Read our full Khalifa movie review. Discover why this stylish commercial entertainer delivers strong mass appeal, solid performances, and total popcorn fun.
ONE WORD: A Watchable, Stylish Commercial Entertainer with Strong Mass Appeal
A Review by Arunjyothi R
LANGUAGE: Malayalam
DURATION: 02 Hours 39 Minutes
DIRECTOR: Vyshak
GENRE: Action Crime Thriller
•POSITIVES:
1: Direction and stylish filmmaking
2: Performance of Prithviraj Sukumaran
3: Action Sequences
4: Background Score
5: Cinematography
6: Editing
7: Second Half
•NEGATIVES:
1: Outdated Storyline
2: Average Screenplay
3: Predictable Events
STORY:
Khalifa follows Aamir Ali (Prithviraj Sukumaran), a young entrepreneur who runs a clothing business and loves boxing. He enjoys a comfortable life with his parents and shares a close relationship with his father, a PWD contractor. His life takes a happier turn when he falls in love with Fiza and marries her, beginning a peaceful family life. However, this stability is disrupted when his father is falsely implicated in a gold-smuggling case, leaving the family to face financial difficulties and social humiliation. While trying to secure his father’s release, Aamir comes across the hidden history of his grandfather, a notorious gold smuggler whose influence had once extended into powerful circles. Determined to restore his family’s honour and protect his father, Aamir enters the world of gold smuggling with the assistance of his grandfather’s former associate from Mysore. As he gradually expands his operations, builds new alliances and establishes himself as a successful businessman within the network, he attracts the attention of powerful rivals, including Harris Basheer and Party Secretary Raghavan. The resulting business rivalry develops into a larger conflict involving power, influence and personal vendettas, forcing Aamir to confront challenges that threaten both his growing empire and his family.
REVIEW & ANALYSIS OF THE FILM:
WHAT ARE THE POSITIVES:
1. Direction and Stylish Filmmaking
Vyshakh, who is known for delivering large-scale commercial entertainers, teams up with Prithviraj Sukumaran for Khalifa, a stylish action drama arriving during the Onam season. Even though the film has noticeable weaknesses in its writing, it is the making and direction that prevent Khalifa from losing momentum. Vyshakh understands the requirements of a festival-season commercial film and carefully brings together action, hero elevation, stylish visuals, larger-than-life moments and dramatic confrontations. These elements give the film enough theatrical appeal to attract a wide audience.
The film is visually stylish from beginning to end, particularly in the way Prithviraj’s character is presented. Vyshakh maintains a strong sense of staging throughout the film, making sure that even familiar situations receive an engaging visual treatment. The plot itself deals with elements such as gold smuggling, organised business networks, syndicates, rivalries and revenge, all of which are familiar territory. However, the director presents these elements in a convincing manner without making them feel excessively exaggerated or unnecessarily over-the-top. The world of the film feels reasonably grounded within its commercial framework.
One of the limitations is that the film’s graph does not have many dramatic peaks and valleys during the first half. The opening portion takes considerable time to establish the characters and the central conflict, and the narrative largely maintains the same level of momentum until it reaches its major turning point. However, once the film enters its core conflict, particularly in the second half, the graph noticeably improves. It never completely drops into a dull zone because Vyshakh’s controlled staging keeps the proceedings moving. At the same time, the film does not become particularly memorable because the predictability of the narrative limits the impact of its otherwise effective presentation.
The ending comes with two major cameo appearances, and both are handled effectively. They do not feel like unnecessary gimmicks or purely marketing-driven inclusions. The character of Mambarakkal Ahmad Ali receives enough build-up throughout the film, and the eventual appearance connected to that character feels justified. Vyshakh has clearly chosen the right faces for these moments and, more importantly, has waited until the final portions to reveal them. I would avoid mentioning the identity of the second cameo to preserve the surprise, but its placement creates the intended impact and leaves the audience with a satisfying theatrical feeling.
2. Performance of Prithviraj Sukumaran
Mambarakkal Aamir Ali is in safe hands with Prithviraj Sukumaran. His performance combines the qualities the character demands: commanding screen presence, stylish presentation, physicality and confidence during the action portions. From the beginning to the end, it remains largely his show. Even when the writing becomes predictable, Prithviraj’s presence gives the character the required weight and keeps the proceedings engaging. His action sequences, in particular, become one of the major strengths of his performance.
The dialogue delivery and certain expressions follow the familiar Prithviraj performance pattern, but that never becomes a major problem for the film. The emotional portions are comparatively weaker and, at times, feel merely adequate rather than deeply affecting. However, Prithviraj manages to prevent those scenes from becoming completely flat through his screen presence and controlled performance. His work in the climax deserves special mention, especially the intense and fearless expressions he maintains during the action. The boxer-like stance and physicality in his fights work particularly well, while the punches, kicks and movements match the commercial-star image the film is attempting to establish. Most importantly, his action performance never feels unnecessarily exaggerated; it remains within the visual language created by the film.
3. Action Sequences
Khalifa is not a completely action-driven film, but the action sequences are strategically placed and largely succeed in holding the audience’s attention. The climax is undoubtedly the highlight, with its setting, lighting, choreography and Prithviraj’s revenge-driven action avatar coming together effectively. The sequence is designed primarily for theatrical excitement, and it delivers that adrenaline rush.
The first major action sequence, set on the bridge, works as an effective introduction to the film’s action language and fits well with Prithviraj’s screen presence. The car chase and the subsequent action block also serve as important moments in the narrative, particularly because they contribute to the changing momentum of the film.
The climax, however, is where the action reaches its highest point. The red ambience, aggressive staging and almost continuous combat create an intense visual experience that works particularly well on the big screen.
Another pleasant surprise is the action involving the security guards. It arrives somewhat unexpectedly and is choreographed with considerable energy. I would not reveal much about the sequence because doing so could lead to spoilers, but the choreography deserves appreciation for creating a sudden burst of excitement without feeling disconnected from the film.
4. Background Score
Jakes Bejoy is an established name when it comes to creating striking background scores, and in Khalifa, his music effectively maintains the mood and atmosphere of the film. I would not call this one of his strongest works, but the score performs its primary function well by supporting the narrative and keeping the momentum intact. Some portions of the background score feel fairly conventional, but it becomes considerably more effective during hero elevations, slow-motion sequences and important dramatic moments.
The use of the score in the elevation scenes, particularly ‘The Bloodline’, works very well with Prithviraj’s screen presence. Jakes’ music adds weight to several sequences and enhances the intended theatrical effect. A little more experimentation or impact in certain portions could have elevated the overall experience further. The opening song is decent, while Asalayavale provides the film with its romantic and lighter musical mood.
5. Cinematography
Khalifa is rich in frames and visual compositions, with Jomon T. John’s cinematography playing an important role in establishing the film’s stylish identity. The camera work is particularly effective during the action sequences and in presenting Prithviraj’s character. The movement of the camera during the fights gives the sequences a dominant and energetic quality, while carefully composed shots are used to elevate the hero and create the required big-screen impact.
The cinematography also handles the emotional portions reasonably well, especially through the use of close-up frames that capture the characters’ expressions. The UK and Middle Eastern locations add visual richness to the film and contribute to its international commercial-film aesthetic. The lighting design during the climax deserves particular mention, as it works together with the production design and action choreography to create a visually striking atmosphere.
6. Editing
At 168 minutes, Khalifa never feels excessively stretched, largely because Chaman Chakko maintains an appropriate editing rhythm. The cuts are generally well placed, and the transitions between different portions of the narrative are smooth. There are no major editing inconsistencies that disturb the flow, and the film rarely gives the feeling of being unnecessarily dragged. The colour grading also complements the visual style and maintains consistency across the different settings.
7. Second Half
When comparing the first half and second half, I found the latter considerably more engaging. The second half is packed with events that continuously push the narrative forward. While the romantic track and emotional elements occupy considerable space in the first half, the momentum gradually changes after the central turning point. The rivalries between the hero and the opposing characters become more prominent, while the smuggling portions and revenge angle provide the narrative with a stronger sense of urgency.
The second half benefits significantly from its escalating conflicts, action sequences and revelations. The revenge-driven portions increase the intensity, and the climax fight provides the required commercial payoff. The two cameo appearances at the end further add to the theatrical impact. Although the predictability of the storyline remains a limitation, the stronger staging and continuous progression of events make the second half more effective than the first.
WHAT ARE THE NEGATIVES:
1. Outdated Storyline
The story of Khalifa feels like old wine in a new bottle. The basic narrative is built around familiar territory that Malayalam cinema has explored several times, particularly stories involving revenge, rivalries, organised crime, smuggling and powerful characters operating within criminal networks. Most of the major developments do not feel particularly fresh, and the audience can easily recognise the direction in which the story is moving. However, the problem is not necessarily that the film uses familiar ingredients. Commercial cinema can still work with an established template if the writing brings something new to it. In Khalifa, it is primarily the stylish making, direction, performances and technical execution that make the familiar material watchable. The presentation manages to dilute the feeling of familiarity to an extent, but it cannot completely overcome the outdated nature of the core storyline.
2. Average Screenplay
The screenplay is perhaps the film’s biggest weakness. Almost everything in Khalifa is relatively easy to predict. The audience can anticipate what is likely to happen next, understand the motivations behind several developments and even predict the eventual direction of the conflict without having to make much effort. The screenplay follows a fairly conventional commercial formula, where familiar situations lead to expected consequences. That said, Jinu V. Abraham manages to structure the material in a reasonably convincing manner. The screenplay may not be particularly inventive, but the flow is maintained well enough through the film’s making, performances and action portions. The emotional arc, however, could have been written with greater depth. Several emotional moments feel functional rather than powerful, and stronger character development could have given the narrative more weight. The screenplay ultimately survives because the direction and technical departments compensate for its limitations.
3. Predictable Events
The predictability extends beyond the basic storyline and enters several individual events within the film. The audience can often identify the possible outcome of a situation before the film actually reveals it. Character motivations, confrontations, betrayals and certain revelations are presented in a way that does not create enough uncertainty or suspense. Even when the film attempts to build curiosity around a particular development, the clues provided earlier make the eventual outcome relatively easy to figure out.
This becomes particularly noticeable because the film is built around revenge, rivalries and criminal networks, areas where Malayalam cinema has already established several familiar narrative patterns. The film occasionally tries to create surprises through its staging and reveals, but the impact is reduced because the groundwork makes them foreseeable. This is also why Khalifa works better as a stylish commercial entertainer than as a genuinely unpredictable thriller. The making keeps the audience engaged, but the writing rarely creates the feeling of not knowing what will happen next.
Cameos – Massive Impact, But Familiar Presentation
The two big cameo appearances are easily among the most exciting moments in Khalifa. One is Mohanlal, while the identity of the other young superstar is better kept undisclosed to avoid spoilers. Unlike cameo appearances that are inserted purely for marketing or fan service, both appearances here have a clear purpose within the narrative and appear to be setting up the possibilities for the next chapter. Their presence significantly elevates the respective sequences, and the audience response, with whistles and loud cheers, shows how effectively the star power works inside the theatre.
That said, the presentation of these cameos could have been more imaginative. The young superstar’s styling and staging create a sense of familiarity with the cameo presentation in Animal, particularly the overall appearance and end-credit-like treatment. Mohanlal’s portion, meanwhile, carries shades of Rajinikanth’s introduction in Kabali, while the location and visual atmosphere also bring Lucifer to mind. These similarities do not take away the excitement of seeing the stars, but they reduce the uniqueness of the moments. A different costume design, setting and visual approach could have given both appearances a stronger individual identity. The ingredients for a huge theatrical high were already there; a more original execution could have turned these cameos into even more memorable moments.
CONCLUSION:
Khalifa is ultimately a stylish and commercially engaging entertainer that arrives at the right time for the Onam season. Vyshakh’s confident direction, Prithviraj Sukumaran’s commanding screen presence, effective action blocks, rich visuals and strong theatrical moments keep the film engaging despite the limitations in its script. The second half, particularly the escalating rivalries, revenge track, action sequences and surprise cameos, provides the momentum and crowd-pleasing moments expected from a festive release. While the predictable storyline and average screenplay prevent the film from becoming a truly memorable experience, the making ensures that it remains entertaining throughout. The two major cameos deliver a powerful theatrical high and add further excitement to the proceedings. Overall, Khalifa may not be a fresh narrative, but its stylish execution, commercial appeal, mass moments and energetic presentation make it a watchable commercial entertainer that fits well into the Onam season.
RATING: 3/5
A Review by Arunjyothi. R
