Kallarai Movie Review

Kallarai is a horror thriller directed by ABR. The movie is produced by Rathi Jawahar and distributed under the banner of Good News Films. AK Ramji Bio coming soon... >> Read More... is the musician in this film. R Prithiv Rajendran is the cinematographer, while Gautham Moorthy is the editor of this film. The film stars Deepthi Dewan Bio coming soon... >> Read More... and Sago Ramesh in the lead. The supporting cast of this film includes GN Bharati Mohan, Prema Priya Prema Priya is a Tamil actress who has acted in th >> Read More... , Rathi Jawahar, etc. The film got a theatrical release on 4 August 2023.

Plot

A rich man comes to Kodaikanal to get his youngest daughter cured. The family is followed by a man who claims to be a police official. But not everything is fine with the family. Besides, a wronged soul is back for vengeance! Can the man and his daughters withstand the challenge?

Star Performances

While there is little positive to talk about, the lead actors did make some efforts. As the lead pair, actors Sago Ramesh and Deepthi Dewan were probably the only artists who were somehow serious about the job.

Analysis

Horror movies in India have just two extremes. They are either cult classics like 'Tumbbad' or unintentional parodies like 'Jaani Dushman'. 'Kallarai' is unfortunately sandwiched somewhere in between, confused about the path for the story ahead.

The basic plot is not boring. A young girl who is mercilessly killed comes back for vengeance as a ghost. All the director had to do was keep the storyline tight and crisp. Yet, it is here that the director bit the dust.

Yet, despite the runtime being less than 1 hour and 45 minutes long, 'Kallarai' feels dull and bizarre in places. The flashback scenes look more jarring than engaging, devoid of emotions. The film editing is nowhere up to the mark for a horror film of today's standards.

The set pieces and the makeup look like they were lifted straight from a typical 90s horror movie, with little or no room for improvement. As for the music, the less said, the better.

The BGM of this film is something not many would love to remember. In horror movies, it is the atmosphere that does the talking. But rather than making you scared, 'Kallarai' looks unintentionally funny in some sequences. Even the performances from the lead pair and Bharati Mohan cannot save this film.

What's There?

• Only the performances of Deepthi Dewan, Sago Ramesh, and GN Bharathi Mohan

What's Not There?

• Incoherent Plot
• Bizarre integration of Flashback sequences
• Editing that is far from impressive
• Background music that is jarring in some places
• Lack of emotional engagement

Verdict

'Kallarai' is one horror movie people would like to forget the moment they come out of the hall. The basic concept of the movie was okay, but the execution was not. If only director ABR had concentrated more on the quality of the screenplay.