Fight Maha review: A promising psychological crime thriller

Rating: 3.25/5

Fight Maha is a psychological crime thriller that manages to blend in mystery and melodrama for a compelling watch. Directed by Anand Chandra, the film stars Akhil Uddemari, Sunil, Dr. Srivani Gopichand, Vaishnavi, Siddharth and Srikanth Ayyangar. Available with the intriguing tagline, “If dreams come true, whose reality is it?”, this crime thriller delves deep into the protagonist’s mind while also delivering on the suspense quotient. With a tight narrative and a short runtime, Fight Maha keeps the viewers engaged throughout.

Story

Maha (Akhil Uddemari) is a young man from Visakhapatnam who wants to become a world-class artist despite his mother’s protests. After shifting to Hyderabad, the determined lad manages to secure a job as a police sketch artist. However, Maha’s life takes a sinister turn when he develops a strange sleeping disorder. He starts sleepwalking and has frightening dreams about his dead father. His life gets more complicated when he meets a yoga instructor, Amina (Dr. Srivani Gopichand), and encounters his ex-girlfriend Jessica (Vaishnavi). One night, Maha has a harrowing dream about Jessica’s murder. Upon waking up, he finds himself in Jessica’s house and discovers her dead body. The murder mystery surrounding Jessica’s death becomes the focal point of this psychological thriller.

Performances

Akhil Udhamari turns in a confident performance as Maha, managing to balance out the conflicted and troubled nature of his character effortlessly. Though this is his second film, the actor does not seem to be at any disadvantage as he handles the narrative’s complexities with ease. In the capable hands of Sunil, the film’s secondary lead does not seem like an average villain. Dr. Srivani Gopichand, Vaishnavi, and Siddharth deliver satisfying performances. As a psychiatrist, Srikanth Ayyangar brings a degree of authenticity to the role. Noteworthy performances from the supporting cast add depth to the proceedings as well.

Technicalities

Anand Chandran must be lauded for a taut script that fails to waste the viewers’ time on unwarranted subplots. He keeps the viewers guessing at every turn while also managing to maintain a delicate balance between a realistic crime-thriller and a psychological drama. The tension is well-maintained throughout as Vasanth Isaipettai’s music and background score keep the doomsday feel lingering around. Nani Ayyavelli’s camerawork captures the bleakness of the narrative’s tone and the editing is sharp as well. The overall production values are on par with the rest of the elements.

Analysis

Fight Maha ‘s primary strength lies in its ability to sustain the feeling of uncertainty throughout the film. From the moment Maha arrives in Hyderabad, the viewers are kept on tenterhooks as the narrative subtly links his sleeping disorder, memories of his childhood and his father with the murder investigation. However, none of these elements feel like an annoyance as the film never loses its momentum. Even at decent run-time, Fight Maha manages to hold on to its edge-of-the-seat thrill-ride appeal. With the right amount of caution and conviction, Anand Chandran manages to pull off this challenging genre with ease. As a content-driven addition to the Tollywood catalog, Fight Maha is a promising psychological crime-thriller without a doubt.