Abhi (Sunil) commits serial murders across Chennai, leaving a disturbing signature, that is cutting off the right wrist from each victim's corpse. Meanwhile, police inspector Indra (Vasanth Ravi) struggles with suspension after causing an accident while driving under the influence. The stress of his situation drives him deeper into alcoholism, ultimately resulting in the loss of his eyesight.
When a murder occurs within Indra's own family, bearing the hallmarks of Abhi's killing spree, the visually impaired inspector embarks on a personal quest to track down the serial killer. Debutant director Sabareesh Nanda's "Indra" attempts to answer whether Abhi will be caught and uncover the motive behind the murder that hits so close to home.
Vasanth Ravi delivers a compelling performance, breathing life into a character burdened with depression, alcoholism, vision loss, and the complex interplay of arrogance and vulnerability that comes with lost power. While occasionally veering into overacting, he captures the essence of a man grappling with multiple personal demons. Sunil creates a menacing presence as the serial killer, using effective body language to make the character genuinely unsettling. Despite some moments of excess, Sumesh Moor contributes necessary tension through his intimidating screen presence. However, Anikha Surendran's performance fails to convey the required emotional weight, while Mehreen Pirzada, Kalyan, and Rajkumar fulfil their roles adequately, but fails in getting distinction.
The technical aspects shine throughout the film. Cinematographer Prabhu Raghav creates atmospheric tension befitting a thriller, with particularly elegant lighting in the night sequences. Editor Praveen KL works to maintain interest in scenes confined to single locations, though with mixed results. Ajmal Tasseen's background music proves most successful, effectively enhancing both the film's suspenseful moments and emotional beats. The sound design deserves special mention, particularly in sequences exploring Vasanth Ravi's psychological struggles.
The screenplay opens promisingly, introducing Sunil's serial killer, Vasanth Ravi's suspended inspector, and Kalyan's investigating officer. However, the narrative momentum quickly dissipates as romantic subplots and musical interludes derail the focus from the central story. Police interrogation scenes lack the intelligence and sophistication needed to generate genuine thrills. The absence of meaningful subplots and narrative layers makes certain stretches feel tedious. While strong technical work, an unexpected twist, and Vasanth Ravi's committed performance salvage the first half, these elements can only do so much.
The post-interval portion follows a disappointingly predictable path until the climax. The film's marketing materials, unfortunately, telegraph too much of the plot, undermining potential surprises. When the backstory finally emerges to provide context for the second half, it proves both familiar and flatly presented, failing to generate the emotional impact the story demands. The extremely violent finale features philosophical dialogues about crime and punishment, offering only modest redemption for the main characters and limited satisfaction for the audience.
Despite an intriguing premise combining psychological struggle, serial killing, and a blind police officer protagonist, "Indra" fails to develop these elements into compelling cinema. The lack of sufficient plot twists and engaging narrative development relegates this film to the ranks of routine crime thrillers, falling short of its psychological thriller aspirations.