Forensic review: This crime drama needed better writing

The Vikrant Massey- and Radhika Apte-starrer Forensic (2022) is the Hindi remake of Akhil Paul’s Malayalam film of the same name that was released in 2020. Directed by Vishal Furia, the thriller features Massey as forensic officer Johny Khanna, who is assigned to investigate a series of murders in Mussoorie along with police officer Megha Sharma (Apte).

The film begins with the sequence of a boy, silently fuming as his father showers affection on his sister at her birthday celebration. The boy, on the other hand, is not only ignored, but also physically and mentally abused by the father and gradually develops a violent streak. Though carelessly composed, the sequence straightaway establishes that childhood trauma has a deep connection with the story of the serial killer who targets little girls on their birthdays.

When asked to probe the case, inspector Megha feels an urge to have her abilities validated, as a senior officer shows off his record of successfully solving a few murders. However, she is definitely not pleased when Johny, regarded as the best in the business, is called to help in the investigation; the two share an uncomfortable history. Nevertheless, she commits to the case and demands professionalism from the latter.

Megha also takes care of her niece Aniya and does not allow her to meet her father (Ronit Roy), considering the latter an irresponsible parent. Aniya attends counselling sessions with psychiatrist Ranjana (Prachi Desai) as she, too, suffers from certain childhood trauma.

The trailer had already revealed that Johny first suspects a minor boy to be the murderer, but after the boy is detained another girl goes missing, which stumps the investigators.

The film aims to engage viewers by repeatedly confusing them about the identity of the killer, exploiting the motif of childhood trauma. It also hooks the viewer with visuals of Johny methodically conducting his forensic investigation. Ultimately, however, the history of the killer seems rather dull to trigger such heinous crimes. Also, the method adopted by the criminal to target girls falls short on drama and seems unrealistic in a film that is otherwise quite stark.

Radhika Apte convincingly portrays the anxiety and helplessness of being unable to prevent the crimes, and also the determination of not giving in to conspiracies to stop her from performing her duties. Her conflicts with her past are only lighlty touched upon, thanks to the writer's failure to develop the characters fully.

In the beginning, Johny is shown to possess certain eccentric traits, along with a sharp mind to conduct his investigation really fast. As the story progresses, however, he gets more sober. In the end, it feels quite insensitive when Megha and Johny revel in anticipation of a vacation while investigating a murder in Goa.

Anshul Chobey’s tense camera movement successfully manipulates the momentum of the crime sequences for greater intensity. You will also find yourself holding your breath every time the plot raises anticipation of a spooked girl on her way to getting murdered and when the disfigured corpses are about to be revealed. The action sequence involving Megha and the killer has been shot quite well, too.

Editor Abhijit Deshpande has lent the film a compact length and a fitting pace for a thriller despite the weak narrative arc of the characters.

While the dialogues fail to lend voice to the emotional turmoil of the characters, Amol-Abhishek’s composition ‘Belagaam’, rendered by Mika Singh and Nikhita Gandhi, brings out the subdued angst and pain. Adrija Gupta’s background score elevates the film's suspense quotient.

While the fast-paced investigation sequences and the conundrum of the killer keep the viewer on edge for the most part, the revelation in the end and the lack of imagination in designing a perfect crime drama ultimately leave the viewer disappointed.

Forensic is now streaming on Zee5.