Tenant

Plot: Kamalesh (Rakesh Maiyya) runs a grocery store and lives in his own house with his wife Damini (Sonu Gowda). They let out a portion of their house to Sundaresh (Dharma Keerthiraj), a bachelor and an alcohol addict who spends his days littering around the house and causing nuisance to owners. A murder in the building opens up Pandora’s box.

Review: COVID-19 changed the lives of several people forever. It’s been only two years since life has returned to normalcy, but the pain endured by a few people is still fresh in their minds. Tenant, a murder mystery crime thriller, is reminiscent of COVID times.

Kamalesh (Rakesh Maiyya) runs a grocery store, which is affected by lockdowns due to the pandemic. He is unable to return the money he has borrowed from a friend. Damini (Sonu Gowda), his home-maker wife, is very understanding and the couple has only eye for each other. A portion of their house is let out on rent to Sundaresh (Dharma Keerthiraj), an alcoholic, who secretly records and lusts over Damini. Damini informs Kamalesh about Sundaresh’s attitude and insists on getting him to vacate. During the scuffle, one of them ends up dead. Cop Jay (Tilak) visits to put the pieces together and solve the whodunnit.

Directed by debutant Sridhar Shastri, Tenant has narrated an interesting story around an extramarital affair with Covid as a catalyst and explores themes such as isolation and guilt. The movie is just 96 minutes long; another round of quick editing could have helped tighten the screenplay. When it comes to performances, Dharma stands out with a character that marks a deviation from his chocolate boy roles. Sonu Gowda impresses us with her innocence. Rakesh and Ugram Manju are aptly cast for their roles as they add depth to the characters with this acting. Tilak, as a cop, brings in the strength and demeanour required for the role.

A few scenes focus on hardships faced particularly by middle-class people, and the added trauma is well portrayed. Details in scenes like washing the items brought from outside surely spark the pandemic memory. Made with a moderate budget and minimal cast, the film, despite a slow start, picks up momentum in the second half.

The film is driven by the portrayal of characters rather than an action-driven narrative, which makes this thriller a decent watch.