Entertainment
oi-Prakash KL
Prithviraj Sukumaran’s new movie Khalifa: The Ruler has hit the screens on Thursday and opened to mixed response from the netizens.
The movie has Neil Nitin Mukesh, Malvika Sharma, Shammi Thilakan and Indrans in supporting roles alongside Mohanlal, Tovino Thomas and Soubin Shahir in cameo appearances.
Prithviraj Sukumaran’s ‘Khalifa: The Ruler’, directed by Vysakh, released Thursday, profiles a former businessman turned gold smuggler confronting his past; the film garnered mixed reviews, praised for style and action but criticized for an outdated screenplay and inconsistent narrative.
Vysakh of Pokkiri Raja and Pulimurugan fame has directed the movie, written by Jinu V. Abraham. The film has Jakes Bejoy’s music, Jomon T. John’s cinematography and Chaman Chacko’s editing.
Khalifa follows Aamir Ali, a former textile businessman who becomes a wanted gold smuggler after being driven into the criminal world by circumstances involving his family.
As his past catches up with him, Aamir must confront the consequences of his choices and the people who shaped his downfall. The core story is about why Aamir entered this dangerous life, what it cost him, and whether he can escape it.
The trailer and promos have garnered a lot of attention. Will it live up to the viewers’ expectations? Find out from the comments below:
Sreedhar Pillai: #Khalifa Review : Run-Of-The-Mill
My Rating : 2.5/5
It’s all style no substance. A cliched and outdated presentation from dir Vysakh about a gang war among gold smugglers of Malabar.
Reminds you of 90’s action films with too many slo-mo sequences and a screenplay with no stuff just a few well choreographed action sequences.
@PrithviOfficial shines especially in action scenes, but inconsistent writing lets him down.
And to top it all ends with an epilogue full of walk-in cameos from well known stars including
@Mohanlal and hints of a sequel!
Lets Cinema: #Khalifa Review: The film looks massive but struggles where it matters most. Prithvi brings the fire with his screen presence, while Jakes Bejoy’s BGM elevates several moments, though it is not consistent throughout. However the screenplay never matches the film’s scale. The emotional moments feel undercooked, while the cameos come across more as forced fan service than meaningful additions to the story.
MalayalamReview: #Khalifa – Average overall. The story is the major drawback and feels extremely outdated. Vyshakh tries to make the film engaging with a loose script, but very little works. The second half is more or less on the same level as the first half. The villain character is poorly written, while the BGM, apart from the title score, is underwhelming. The action sequences are decent. The forced cameos are decent and worked well in theatres. Overall, a disappointing outing from Vyshakh.
SmartBarani: #Khalifa
A cliched story without emotional connect to any characters.. took its initial 40 mins to get into the story.. interval block stretch was good but other than that nothing much interesting 😭
Fight sequences were okayish .. background score loud & old 😒 didn’t work me.. lengthy and uninteresting 2nd half 🙏 Prithvi needs to choose strong scripts 🚶 cameos gimmick were kinda entertaining!!
Overall a disappointing movie !!
Rating : 2/5
Christopher Kanagaraj: #Khalifa – Prithviraj’s Well toned Physique, Stylish Look along with Jakes Bejoy’s Elevating BGM & 2 Action Blocks Gud. Dummy Villain Neil. Lalettan Cameo ok. Predictable; No Conflict/Smartness in d Screenplay. Emotions didnt work too. Outdated Smuggling Revenge Drama. BELOW AVG!
