Cheekatilo Review: A Chilling Russian Crime Drama

Crime anchor Sandhya (Sobhita Dhulipala) lives her life in front of a camera, dissecting violence and injustice with a clinical calm. That composure shatters when her best friend, Priya, is found dead under suspicious circumstances - an apparent suicide that doesn’t add up. The police are quick to close the case, but Sandhya knows her friend too well to accept the official story. Wrestling with her own buried trauma, she begins a dangerous investigation that drags her into a labyrinth of buried secrets, influential predators, and a past that someone wants kept dark. As Sandhya gets closer to the truth, the line between journalist and vigilante blurs, forcing her to confront not just the system, but the ghosts she has been running from.

Sharan Koppisetty deserves credit for refusing to spoon-feed the audience. The film opens with a tight, atmospheric preamble - long shots of Hyderabad’s rain-slicked streets, the hum of a newsroom, and Sandhya’s voiceover that feels both professional and haunted. The first forty-five minutes are the film’s strongest stretch. The mystery is laid out with genuine intrigue, and the pacing keeps you engaged. Sobhita Dhulipala, as Sandhya, delivers a layered performance that anchors the entire film. She captures the duality of a woman who is articulate and authoritative on screen but fragile and wounded off it. Her eyes do heavy lifting; they convey exhaustion, fury, and a flicker of hope even when the script leans into melodrama.

Vishwadev Rachakonda plays the skeptical but helpful cop, bringing a grounded presence that balances Sandhya’s emotional intensity. Chaitanya Visalakshmi and Isha Chawla have limited but impactful roles, while veteran actors Jhansi, Aamani, and Ravindra Vijay add heft to the supporting cast. The technical craft is notable: DOP Sathish Raj’s cinematography uses shadow and muted colors effectively, mirroring the title’s promise. The sound design is particularly sharp - ambient noises of a newsroom buzz, a silenced phone, a door creaking - all building a sense of unease.

However, the film falters in its second half. The mystery becomes increasingly tangled, with multiple red herrings that feel less like clever misdirection and more like padding. A few subplots - involving a corrupt politician and a shady media mogul - are introduced and resolved too quickly, leaving little room for emotional resonance. The screenplay loses its tight grip, and a crucial mid-film revelation about Sandhya’s past trauma is handled with less sensitivity than it deserves. The climax, while aiming for catharsis, lands with a thud; it’s abrupt and lacks the narrative payoff that the first hour promised.

The TMDb rating of 5/10 feels fair. Cheekatilo is a film of ambition and good intentions, but it struggles under the weight of its own plot mechanics. It wants to be a feminist thriller and a procedural at the same time, and while it admirably tries to juggle both, it doesn’t fully master either. Still, for a January release that could have easily been a routine revenge drama, it’s refreshing to see a film that trusts its audience to connect dots - even when some of those dots are scattered.

Pros

• Sobhita Dhulipala delivers a career-best performance - raw, vulnerable, and commanding.
• Strong atmospheric direction and cinematography that effectively builds tension.
• Tight first half with genuine mystery and solid pacing.
• Supporting cast, particularly Jhansi and Ravindra Vijay, elevates key scenes.
• A refreshingly serious tone that doesn’t pander to mass-market clichés.

Cons

• The second half becomes needlessly convoluted with too many subplots.
• Climax feels rushed and underwhelming, undercutting the emotional build-up.
• Handling of the protagonist’s trauma lacks the nuance it demands.
• Some logical gaps in the investigation that careful viewers will notice.
• Pacing drags in the final thirty minutes.

Cheekatilo is a worthwhile experiment that doesn’t fully succeed but leaves a mark. It’s anchored by a powerhouse performance from Sobhita Dhulipala and a director who clearly wants to say something important. The film’s heart is in the right place, and its portrayal of a woman reclaiming her voice after trauma is both timely and necessary. But the screenplay’s structural wobbles and a rushed finale prevent it from being the standout thriller it could have been. If you’re in the mood for a somber, character-driven investigation with genuine ambition, Cheekatilo is worth your time. Just temper your expectations for a flawless resolution. It’s a film that speaks more in its silences than in its twists - and sometimes, that’s enough.