Kishkindhapuri Review and Rating: A Spooky Thriller That Works in Parts

Storyline

Raghav (Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas) and Mythili (Anupama Parameswaran) work for a tour company that organizes ghost walks in the mysterious town of Kishkindhapuri. During one such tour, they take visitors to an abandoned radio station, Suvarnamaya. To everyone’s shock, an old radio inside suddenly comes alive, triggering eerie incidents.

Soon after, people who visited Suvarnamaya begin dying under strange circumstances. With fear spreading across the town, Raghav and Mythili take it upon themselves to uncover the secret. Who is causing these deaths? What dark history hides behind the radio station? And can the couple make it out alive?

What Works

Atmosphere & Set Design: The movie succeeds in establishing a genuinely spooky setting. The abandoned radio station is crafted with meticulous detail, thanks to strong production design and art direction, creating an unsettling mood right from the start.

Focused Direction: Director Koushik Pegallapati avoids unnecessary diversions like forced comedy or out-of-place romance in the middle of the story. Once the horror track begins, it stays consistent.

Effective Horror: The film uses well-timed jump scares without leaning too heavily on loud background scores. The concept of ghost tours feels refreshing in Telugu cinema, and the second-half twists ensure the plot doesn’t feel repetitive.

Performances: Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas delivers a sincere performance, showing growth as an actor. Anupama Parameswaran shines in emotional and tense sequences, particularly in the hospital scene. The antagonist’s role is meaty and adds weight to the narrative.

What Doesn’t Work

Pacing Issues: The first 20 minutes are slow, and later, some important revelations feel hurried. Ironically, the film leaves you wishing it had a longer runtime to flesh out the suspense and emotional layers.

Lack of Emotional Impact: While the scares are effective, the emotional connect is weaker. The climax tries to explore Raghav’s inner conflict but wraps up too quickly to resonate strongly.

Predictable Template at Times: Despite the interesting premise, a few stretches fall into familiar horror clichés.

Technical Merits

Music & Sound: Chaitan Bharadwaj’s background score and Radhakrishna’s sound design add the right intensity to the chills.

Cinematography: Chinmay Salaskar frames the eerie locations beautifully, enhancing the tension.

Editing: Crisp and sharp, though some sequences could have used more breathing space.

Final Verdict

Kishkindhapuri is a decent horror thriller that delivers solid scares, a gripping setup, and commendable performances from its leads. While it stumbles in pacing and emotional depth, the film still manages to entertain fans of the genre. If you enjoy supernatural thrillers that focus on atmosphere and suspense rather than gimmicks, this one makes for a worthwhile watch.

Also read: Kishkindhapuri Twitter Review: Bellamkonda Srinivas Delivers in a Spooky Ride with Surprises!