Review: Srikakulam Sherlock Holmes - Flawed and Bland

 

Movie: Srikakulam Sherlock Holmes
Rating:2/5

Cast: Vennela Kishore, Ananya Nagalla, Raviteja Mahadasyam, Siya Gowtam, Prabhakar, Anish Kurivilla, Muralidhar Goud and Others

Director: Writer Mohan

Produced By: Sri Ganapati Cinemas

Release Date: December 25, 2024

Story:

Om Prakash, also known as Sherlock Holmes (Vennela Kishore), is an eccentric detective from Srikakulam who takes on the case of a young woman's murder, Mary (Dokala Navya), in Vizag. He has only seven days to solve the case and pinpoints seven suspects, such as Balakrishna (Ravi Teja Mahadasyam), Bhramaramba (Ananya Nagalla), Ramesh Patnaik (Prabhakar), among others. As he collects the information, the puzzle begins to reveal itself. Who is responsible for Mary's death, and what links do these suspects have to the crime? The answers constitute the essence of the story.

Performances:

Vennela Kishore does a good job in the titular role and tries to work out the scenes in which he is present. Ananya Nagalla gets a meaty role and she does a fine job in essaying it. Siya Gowtam, Ravi Teja Mahadasyam, Anish Kurivilla, Prabhakar Muralidhar Goud, and others were okay.

What worked for the film:

Though routine, the basic storyline of the film is interesting. Vennela Kishore's timing and dialogue delivery makes some scenes work well. The final twenty minutes, where the entire suspense is revealed, is good though the clarity is missing in the sequence of the events.

What did not work for the film:

An engaging storyline with unexpected twists is needed for a film to be a good crime comedy thriller. Sadly, this movie disappoints because the unveiling of the killer's identity and the tension until the last moments do not satisfy. As said above, the storyline is not new, but it could have been an engaging affair if not for the lackluster narration. The beginning drags on, creating a feeling of disinterest and lack of purpose which continues till the interval except for a few scenes. The second half gains momentum and offers some enjoyment, but the overall story fails to deliver the intensity expected from this genre. Also, the voice acting for characters such as Anish Kuruvilla, Siya Gautham, and a supporting female character seems inconsistent, reducing their effectiveness and resulting in underdeveloped characters.

Srikakulam Sherlock Holmes Review and Verdict:

What could have been an engaging whodunit investigative drama ends up being a subpar film with a poor taking. While Vennela Kishore excels in his part, the supporting characters do not receive adequate attention. The first half is silly while the latter half was better with some surprises near the climax. However, the revelation part and the before investigation do not match.