While Mamangam is billed as a big budget movie and the makers have evidently splurged some bucks on those sets for the action scenes, the bulk of the movie rides on dialogues. But are the two enough to overcome the odds? The story follows two members from the Chandroth family of Valluvanadu, ably and intensely portrayed by Unni Mukundan and Master Achuthan, as they set out on their quest in what could be the final attack against the Zamorins. Set against the backdrop of the Mamangam festival held in the 17th and 18th centuries at Thirunavaya, the film tells the story of Chaverukal (suicide squads) as they try to kill the Zamorin ruler and reclaim what is rightfully theirs. The film, directed by M Padmakumar, is a drama punctuated by two action sequences. And then, when the two from the Chandroth family are already on their quest, another elderly member, who had tried the same feat and failed, tells them, "This wish to sacrifice their own sons to protect their tradition has become an undying quest for those in Valluvanadu." Mamangam, the movie, swings between these two alternating emotions. Our tradition is to die as warriors," says an elderly member of a Valluvakonathiri family as they debate among themselves if they have to send the remaining two sons of Chandroth family as chaverukal for the next Mamangam. Mamangam Review: "We aren't meant to live as slaves. But are they enough against the might of the Zamorin army? Now, two more from Valluvanadu try to accomplish what many have failed in. Though the film isn’t as suspenseful as they come, it still keeps things entertaining till the end.Mamangam Story: For almost three centuries, Valluvakonathiri has been sending suicide squads who valiantly sacrifice their lives trying to bring down the Zamorins at the festival of Mamangam. Though the climax is replete with twists to keep one satisfied, it doesn’t really come as a surprise.īut, Kalki is worth watching on the big screen this weekend. The investigative thriller which initially intrigues soon gets predictable and routine, with scenes stretching more than needed. The BGM by Sharvan Bharadwaj and camera angles by Dasaradhi Shivendra, which initially work get repetitive after a while, boring the audience, especially during the fight sequences.
Rahul Ramakrishna keeps the film engaging with his comic timing and humour.īy balancing the commercial aspects with the thriller elements, Kalki is one more feather in the cap for Rajasekhar after PSV Garuda Vega and Prasanth Varma after Awe. Besides Rajasekhar, it is Ashutosh Rana who holds the audiences’ attention as the antagonist. Adah Sharma plays Dr Padma, Kalki’s ex-girlfriend – but her role gets type casted and she really has nothing much to do with the story. Nanditha Swetha gets decent screen presence and plays a key role, someone whom the story revolves around till the end. Journalist Deva Dutta (Rahul Ramakrishna) too does his best to solve the mystery. When their beacon of hope gets brutally murdered, Kalki IPS (Dr Rajasekhar) is called on to investigate the case.
Shekar Babu (Sidhu Jonnalagadda) is the town’s only salve, a kind-hearted man who stands for them.
In the 1980s, a town called Kollapuram in Telangana is grappling under the last visage of feudalism to survive the notorious MLA Narasappa (Ashutosh Rana) who exploits his people in all possible ways. Pulling off a thriller is never an easy job but Prasanth Varma manages to do it with minimum fall-out. As the investigation progresses, the film starts unfolding the background of the crime, events that lead to it and many more crimes that the town has endured. Kalki Review: Kalki is a gripping thriller which follows the trail of a police officer and a journalist in solving the mystery of a murder that has many strings tied to it. He begins digging deeper and finds out there’s more to it than what’s on surface. Kalki Story: A police officer gets assigned to investigate a crime scene in a town and finds out about a chain of crimes surrounding it.