‘12A Railway Colony’ movie review: Allari Naresh’s film has a decent premise, marred by erratic execution

12A Railway Colony, the Telugu film directed by Nani Kasaragadda, changes its hues at every turn. It works as a pleasant surprise, to begin with. The protagonist Karthik (Allari Naresh) experiences visions about saving a girl in a snowslide. He is led to a video about spirits and how they contact people. Then, the focus shifts to his boss, Tillu (Jeevan Reddy), a politician who is desperate for an electoral win.

As it hints at a high-stakes political drama, a couple of men are killed. Before the culprit is found, a love track has Karthik falling for his neighbour, Aradhana (Kamakshi Bhaskarla), an aspiring badminton player. A mysterious man is on a pursuit to reconnect with his wife and daughter. Barring the banality in the execution, there is curiosity about the common link that binds the threads.

Cut to the second hour, the film unfolds like an investigation thriller, unpacking various layers of the story, where the cop Rana Pratap (Sai Kumar) surprisingly takes a backseat, and the protagonist is in a rush to find the truth about twin crimes. When the cat is eventually out of the bag, the aftertaste is somewhat underwhelming. Towards the end, there is desperation to confuse the viewers.

Allari Naresh’s film has an interesting premise and all the ingredients essential for a decent thriller, but there is no conviction in storytelling. The writing is loose, and the execution vague. The love story pans out like a mathematical equation, a formula of sorts. The conversations are random, and the actors look too indifferent to care.

The supposed genre-bender handles its tonal shifts poorly, banking solely on the shock value of a twist over quality storytelling. It struggles to build the little pieces that make up the whole. While it restlessly moves from one subplot to the other, it forgets to tell the audiences why these characters or their relationships are worthy of their time.

Despite the flurry of plot turns, it takes at least an hour for the film to wake up from its slumber. It is hard to explain why the makers had to be so laidback about the screenplay. It takes a few smart editing choices, as the story goes back and forth across timelines, to create some anxiety and build tension into the film — a lifeline of any thriller.

A lot of time is wasted on silly formalities such as the quintessential intro number, a love track explaining why the girl impresses the guy, and a mandatory pathos song post a tragedy. The presence of an experienced actor like Sai Kumar during the investigation shows what the film has been missing all along — an assured performer who can steer the narrative and not merely fill up the frames.

With Sai Kumar’s character too, the film makes the mistake of restricting the cop as a passive figure. The mystery element in the climax is revealed in a hurry; a deluge of information is dumped on the viewer at once. Certain elements in the film and the overall narrative style slightly echo the vibe of the two-film Polimera series, helmed by the film’s showrunner, Anil Viswanath.

Allari Naresh’s character lacks consistency, shifting between goofy, vulnerable, and street-smart. Kamakshi Bhaskarla is effective, though her role lacks agency. Abhirami puts up a spirited show in her extended cameo, while Sai Kumar holds the fort well. Jeevan Reddy shines in a repetitive yet meaty part. Madhumani, Anish Kuruvilla, Viva Harsha, Getup Srinu and others pass muster.

The generally formidable Bheems Ceciroleo’s songs largely serve as speed-breakers, even in a two-hour film, while the background score does the heavy lifting in some portions. The cinematographer’s gaze is problematic in a handful of scenes — the one that particularly sticks out like a sore thumb is the female lead’s establishing shot, focusing on her thighs.

12A Railway Colony has several promising ideas, but the execution is too erratic to make an impression.

Published – November 21, 2025 04:55 pm IST