POV: Why Sobhita Dhulipala’s Sandhya in Cheekatilo is the hero modern Indian media needs!

Sandhya Nelluri goes back to basics to reclaim the lost art of truth-telling in a system addicted to sensationalism and TRPs!

In the opening minutes of Sharan Koppisetty's Cheekatilo, we see Sandhya (Sobhita Dhulipala), a journalist, standing in the middle of a chaotic studio as she reads a news item off a teleprompter. However, something feels off, the news script is a typical TRP driven, sensational crime reporting devoid of any empathy or facts. As a sense of guilt takes over, Sandhya confronts her boss and walks out of her high-paying anchor job in a scene where the character makes her first and perhaps the most important statement - refusing to be a part of a system that turns real human tragedy into cheap entertainment for ratings.

A moody, atmospheric thriller, Cheekatilo follows Sandhya, a crime reporter who sets out to untangle the mystery behind the brutal murder of her colleague. What initially appears to be a standalone incident turns into a series of disturbing crimes as she dives deeper into the investigation, sometimes even blurring the lines between observer and detective. Away from the blinding lights, expensive cameras and bountiful resources of an established news studio, Sandhya, retreats to a quiet life in rural Telangana, launching an independent podcast to practise the kind of journalism that is fair, objective and irreverent of TRP figures. Sensing a link between patterns of her colleague’s murder, a cold case from 1999 involving a series of disappearances and assaults in Telangana’s villages, Sandhya starts her independent journalistic investigations by burning the midnight lamp reading dusty police files, reaching out to survivors and using her podcast episodes to crowdsource leads. Her goal isn’t virality but presenting unfiltered truth. With a modest set-up of a mic and laptop, Sandhya gives voice to the silenced victims, exposes patterns of abuse that society prefers to ignore in the name of ‘protecting their honour’ and holds the authority accountable without sensationalism or compromise.

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As a thriller, Cheekatilo is a slow burn that relies heavily on silences, brooding gazes and the effect of quiet nights to add to the intensity of a whodunit. There are rarely any moments of shocks or dramatic explosions, however Koppisetty’s knack of letting tension simmer without relying on easy gimmicks or forced jumpscares is a treat to watch.

Dhulipala as Sandhya embodies the obsessive and obstinate journalist determined to uncover the truth with sincerity. The film and her character, in a way, go on to convey what the profession of journalism truly entails - a resilient pursuit of truth that is tedious, frustrating and unrewarding until the final breakthrough. Besides offering a sharp commentary of crime against women, Cheekatilo also quietly questions the role of media in current state of affairs and affirms that a villain isn’t only the man in the shadows, it's also 'Breaking News', and TRP-chasing news media systems that bury the victims’ stories in favor of the next scandalous and sensationalist pieces with little to no substance. ​The film’s title, which roughly translates to ‘darkness’, doesn’t only imply the place where a killer hides but also the blind spot created by the bright lights of our TV screens!

So here’s Sandhya biggest lesson to the sharp-suit clad, highly paid news anchors who have found comfort and TRP numbers in hosting panel discussions and irrelevant debates in their air-conditioned studios - true journalism requires you to step out of the spotlight and be the voice of the voiceless no matter where they are, who they are or how inconvenient or dangerous the truth proves to be!

Cheekatilo is now streaming on Prime Video!

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