the interval point. You would expect Namrutha's road to justice to be long, winding, and riddled with twists. But surprisingly, the titular verdict is delivered rather early in the second half. What follows feels like a different film altogether; one that wanders off the legal path and into narrative no man's land. Up until the verdict, the film keeps its spotlight firmly on the case, and then it abruptly shifts its entire focus to the killer. Suddenly, the legal drama turns into a mystery thriller. With the killer being the main focus and their motive laid bare from the get-go, the second half limps toward a predictable conclusion. And just when you think the film might have a final ace up its sleeve, it reveals that Namrutha knew the killer's identity all along. She claims to have stayed silent because all the evidence pointed to her, so she chose to play along and face the charges. The logic behind it is shakier than a witness on cross-examination. To make matters more convenient, the investigation that follows hands Maya and Namrutha one lucky break after another, with evidence and clues falling into their laps.