While a filmmaker’s responsibility is to capture and put forth varied emotions on screen, it’s equally important to play with the right emotions. Otherwise, the result is Kelavu Dinagala Nanthara, a film that experiments with horror and comedy, but goes wrong with the interplay. This comedy-horror film by Sri Ni is simply an example of mediocre creativity and imprudent filmmaking.

Cast: Shubaha Poonja, Lokesh, Dhravya Shetty, Sonu Patil
Director: Sri Ni

Kelavu Dinagala Nanthara is a story of five software engineers who venture out to attend the wedding anniversary of a friend in between their packed schedule. Halfway through a fun trip, they come across a couple seeking a lift to a nearby lodge. Lending a helping hand proves costly. The five, including a waiter at the lodge, become the target of mystery killers. Stranded in the midst of the forest, each one is left to fend for himself/herself and save his/her own life. The couple’s motive to kill the five is the climax of the film. Although the director attempts to send out a message, its importance is lost along the way.

Having written the story and undertaken the additional responsibility of screenplay, Sri Ni appears to have loaded himself beyond capacity. With some fear-instilling elements, dialogues with multiple interpretations, misplaced humor, unpleasant music, predictable events, and unexciting acting, the film fails to impress.

Except for Shubha Poonja, the other characters played by Lokesh, Dhravya Shetty, and Sonu Patil seem amateurish. The computer graphics are unimpressive, the music is low-key and the cinematography comes across patchy. If you’re a fan of the horror-comedy genre, you are bound to walk out disappointed.