Kali Movie Review: Prince and Naresh Agastya Shine in a Gripping Yet Flawed Drama

Cast: Prince, Naresh Agastya, Neha Krishnan, C.V.L. Narasimha Rao, Mani Chandana, Kedar Shankar, Madhumani, Gundu Sudarshan, and others

Director: Shiva Shesha

Music: Jeevan Babu

Cinematographer: Ramana Jagarlamudi

Editor: Vijay Vardhan Kavuri

Producer: T. Leela Goutham

Release Date: 04-10-2024

The latest film starring Prince and Naresh Agastya is ‘Kali‘, directed by Shiva Shesha. Neha Krishnan, C.V.L. Narasimha Rao, Mani Chandana, Kedar Shankar, and Madhumani also play significant roles. This film, developed with a unique concept, was released to the audience on October 4. Let’s see how the movie is and whether it captivated the Telugu audience in this review.

What’s the Story?

Shivaram (Prince) is a professor at a university who never refuses to help anyone. This quality endears him to Veda (Neha Krishnan), who falls in love with him and confronts her family to marry him. However, Shivaram’s goodwill is exploited by his own family members, who conspire to take his property. Betrayed by his brother and uncle, Shivaram becomes deeply disillusioned and attempts suicide, wishing not to be reborn as a human. At this critical moment, Kali Purusha (Naresh Agastya) makes his entry. Just as Shivaram is about to commit suicide, Kali Purusha rings the calling bell and saves him. What changes does Kali bring into Shivaram’s life? What is the connection between Shivaram’s life and the era of Kali? To find out, one must go to the theaters.

How Did They Perform?

In a refreshing new role as Shivaram, Prince excels with settled acting. Even in scenes without dialogue, his expressions were enough to impress. He made an effort to define himself as an actor by intensifying the scenes. Naresh Agastya shone as Kali, captivating with his stylish performance. The film primarily revolves around these two characters. Neha Krishnan was compelling as Veda within the limits of her role. Other cast members also justified their roles.

How’s the Direction?

Director Shiva Shesha made an attempt to convey that suicide is not a solution to problems and that it is the real problem through this film. Although he chose a message-oriented narrative, he did not neglect commercial elements. He made the story engaging by blending suspense and thriller elements effectively. The movie starts with Shivaram’s background, his family life, love track, and betrayal by family members. The director sped up the story with the arrival of Agastya as Kali. The way Agastya questions Shivaram and tries to show him his mistakes is appealing. The scenes that instill a will to live are spectacular, especially the interactions between Prince and Naresh Agastya. However, the story might feel dragged and centered too much around two characters, and the lack of comedy could be seen as a downside.

Technically

On the technical front, the music is a major strength. Jeevan Babu’s background score notably elevates the scenes. The editing could have been sharper. The cinematography is good, and the visuals are rich. The production values are also high, befitting the film.

Plus Points

Story

Acting by Prince and Agastya

Music

Minus Points

Dragged scenes

Editing

Telugu.yousay.tv Rating: 2.5/5