Nadiya Kollapetta Rathre (The Night Nadiya Was Murdered)

Three crimes are committed at the same time on Souparnika Express running between Chennai and Mangalore. A girl Thulasi Mani (Suja Karthika), famous classical dancer has committed suicide, Shreya, a NDTV news reporter is killed\committed suicide by jumping from the train and Nadiya, a sharp shooter is murdered. The case is never solved and Nadiya (Kavya Madhavan) who is actually alive but comatose is vegetating in a hospital.

The case, after two years is handed over to Sharaufdeen Tharamasi (Suresh Gopi), IPS officer and encounter specialist of RACT (Railway Anti Corruption Task Force). He very soon establishes that all three girls were murdered. On investigating Sharaufdeen learns that everyone on the train was in some way or the other related to one of the three girls (That’s where I am reminded of Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express”, but alas the similarity ends there). Through the course of the investigation some highly influential people are suspected including some doctors, SP, prominent actress, a famous musician etc. The movie follows Sharaufdeen as he goes about solving the three crimes.

Interesting story and for each of the crimes the writer starts with a blank canvas and fills it with clues and missing links in a phase manner which sustains the viewer’s interest. Having said that, the movie suffers some serious lacunae. Firstly too much importance has been given to the characters who have actually got nothing to do with the movie (for e.g. SP Alexander (Subair) – I just did not understand why it was essential to waste screen time his animosity with other inspector). Secondly, there are just too many characters many of whom are not needed (the Tamil poet for one, Rajamma’s (Bindu Panikkar) and the actress for another). It actually creates unnecessary confusion and reduces the time onscreen which the director could have used to define and explain his main characters.

Thirdly the movie is actually three separate stories and the only common link is that the three murders happen at the same time on the same train and that the same officer is investigating them. To take the story from commonplace to phenomenal, there should have been some common link in the three murders. And finally the screenplay and dialogues are absolutely nonsensical at places.

Mediocre performances, bad screenplay and pathetic direction (what was with the obtuse angle during fight sequences).

(Do skip)