'Krishna Talkies' movie review: Protagonist carries movie on his shoulder

The film revolves around a single-screen theatre, and triskaidekaphobia. Thirteen, the number often feared by most, poses as a series of threats with murders, death and accidents in the movie Krishna Talkies. It also draws a shroud of mystery on cine-goers with a balcony ticket bearing the number 13.

While watching the movie, a lot of questions will go through your mind. Is this a murder? If so, who is the killer? Or is there some paranormal element involved? Ajay, a journalist, visiting his hometown in Mudigere, sets out to find the culprit, who is the reason behind the death of his best friend Suri (Chikkanna), and the reason behind the disappearance of Parimala (Sindhu Loknath).

He seeks all possible help from the local police. The strange occurrence of death, and mystery around the number 13, leads to a lot of investigations.  How Ajay goes about unraveling the truth and what his fate decides for him is the basis of the story. Krishna Talkies brims with all possible elements of mystery, thriller, horror drama,  sprinkled with suspense. Director Vijay Anand, who has worn multiple hats for the film, takes credit for the story, screenplay writing, dialogues, lyrics and has to a certain extent managed to live up to its title. 

Although the movie begins at a slow pace, the sense of horror on one end enthralls viewers, while their investigative mind runs at parallel.  The construction of this movie is not without flaws, but it is the protagonist, Ajay Rao, who makes this plot consistently interesting.  He takes us through some case studies, and the climax builds with a certain supernatural element that makes it believable. Though the investigation doesn’t go in-depth, it is the follow-up of cases, and in different angles, which keeps the audience on the edge-of-the-seat.

The film, which moves with mostly dialogue-driven scenes, gets good support from the rest of the actors. With Apurva playing the love angle, she also becomes the starting point of the whole investigation. This well-suited ensemble also features Sindhu Loknath, Chikkanna, and Pramod Shetty among others in prominent roles. A film, with an intriguing premise, Ajay Rao is one reason to walk into Krishna Talkies.

Krishna Talkies
Cast: Ajay Rao, Apurva, Sindhu Loknath, Chikkanna, and Pramod Shetty
Director: Vijay Anand