The film “Hatya” is a crime investigation thriller released in theaters on 24 January 2025. Ravi Varma and Dhanya Balakrishna appear in the lead roles in this film. Inspired by true events, director Srividya Basav’s film revolves around a mysterious murder case, in which layers of politics, family disputes and hidden truths slowly get revealed. The story of the film begins with the brutal murder of Dharmendra Reddy, uncle of the then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Kiran Reddy, in 2019. A special team is formed to investigate this murder, which is headed by Suda Rao (Dhanya Balakrishna).
The plot of the film is interesting and intriguing as it presents a true incident in a new cinematic language. The director has tried to add some new angles to the story which makes this murder mystery look different and interesting. However, the film moves at a very slow pace in some parts, which may reduce the interest of the audience a bit. Still, some twists and investigation scenes make it worth watching once. Let us know in detail in this review how much the film “Hatya” lives up to the expectations of the audience.
| Title | Hathya |
|---|---|
| Release Date | January 24, 2025 |
| Language | Telugu |
| Genre | Political Crime Thriller |
| Directed by | Srividya Basawa |
| Written by | Srividya Basawa |
| Produced by | S. Prashanth Reddy |
| Production Company | Mahaakaal Pictures |
| Starring | Dhanya Balakrishna, Ravi Varma, Pooja Ramachandran, Bindu Chandramouli, Srikanth Iyengar |
| Cinematography | Abhiraj Rajendran Nair |
| Edited by | Anil Kumar P |
| Music by | Naresh Kumaran P |
| Running Time | 148 minutes |
| Country | India |
| OTT Release | Amazon Prime Video (March 12, 2025) |
| Based on | Loosely inspired by the real-life murder of Y. S. Vivekananda Reddy |
Hathya Story
“Hatya” is a political crime thriller film released in 2025. The story of this film revolves around a mysterious murder of an influential politician Dayanand Reddy (Ravi Varma). He is a close relative of the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and is brutally killed in his own house one day. This murder becomes a major political crisis in the state.
The Chief Minister takes this case seriously and forms a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to bring out the truth. The responsibility of this investigation is given to honest and sharp police officer Sudha Rao (Dhanya Balakrishna). As Sudha digs deeper into the case, many shocking secrets are revealed.
During the investigation, Sudha has to deal with not only political pressure but also family feuds, property disputes, and deep-rooted old secrets. There are many twists and turns in the film which keep the audience hooked to the story. Sudha has to unravel a complex web to find out who is behind Dayanand’s murder and what his real motive was.
Ravi Varma and Dhanya Balakrishna have given excellent performances in the film, while in direction Srividya Basava has brilliantly combined a true incident with imagination. Although the story moves at a slow pace, but till the end it forces the audience to think.
“Homicide” is a gritty yet thought-provoking crime thriller that highlights the murky relationship between politics and crime.
Movie Review
Audience reactions to the film “Hatya” have been mixed, but most reviews view the film negatively. Many believe that the film promotes a specific agenda or emotional point of view, which has become a trend in many films and media nowadays.
One reviewer wrote that the film seems like a “minority emotional documentary” in which only one side is depicted as the victim and the other as the villain. He says that just like every country promoted religion-based narratives at one time, now every state is making stories centering on its own religious sentiments. He also said that films today are like two to three hours of “breaking news” in which one continuously rants on the same topic.
Another viewer, Gurpreet Singh, called the film the worst film he has seen in his life. He criticized the film by saying that it is so bad that it can be compared to dirt – and he even said that “shit is better than this.” They did not recommend this film to anyone and called it a complete waste of time.
A viewer named Meena Bhandari, in her feedback, said that the ending of the film was quite disappointing and it could have been better. She said that the popularity of the film could have been greatly influenced by its climax, but the ending left her sad. However, she indicated that the film had some potential, which was not fully utilized.
Anupama Hosanagar also criticized the film, saying that it is a “very bad film” and not worth watching. According to her, the story of the film should have been centered on the murder, but it repeatedly deviates and loses focus. Apart from this, she questioned the acting ability of all the actors, saying that no one’s performance was impressive.
It is clear from all these reviews that the film “Hatya” has failed to live up to the expectations of the audience. Its story, direction, and acting have been considered weak in all aspects. The audience was not only disappointed with its subject matter, but they also appeared completely dissatisfied with its presentation.
However, the experience of every film depends on the individual’s perspective. “Hatyaan” may be an attempt to touch serious subjects for some, but for many viewers it is nothing more than a directionless and disorganized attempt.
Movie Trailer
Conclusion
The film “Hatya” starts out as a political crime thriller, but the slow pace of the story, scattered plot and mediocre acting disappoint the audience. Although some investigation scenes and twists are interesting, the overall film fails to leave an impact. Despite being based on a true incident, the film lacks emotional depth and suspense. If more attention was paid to the screenplay and editing, it could have been a gripping thriller. Overall, the film is limited to only a few scenes and does not let the audience connect.