A cinematically curious thriller

The relationship between mainstream Telugu cinema and a larger-than-life intro scene for the 'hero figure' is seemingly undying, no matter what the genre is.

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So when, after being promoted as a high-concept mystery-thriller, Kishkindhapuri makes space for a stereotypical 'he-has-arrived' set piece for Bellamkonda Sreenivas, you can't help but twitch in your seat a little. However, something stands apart this time — amidst all the stunts and bravado, there is a novel visual device here that remains the highlight and keeps the proceedings interesting. By the end of the scene, we learn (and are told) about Raghav's compassion towards every living being, not just people. For him, saving lives is beyond proving his machismo.

Koushik Pegallapati's sophomore film Kishkindhapuri largely runs on this principle and there are a handful of cliches and tropes, but there are even more attempts to do something different, and the film succeeds to a great extent.