Kathi review: A jaded story

Movie Kathi Director Mallikharjun Music Mani Sharma Cast Kalyanram, Sana Khan, Saranya Mohan, Shyam, Kota, Brahmanandam

The factions in Rayalaseema, the relationship between a brother and sister, the exploits of a hero who sneaks into the villain's house in the guise of a well-wisher - all these form the jaded script of Kathi, the latest from NTR Arts. An amalgamation of various ‘hit' formulas, the movie is intended for the B and C class centres. Football player Ramakrishna (Kalyanram) dotes on his sister Harika (Saranya Mohan). And Harika constantly gets into scraps confident her brother will bail her out. Anjali (Sana Khan) loves the hero and is determined to win his heart. Ramakrishna is enjoying the best of both worlds - a loving sister and a beautiful girlfriend - when life takes a terrible turn. Harika elopes with a man named Krishna Mohan (Kick Shyam). However, she has a tough time at her in-laws' house. Unable to bear his sister's pain, Ramakrishna goes to faction-ridden to set things right. He enters her in-laws' house as a servant. How he succeeds in his mission forms the crux of the film. Kalyanram is in great form, enacting his role with gusto. Sana is glamorous, but her role isn't too meaty. Saranya, too, has performed well. Kota Srinivasa Rao is simply superb and gives a praiseworthy performance. The story has nothing new in it. The brother-sister theme has been a constant since the black-and-white days. Moreover, the director confuses several elements - action, sentiment, love, comedy - and don't use them well. A major negative in the film is the action. Though the stunts are terrific, they don't gel with the story. The technical credits are Mani Sharma's music, cinematography by Sarvesh Murari, and Gowtham Raju's editing. However, the much-required tempo is missing from the script. The dialogues are powerful, but are out of place. The comedy is fine, but don't always make the audience laugh. They are merely speed-breakers. The same can be said about the songs, despite the nice music. The saving grace of the film is that the second half is better than the first. However, for a film with a name like Kathi, the story is a letdown. Verdict: Average