'Kaliyugam Pattanamlo’, written and directed by Ramakhanth Reddy, stars Vishva Karthikeya and Aayushi Patell in the lead roles. Nani Movie Works and Raamaa Creations have bankrolled it. The film hit the screens today (March 29). Let's find out what the thriller is about.
Plot:
The story takes place in Nandyala in Rayalaseema. Vijay and Sagar are identical twins. While the former is timid and soft-spoken as a child, Sagar derives a pathological pleasure from bleeding animals to death. After he is diagnosed with a psychic disorder, his father (Devi Prasad) puts him in a mental rehab centre. Cut to many years later, Sagar remains unreformed. On the other hand, Vijay is an Engineering student with an amiable personality. Shravani (Aayushi Patell) falls in love with him. But then, everyone including Shravani holds a secret. A twist turns the saga upside down.
Performances & Technical Departments:
Vishva Karthikeya brings edginess to his tricky character. The character was a challenging one to play because of the intriguing nature of the arcs of both Sagar and Vijay.
Aayushi Patell appears bubbly as a college student fawning over her classmate. And then her character goes on to acquire a greater heft in the scheme of things. Chitra Shukla is seen as a cop who is deployed to tackle a once-in-a-century crime in Nandyal.
Anish Kuravilla, Devi Prasad, Roopa Lakshmi and others fit the bill.
Dr. Kandula Chandra Obul Reddy, G. Maheswara Reddy, and Kattam Ramesh have bankrolled the movie with an aim to deliver a relevant message about how problematic behavior in children must be tackled during formative years. Shooting in real locations helped lend authenticity.
Ajay Arasada's background score occasionally draws upon the genre specialized by the Anirudh Ravichander-Lokesh Kanagaraj duo. The dark themes make it sound appropriate. Charan Madhavaneni's cinematography should have been in tune with the dark mood of the screenplay. Garry BH's non-linear editing is apt.
Analysis:
Kaliyugam is often associated with vice, disgrace and immorality. In the film under review, the fear of vice consumes a parent so much that it is nearly as devastating as the vice of his evil son. The message about parenting and the cautionary tale about the itch for social validation enhance the broad appeal of this film.
It is not like the film is a pack of perfectly-written characters. Sometimes, they look less fearsome than they should. But the film sticks to its neo-noir themes pretty confidently. Following the interval twist, the drama transitions to a generic crime plot dealing with themes such as sexual perversion and grotesque personality types.
The college portions outline the heroine as a typical girl in the neighborhood. Given what follows in the love story, the writing should have been written backwards. Director Ramakhanth Reddy shows promise when it comes to his execution skills.
The final portions build up to a sequel, which is going to be about a more macabre and perverted set of crimes perhaps.
The film surely needed a different level of police procedural for a brief while. However, the cops look under-prepared for the gigantic task at hand. Why is Chitra Shukla's cop character condemned to have no back-up force or Plan B?
What keeps the viewer's interest steady is the tension offered by the sinister characters looming large.
Vox Verdict:
'Kaliyugam Pattanamlo' is a neo-noir tale with commercial cinema aesthetics. Identical twins, a rare crime, an evil genius, and a female cop on her toes... The film has multiple elements.
Rating: 3/5
