Kalki (2019 Telugu film)

This plot begins in 1983 in Kollapur at United Andhra Pradesh. The story begins with a conversation regarding Kollapur rajmahal between a local of Kollapur and Deva Dutta (Rahul Ramakrishna), a reporter. Opposing the incorporation of independent kingdoms in the Indian Union, the Nizam of Hyderabad sends the Razakars to destroy Hindu provinces, temples and wealth. Raja Balakishan Rao, the king of Kollapur Province, has Raja ratnam (Nassar) as his confidante and Narsappa (Ashutosh Rana) as his commander in chief, gets killed at the Lord Narasimha Temple by Rajakars who entered kollapur with the help of Narsappa who has his eyes on the throne. After Nizam losing the war with the Indian Union, general elections are conducted in which Rani Ramachandramma wins inspite of the tactics played by Narsappa. With the help of Perumallu (Shatru)who is the son of Rajarathnam, Narsappa manages to destroy the palace of Rani Ramachandramma by looting the treasures and setting fire across the palace in which both Rani Ramachandramma and her son were killed. Then onwards Narsappa took control over Kollapur ruling Kollapur with his Iron fist. Meanwhile, at present fire takes place at a desi liquor store in which Deva Dutta finds that Sekhar Babu (Siddu Jonnalagadda), younger brother of Narsappa is murdered. Then Narsappa believes his brother has been killed by Perumallu and begins a search for him. Afraid, Perumallu left his place and went underground. Unlike Narsappa, Sekhar Babu is an educated youth who heps the villagers. To investigate this case, the police department has appointed Kalki IPS Rajasekhar, a dashing police officer. Then Deva Dutta helps Kalki regarding the case. They come to know an incident that a murder attempt was done on Sekhar Babu earlier through a poisoned arrow. Then Kalki finds out that poison which is very rare and dangerous, he finds out the place called Nagulakona where the poison has been made but it was already destroyed by forest fire. After observing the place, Kalki understands that it's a man made fire. Meanwhile, Narsappa abducts a tribal girl called Paala Pitta to rape her, but she, tactically making reasons to stop him, escapes temporarily and became a maid in his home. Narsappa attacks Kalki by sending his henchmen by throwing molotov cocktail at him. During the treatment, Dutta observes there is a distance between Kalki and Dr. Padma who is the head doctor of the govt hospital. Later Kalki tells Dutta about their past relationship. In Kulumanali, when he used to work in CRPF they had met in a different situation. Later they become friends, it turns into love when Kalki decides to meet Padma's father for marriage proposal Kalki is transferred to Vikarabad to solve the Naxalites problem. Then in an operation, he kills a govt school teacher who is a Naxalite sympathizer giving shelter to Naxalites. He turns out to be Padma's father, then Padma misunderstands him and breaks up with him. After this story the investigation continues. Dutta finds out that Sekhar Babu has a friend called Asima Khan Nandita Swetha who villagers think they are in the relationship, he came to know that when Sekhar Babu had died the same day she shifted to the other place along with her father. Then Kalki and Dutta meet her father Kabir Khan who is an advocate. There he shares the relation between Sekhar Babu, i.e., Asima wants to start a boat business from Kollapur to Srisailam who has an intention to give employment for the villagers but the Muslim community people didn't accept her proposal because of their religious customs. But Sekhar Babu supports her and gives a positive stand. Then on their first trip all her boats have sunk suspiciously in the Krishna river. Thinking that Muslim community people are behind this act, Kabir becomes silent and decides to shift from the place, it is a coincidence that it's the same day of Sekhar Babu's death. After hearing this information through one of Kabir's servants, Narsappa becomes angry and tries to kill Asima, then Kalki came to her rescue and suspects Narsappa of murdering Sekhar Babu, because Sekhar Babu is his stepbrother, owing to jealousy due to the rising popularity of Sekhar Babu. Then Narsappa backs off without any reply. Later Kalki tells Dutta that he lied to stop him to save Asima from him. Meanwhile, Padma sees Kalki and Asima getting close and feels jealous.

Asima tells Kalki that the boats have been sunk deliberately and created a lot of human loss. She knows the eyewitness of that incident, a Lord Hanuman devotee called Sambasivudu had not cooperated with her to tell truth in the court. She suggests to meet him, he may help them in the investigation. Sambasivudu approves what Asima said, but refuses to come to the court because he only helps him, but not to fight for him and encourages Kalki to investigate further. Then Dutta comes back to his cottage, observes the hotel receptionist acting suspicious, then he and Kalki follow him to the Sansthan's bungalow, which was abandoned after that fire which Perumallu has caused. All believe that a queen's ghost roams around the rajmahal, both find out that a man was the wine shop owner who hides his identity on fearing of Narsappa because before Sekhar Babu's death he met him with his friends and gave his diamond watch to him and bought the entire stock. After some time, the fire took place in the area Sekhar Babu has died at, then fearing for his life, the wine shop owner hid in the rajmahal with the help of the hotel receptionist.

Then suddenly Kalki observes the portraits in rajmahal, he recognizes Sambasivudu as a trusted servant of the sansthan (Rajarathnam). Then both chase him, find out the hideout of Perumallu and catch them red handed. Sambasivudu confesses that he failed as a servant so he started living like a saint. But he didn't leave his loyalty to the sansthan, that's why he hides wounded Perumallu. Then Kalki, however, convinces them to come with them. In the forest suddenly some skeleton masked people attack them, Kalki successfully defeats all of them, in the chaos Sambasivudu dies saying everything is happening according to Karma not coincidence. Kalki arrests all the goons, then in govt hospital Padma treats the criminals who are familiar faces in the village including the servant in Kabir Khan's home. One of the goons puts a knife to Padma's neck and tries to escape. But Kalki saves Padma, killing him. Then Padma realises that her father's death was not intentional.

On the same night, a person tries to kill Perumallu, but Kalki caught him and understands that he belongs to Nagulakona, he avenges on Perumallu and Narsappa for his people's death because they caused the fire and killed all of his people. That's why he tries to eliminate Narsappa along with his family so he tried to kill Shekhar Babu in a village function, unsuccessfully. Next morning, Perumallu escapes from the hospital.

In the department meeting, Kalki submits his report and tells about his investigation. He observes that Sekhar Babu's murder was done because of sandalwood smuggling. When he observes in Nagulakona, he notices chopped sandalwood. Then he understands that Narsappa and Perumallu killed Nagulakona's people through fire and covers up because they are the only obstacle to their business. Later the same gang sunk the boats of Asima because if the population flow increases there will be no privacy for smuggling. Then Kalki arrests Narsappa at his home with the help of Paala pitta, who turns out to be Kalki's agent and an undercover cop.

On the way, Perumallu attacks Narasappa and kills him, then in a shootout Kalki kills Perumallu. Finally the department closes Sekhar Babu's death case due to lack of suspects and finally, Dutta gets his promotion and fame for covering the entire incident.

In the hospital, Asima meets Kalki along with Dutta, while they are talking, Padma sees them and tries to avoid the injured Kalki again. Asima stops her and tells a secret which she had never spoken. After the sinking of her boats she came to know through Sambasivudu that a gang is behind this, so she met Sekhar Babu privately at the wine shop which is located in the abandoned Lord Narasimha Swami temple. After knowing the facts, Sekhar Babu pressures her to tell the witness's name, but she doesn't want to, then Sekhar Babu reveals his real face and tells her that he is the one behind that act and he is the kingpin of the sandalwood smuggling who killed Nagulakona's people along with his brother and Perumallu. He sunk her boats to stop other people from the boat business. His aim is to get a good name among the people unlike Narsappa, stand for election in the near future and get overpowered. That's why he acts like a gentleman in the village then he orders his men to rape and kill Asima brutally and announces that he will use her death for a communal riot and then he makes this as an advantage to start his political career.

After breaking up with Padma, depressed Kalki came to the same wine shop, came to the rescue of Asima and hangs Sekhar Babu and his men upside down. Sekhar Babu’s lighter falls out from his pocket and starts a fire which feeds the alcohol on the ground that they poured earlier to try to kill Asima. After revealing the secret, Asima tells Padma that Kalki is a god given brother to her like Lord Krishna to Draupadi. Padma and Kalki reconcile all conversation overheard by Deva Dutta, then he decides to tell the police about this, but later he notices that police are also involved in this issue, in fact, they send Kalki to kill Narsappa and Perumallu, which creates havoc in Kollapur and Kalki helps Perumallu to escape for taking shot on both of them. Later Kalki's mother came to see him then Dutta recognizes her as the wife of the zamindar, Rani Ramachandramma, then he understands that when Perumallu set fire to the rajmahal she managed to escape along with her son. Now Kalki unknowingly took vengeance on his father's death by killing Perumallu and Narsappa. Then he remembers Sambasivudu's words before his death that "". Like that all the people had paid their life for their misdeeds then Deva Dutta compares Kalki's actions with Lord Vishnu's Dashavatara. Finally, the film ends with Kalki discharged from the hospital and goes home along with his mother, Deva Dutta and Padma.

After the success of Awe (2018), Dr. Rajasekhar expressed interest to act under the direction of Prasanth Verma. Prasanth decided to do a commercial film as his second venture because he does not want to be typecast.[2] The original story with twists was written by Saitej Desharaj like a web-series which Prasanth had to adapt the screenplay into a movie format which took eight months to finish that process.[2]

The film released to mixed reviews. The Times of India gave the film three out of five stars and stated that the film is "worth a watch" and although "the film isn’t as suspenseful as they come, it still keeps things entertaining till the end".[3] Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu wrote "There’s an element of surprise towards the end, but the journey towards it is tedious".[4] Hemanth Kumar of Firstpost wrote "Although Kalki finds its mojo in bits and pieces, it tries hard to whip up emotion where there’s none, and ends up as a big bore".[5] 123Telugu wrote "On the whole, Kalki is an investigative thriller which clicks in the second half. There is nothing special or exciting about this film as the twists are revealed in an interesting manner in the last twenty minutes only".[6]

• Kalki at IMDb