'Visakha Express' takes its basic plot from Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train, but modified and redone quite a bit. The theme, the father-son conflict and some interesting scenes are the pluses. The songs that seem unnecessary (especially in what should be a gripping tale), the climax that drags before it comes to an abrupt end and some avoidable tracks are the minuses.
Plot: Dr. Raja has an alcoholic father who is a constant source of trouble. He dies after being injected wrong medication in the hospital where he is admitted after meeting with an accident. A guy he meets on a train tells him he killed his father, and when they were both drunk, they had a deal where he kills his father and Raja has to oblige by killing his wife. Raja is framed for his father's murder, in which a prominent officer's child is also killed. He is on the run, and this stranger takes him to his house asking him to kill his wife.
Story, Screenplay and Direction: The story is interesting if you haven't read the novel or seen the various take-offs on it (including the recently released 'Strangers' Hindi). But it seems predictable enough in the second half. There is a logic glitch or two, including the fact that Dr. Raja doesn't know his harasser's name.
The screenplay is good in the first half. The grip slackens a little once the story gets predictable. The dialogues involve a lot of profanities and double entendre. The focus could have been kept only on the thriller quotient of the movie, or make it totally commercial with all the apt elements. It comes somewhere halfway.
The last 40 crucial minutes is not well-executed. Apart from that, the movie is watchable but only if you haven't watched the other movies with this plot (because they happen to be way better). The humor is nothing to write home about, the ladies have little to do and the one merit is the performances of the two protagonists.
Performances: Rajeev Kanakala gives a capable performance as a temperamental doctor caught in a mess. Naresh gets a meaty and unconventional role, and gives a good performance. Preeti Jhangiani is okay. Sindhu Tolani is wasted. Kota does a good job.
Song and Dance: Not really needed, but was perhaps used for commercial purposes. All three numbers are used only to titillate. Kanakala looks awkward in the first song. The background is not bad, and gets better in the second half.
Last Word: The movie is not a bad one-time watch if you haven't watched any of the English or Hindi versions. The grip (considering it's supposed to be a thriller) and music (pointless numbers that crop suddenly) could have been better. Lower budgets and less-established stars seem to promise at least a solid storyline, that the big releases have lacked for a while. As for 'Visakha Express', it's a second class coach.
