Overview
V (2020) is a Telugu-language action thriller film written and directed by Mohana Krishna Indraganti and produced by Dil Raju under the banner of Sri Venkateswara Creations. The film stars Nani, Sudheer Babu, Nivetha Thomas and Aditi Rao Hydari along with Vennela Kishore and Tanikella Bharani in supporting roles. It marks Nani’s 25th film as a lead actor, in which he plays an antihero for the first time in his career. In the film, a decorated police officer tries to hunt down a serial killer.
The film begins with the murder of a police officer in Hyderabad. DCP Aditya (Sudheer Babu) is brought in to investigate the case. The killer, who calls himself V (Nani), leaves clues for Aditya and says he will commit more murders in the days to come. With this, a cat and mouse game starts where the murders keep happening and Aditya gets clueless. Who is this killer? Why is he killing everyone?
Aditya suspects Apoorva (Nivetha Thomas), an aspiring crime novelist who he met the previous night, to have some link with the killer as she was in contact with Prasad. However, Apoorva only met Prasad for her research, during which she overhears Prasad telling a realtor named Mallik that their lives are under threat. Meanwhile, the killer calls Aditya, challenging him to prevent four more murders, failing which he shall give up his medals and resign. Aditya accepts the challenge. On deducing that the killer’s name starts with “V”, Aditya arrests a person Vicky, based on the history between him and Prasad. However, Vicky is innocent and is killed by the real killer.
Aditya then realizes that the killer is targeting people who have been wronged by the system. He also realizes that the killer is someone close to him. With this, Aditya sets out to find the killer and bring him to justice.
Storyline
The film begins with the murder of a police officer in Hyderabad. The killer leaves a calling card for DCP Aditya (Sudheer Babu), challenging him to stop him from killing more people. Aditya is determined to catch the killer, but he soon realizes that he is dealing with someone who is very intelligent and resourceful.
The killer, who calls himself V (Nani), is a vigilante who believes that he is cleaning up the city by killing corrupt people. He is also a master of disguise, which makes it difficult for Aditya to track him down.
As the cat-and-mouse game between V and Aditya intensifies, the stakes get higher. V’s targets become more and more high-profile, and Aditya is under pressure to catch him before he strikes again.
The film culminates in a showdown between V and Aditya, in which the two men must finally confront each other.
V was released on Amazon Prime Video on September 5, 2020. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising Nani’s performance and others criticizing the film’s slow pacing and convoluted plot. However, the film was a commercial success, grossing over ₹100 crore worldwide.