Rajasekhar’s Kalki review: A mediocre cop drama
Director Prasanth Varma’s Kalki is set in the 80s in Kollapur, a village that holds a mirror to the feudal autocracy and oppressive monarchy.
The story (credited to kahaniya.com) takes off with the killing of Sekhar Babu (Siddhu Jonnalagadda), the brother of the feudal lord and MLA Narsappa (Ashutosh Rana).
Although the murder remains a mystery, Narsappa blames his bête noire Perumandlu (Shatru) for the murder and what ensues is a series of gruesome annihilations between these two factions.
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The government appoints Kalki (Dr Rajasekhar), an IPS officer and an encounter specialist to investigate crimes in the village.
The real plot begins when Kalki starts probing the case and an investigation with Deva Dutta (Rahul Ramakrishna), a journalist, that leads him to discover shocking truths.
He realises that he must get through a maze of accomplices to clean up the mess and how he does that is the crux of Kalki.
Prasanth Varma has brought a believable texture to the story with good casting. However, he delivers an ordinary film at best. The narrative meanders along at a snail’s pace and what could have been a racy, explosive drama turns into a long, uninteresting saga that takes a while for you to overcome that feeling of exhaustion.
Rajasekhar has played a campy character and his face is often buried under layers of heavy makeup. Undoubtedly, Kalki is one of the poorly-etched characters in his career. He couldn’t capitalise on the success of his comeback film PSV Garudavega and lacks the spark.
In this largely dialogue-driven film, the film’s leading lady, Adah Sharma hardly has dialogue and has nothing to do other than shake a leg in a duet. Her portions do not add any value to the film and she is reduced to a caricature.
Nandita Swetha lends undeniable credence to her role and to this thriller, especially in the second hour. Rahul Ramakrishna’s character is the only one who gets some arc. Despite his cartoonish action, he is at ease in front of the camera and sneaks a few laughs with his distinct dialogue delivery.
Ashutosh Rana has got a menacing character in Narsappa and he breathes life into it. Shatru, Nasser and Vennela Ramarao made their presence felt in brief appearances. Poojitha Ponnada draws special attention with her performance, while Siddu Jonnalagadda steals every scene he’s in.
Kalki is a mediocre cop drama that does not progress to a logical conclusion. It’s completely filled with stereotypes and keeping with the standard set by Prasanth in his debut film Awe, this Rajasekhar-starrer ends up as a major disappointment owing to its silly coincidences.
Movie: Kalki
Cast: Dr Rajasekhar, Adah Sharma, Rahul Ramakrishna
Director: Prasanth Varma