A THRILLER WITH ALL ELEMENTS OF REALISM

A good thriller, it has been said, is one which feels real and carries some truth. "ನಿಷ್ಶಬ್ದ" ('Nishyabda', or 'Silence') is a 1998 Kannada film, which is as realistic as an action thriller can get. The movie was a box-office success; critics appreciated it too.

Major Vishwanath (Vishnuvardhan) is a retired army veteran who is also a dog trainer with about twenty purebred dogs in his kennel. Dr. Vineetha (Revathy) is the veternarian looking after the dogs. The major's brother, Vijay (Sumanth) is in a romantic relationship with Varsha (Mohini), which the major has no knowledge of.

Fatefully Vijay antagonises a local thug, Veerendra Gowda (JK Bharavi) and gets murdered. That alters the course of Major's life, who now shelters Varsha at home and seeks revenge against his brother's killers.

Dinesh Baboo has written and directed the thriller, which has the right, eclectic mix of action, suspense and mystery. He has handled the camerwork creditably too. The film's soundtrack, music compositions included, are adequate; the editing is average.

The flick boasts of some illustrious actors in its line-up– the male lead Vishnuvardhan has put in a fine theatrical rendition. Revathy, Ramakrishna and the rest of the supporting cast too have acted well. JK Bharavi is mean and menacing in his portrayal of the bad guy.

I rate it: 8.0 on 10!

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