12A Railway Colony Review

It is hard to recall a well-rounded Tollywood horror-thriller that blends psychological tension with supernatural "unknown". Most films sprinkle in supernatural bits that feel ornamental or disconnected - until the final act suddenly snaps them together like pieces of a mosaic, because the makers have to put it together even though the result is not satisfactory.

12A Railway Colony deserves credit for attempting something different. It plays with reality versus perception, blurs the line between illusion and truth, and tries to use bits that look like fillers but turn out as eventual plot connectors. It mixes horror, a few mind-bending twists, and even some gore - certainly something refreshingly new for an Allari Naresh movie. The film ends on an open note regarding the existence of spirits, leaving the choice to the viewers. It however fails to become more than the sum of its parts, or to entertain to the fullest.

Karthik (Allari Naresh) works as a sidekick to Warangal politician Tillu (Jeevan Kumar). Karthik secretly loves his neighbour Aaradhana (Kamakshi Bhaskarla), an upcoming sportsperson who lives with her mother. Before the bi-elections, Tillu gives Karthik a parcel to keep safe. When Karthik comes home, Aaradhana's house is locked. Thinking it's the safest place, he breaks in - only to find Aaradhana and her mother (Madhumani) brutally murdered. Someone then attacks him, knocking him unconscious inside the house. Police officer Rana Pratap (Saikumar Pudipeddi) takes up the case, and Karthik becomes the prime suspect.

The movie opens in a shady place at night, where Karthik and his three friends (played by Viva Harsha, Getup Srinu and Gagan Vihari) are drinking and watching a supernatural show on TV. The host talks about spirits and how not everyone can experience them. The four friends argue briefly about ghosts and then laugh it off. The initial setup is so authentic that it instantly reminds you (if you have such associations) of the dingy hangouts of petty rowdies who have only two hobbies: drinking and running errands for local politicians. You also see the most creative use of empty beer bottles - repurposed as water bottles, plant vases and fairy lights.

It reminded me of a filthy-rich, alcoholic friend. He drank so much that he never needed to buy household items: the local liquor shop gifted him everything - from a McDowell comb and a Bagpiper mirror to a Shaw Wallace mini-fridge. Karthik's living space is very similar.

When day breaks, the sidekicks return to serve Tillu, who instructs them on what needs to be done to win the by-election. Karthik continues his work for Tillu while also stalking Aaradhana. The movie then takes several twists and turns. As mentioned, Aaradhana and her mother are killed, and Karthik becomes the prime suspect. Yet, even in this grief-stricken phase, there's a song where he sings and dances perfectly in rhythm. A lot happens next, the plot thickens, and soon Karthik is no longer the only suspect. Four others are drawn into the whodunit. Meanwhile, comedy tracks from the trio (Harsha, Srinu and Vihari) keep appearing. Some of the humour even dips below the belt, like the vulgar comment "focus only on big balls" made to a referee at a girls' volleyball match. This is where the plot starts to feel lost.

It makes you wonder why director Nani Kasaragadda chose to include all this - the comedy, the songs, the random action sequences. Perhaps he added them just to create material for promo trailers on social media and BookMyShow, even though the film didn't need them. The result is that movie feels average, like an assembly-line product where the maker ensured every commercial ingredient - and some promotional gloss - was thrown in. But a film is not a commodity. Trim all the unnecessary bits, and this could have been a fantastic piece of cinema.

The performances are decent across the board. However, Abhirami steals the show in her brief, five-minute appearance near the climax - a perfectly timed suspense moment. She nails every scene, and fortunately for her, her sequences are especially executed with great precision. She stands out in a crucial role. Surprisingly, her name is missing from the cast list on all platforms.

Next to Abhirami, Kamakshi Bhaskarla shines in a very toned-down role. Her character is calculating and often reserved, and she carries it effortlessly.

For the first time, Allari Naresh takes on a very different role. He romances, battles a recurring dream, shoulders the investigator's job, and even takes on a very unnatural shade eventually. He is decent overall and particularly effective in the tense moments.

Harsha, Srinu and Vihari play Naresh's friends, but they mostly serve as his sidekicks - while Naresh himself is Tillu's sidekick. The trio feel inserted mainly for comic relief, which the film could have easily done without.

Technically, the movie is just passable. The execution and pacing are uneven throughout. It feels like things went wrong at the editing table.

The core concept of 12A Railway Colony is good - the movie does blend the elements of suspense and supernatural in a layered story - but the blend is bland. The makers tried to bite off more than they could chew, mainly to cater to the Tollywood masses. You'd do fine to wait for this one to hit OTT.