Puta 109 movie review: An edgy and taut crime thriller by Dayal

Close to four months after the release of Aa Karaala Ratri, Dayal Padmanabhan and Karthik Jayaram (JK) are back with another flick, Puta 109. It is a crime thriller, which also has Naveen Krishna and Vaishnavi (Bigg Boss Kannada 5 fame) in the lead roles.

Puta 109 is a conversational movie which is set in outlying place in Chikkamagaluru. The cop comes to the novelist, Shreejati aka Shree (Naveen Krishna)'s house to investigate the murder case of his wife. Without enough clues, the police officer has to find out the culprit behind the crime.

Who are the suspects? What is the motive behind the murder? Will the probe lead to the killer? Or will he go scot-free? Answers to these questions form the climax.

The story is almost entirely set in a house and there are only countable scenes shot outdoors. From the word go till the end, it is all about the conversation between the cop and the novelist. What makes it a unique product is Puta 109 does not have glamour or glitz which are usually associated in this kind of movies.

The story is plain and simple and there are no attempts to boost its commercial appeal. The first half perfectly sets the tone for the thrilling second half packed with well-written one-liners.

Like in Aa Karaala Ratri, Jayaram Karthik's role in Puta 109 does not demand him to emote various emotions. His body language and facial expressions are perfect for the character. Naveen Krishna scores with his varied expressions.

The intense interrogation episode shows that Dayal Padmanabhan has done his homework well. It is ably backed by RS Ganesh Narayanan's background and PKH Das' cinematography. Sri Crazy Mindz has not just handled editing department but has also done an important cameo.

Ratings: 3.5

On the flip side, the conversation episode is quite stretched and the unconvincing climax leaves you little disappointed. Nonetheless, one will have to appreciate Dayal Padmanabhan for making viewers sit for 1.45 hours without boring them.

Verdict: Puta 109 is an edgy and taut crime thriller and will remain one of the best works of Dayal.