Mareechika - Kanna Nidurinchira

Mareechika

2026, Telugu

Genre: Psychological thriller 

Director. Satish Kasetty

Stars: Regina Cassandra, Anu Parameswaran, Viraj Ashwin, Ajay Ghosh

Mohan's Measure ⭐⭐⭐

Mareechika does not have a ghost of a chance of being a horror movie. But, albeit with a few loose ends, it is an entertaining thriller.

The movie opens with a terrified young woman racing into a police station to say that the man she loves was brutally murdered by another woman. A few moments later, the supposed victim arrives unharmed, making it known  that his supposed murderer, Mareechika,  doesn't exist. The perfect setup for a creepy mystery. 

Anu Parameswaran is brilliantly creepy as a ''plain Jane'' college student.  Her hair is oily, her teeth are covered in braces, and her clothing is refreshingly conservative.  Sadly, she futilely attempts advances towards her intended, a coffee shop barista.  But he has his eyes set on her Indian American friend, the title character played by Ms. Cassandra. 

Ms. Cassandra's obvious charm is only lessened by her attempt to mix Telugu with an overtly heavy American English. This makes her character feel a little artificial, but she is important in the love triangle that eventually leads to murder most foul. 

Just who is murdered and why is the subject of this film. The execution of the plot, with all its twists and red herrings, has bad landings, particularly in switching from one subplot to the other. However Mr. Ghosh's character as a perturbed policeman helps to soften the blow, his confusion a humorous reflection of our own. 

So while we might pull our hair out putting all the pieces together, we will most certainly be entertained by this clever low-budget cinema.