Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Mohanlal, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Indrans, Shammi Thilakan, Malavika Sharma, Renji Panicker, Sanju Sivaram, Mohini, Anand Manmadhan
Crew:
Written by Jinu V. Abraham
Music by Jakes Bejoy
Edited by Chaman Chacko
Cinematography by Jomon T. John
Directed by Vysakh
Produced by Jinu V. Abraham, Suraj Kumar
Prithviraj Sukumaran and Vysakh reunited after Pokkiri Raja for the ambitious action thriller Khalifa. The film arrived with considerable expectations, promising a larger-than-life gold-smuggling saga spanning generations, multiple countries and a powerful revenge story. Let's discuss about the film in detail.
Plot:
Aamir Ali (Prithviraj Sukumaran) is a young man from Koduvally who runs a men's fashion store and leads a relatively peaceful life with his family. His father Younus Ali (Renji Panicker), a government contractor, gets trapped in a gold-smuggling case engineered by politician Raghavan (Shammi Thilakan) and businessman Harris Basheer (Neil Nitin Mukesh). Circumstances eventually force Aamir into the world of gold smuggling, where he discovers his connection to his grandfather, the legendary Mambarakkal Ahmed Ali (Mohanlal). Aamir builds his own empire and takes on powerful enemies, turning the family legacy into a story of revenge and survival.
Analysis:
Prithviraj Sukumaran is easily the biggest strength of Khalifa. He carries the film with his screen presence, style and physicality. Aamir Ali suits him perfectly, particularly in the action portions and mass moments. Even when the writing fails to provide enough substance, Prithviraj manages to keep the character watchable.
Neil Nitin Mukesh makes a decent Malayalam debut as Harris Basheer. He brings the required menace to the antagonist, though the character itself is written in a fairly routine manner. Shammi Thilakan gets a significant role as Raghavan, while Indrans and Sanju Sivaram provide some support. Malavika Sharma, however, gets very little to do as Fiza, with the character largely restricted to the romantic and family portions.
The biggest problem with Khalifa is its writing. Jinu V. Abraham has an interesting basic idea involving a legendary smuggling family, generational legacy and revenge, but the screenplay never develops the premise into something genuinely engaging. The story follows familiar gangster-film templates, and the rise of Aamir from an ordinary youngster to a powerful smuggler happens too conveniently. The film repeatedly tells us that Aamir is exceptionally intelligent and capable, but rarely gives us sufficiently clever sequences to make us believe it.
Vysakh's direction gives the film a glossy and larger-than-life appearance, but the presentation often becomes more important than the story. The excessive slow-motion shots, hero elevations and loud stretches make the film feel like it is constantly trying to announce its own mass appeal. The opening portions create some intrigue, but the narrative gradually loses momentum as the predictable revenge drama takes over.
Jakes Bejoy's background score does help several action blocks and hero-elevation moments. However, the score is used so heavily that it sometimes feels like it is compensating for the lack of impact in the writing. Jomon T John's cinematography is one of the film's strongest technical aspects, giving the international locations and action sequences a polished look. The action choreography also produces a few effective stretches, particularly the London fight, bridge ambush and the attack on Aamir's house.
The much-discussed Mohanlal appearance as Mambarakkal Ahmed Ali is undoubtedly designed to create a major theatrical high. His presence generates curiosity about the larger universe the makers appear to be setting up. But even that moment cannot completely rescue a film that has struggled to establish a compelling narrative. Khalifa feels more like the setup for something bigger than a satisfying standalone film.
Positives:
Prithviraj Sukumaran's screen presence
Jomon T John's cinematography
Jakes Bejoy's BGM
A few well-executed action sequences
Mohanlal's appearance
Negatives:
Weak and predictable writing
Routine gangster template
Poorly developed supporting characters
Too many hero-elevation and slow-motion moments
Narrative loses momentum
Film feels more like a setup than a complete story
Bottomline:
Khalifa fails to live-up to the expectations.
Rating: 2/5
Disclaimer: The views/opinions expressed in this review are personal views/opinions shared by the writer and organisation does not hold a liability to them. Viewers' discretion is advised before reacting to them.
