Prajin Padmanabhan has been appearing in back-to-back films. After Samharam, which was released earlier in June 2026 and received an average response, he returns with Andharan (The Hunter). While the actor continues to get opportunities, this film once again struggles to give him a strong breakthrough. Prajin delivers a sincere performance as IPS officer Chezhiyan and does his best to carry the investigation scenes with confidence. Ivana Varun plays Karthika with intensity and gives an aggressive performance that suits the emotional demands of her character. Anupama Kumar appears as Chezhiyan’s aunt and psychiatrist, while M.K. Sambasivam, Senthil Kumari, Adhiran, and Phathmen perform their respective roles adequately.
Written and directed by Santhosh Raavanan, the story begins with an interesting mystery. Every man who proposes to Karthika or falls in love with her ends up being murdered brutally. The shocking series of murders leads IPS officer Chezhiyan to investigate the case. During the investigation, Chezhiyan himself falls in love with Karthika, and both secretly plan to get married. However, after their marriage, Karthika suddenly attempts to kill him, making the mystery even more complicated.
As Chezhiyan continues his investigation, he discovers painful incidents from Karthika’s childhood. Her father never wanted a girl child and ignored her during her early years. Ironically, after her birth, the family started receiving wealth and good fortune, changing her father’s attitude. The emotional neglect during childhood deeply affects Karthika’s mental state. She begins to imagine herself as a man, and this psychological conflict becomes the reason behind the murders whenever someone tries to marry her.
The biggest challenge for Andharan is not its performances but its screenplay. The first half slowly builds curiosity and keeps the audience engaged. Unfortunately, the second half moves into very familiar territory. The psychological explanation and climax may remind viewers of scenes they have already watched elsewhere. Instead of creating its own identity, the film seems to follow a path that feels heavily inspired, making the suspense less surprising than expected. It almost feels like the screenplay believes that changing the character names is enough to make the audience forget where they have seen similar scenes before.
Technically, Hari S R’s background score supports the thriller mood in several scenes, while the investigation portions maintain a decent pace. Director Santhosh Raavanan deserves credit for choosing a psychological thriller concept, but the execution misses the opportunity to present something fresh. The supporting cast performs according to the script, though the screenplay limits the emotional impact of many characters. Better originality in the writing could have made the performances shine even more.
Overall, Andharan (The Hunter) starts with an interesting murder mystery and features committed performances from Prajin Padmanabhan and Ivana Varun. However, the film gradually loses its uniqueness as the narrative becomes predictable and strongly resembles familiar psychological thrillers. If you enjoy investigation dramas with emotional backstories, the film may offer a watchable experience. But if you are expecting fresh twists and original storytelling, this hunter may spend more time chasing old ideas than creating new ones.
