Ghaati Movie Review: A Missed Comeback for Krish

Krish Jagarlamudi, once admired for meaningful cinema like Kanche and Vedam, has been waiting for a strong comeback since Gautamiputra Satakarni. He joined hands with Anushka Shetty and Tamil actor Vikram Prabhu for Ghaati, set in the Eastern Ghats and revolving around cannabis smuggling. The premise sounded promising, but the film turns out to be a major disappointment.

Story

Sheelavathi (Anushka Shetty), a bus conductor, and Desi Raju (Vikram Prabhu), a lab technician, are planning to marry after saving enough money. Trouble begins when two cannabis smugglers discover that Desi Raju is secretly producing a new liquid cannabis strain named “Sheelavathi.” Why would a simple man risk everything to enter the drug trade, and how are the Ghaatis tied to this dark business? That’s what the film tries to explore.

Performances

• Anushka Shetty looks uninterested and delivers one of her weakest performances in recent times.
• Vikram Prabhu puts in effort but struggles due to poor writing and odd-sounding Telugu dubbing.
• Chaitanya Rao is the only actor who makes some impression as Kundala Naidu.
• Jagapathi Babu and Jisshu Sengupta are wasted in poorly written roles.

Overall, the cast seems let down by flat characters and uninspiring direction.

Technical Side

The film’s only saving grace is Manojh Reddy’s cinematography, which beautifully captures the Eastern Ghats. But that’s where the positives end.

• Music & BGM by Nagavelli Vidya Sagar drag the film down with outdated tunes.
• Editing is messy, especially in the second half.
• VFX is substandard, hurting the film’s visual appeal.

What Works

• Eastern Ghats setting
• Cultural touch of the Ghaatis

What Doesn’t

• Predictable story
• Weak screenplay
• Poor dialogues
• Forgettable music
• Flat performances
• Overdone action

Analysis

Krish is known for deep writing and powerful dialogues, but here he delivers clichéd and even laughable lines. The film begins decently with the Ghaati backdrop but quickly slips into a routine smuggling drama, heavily inspired by Pushpa but without the grip. The transformation of the hero lacks conviction, and the second half is filled with random action blocks that drag endlessly.

Despite its strong setting, Ghaati fails to rise above weak writing and half-hearted execution. Instead of a comeback, this film further dents Krish’s reputation.

Verdict

Ghaati is a wasted opportunity. Except for its visuals, nothing works — not the story, music, performances, or direction.

Bottomline: A dull and outdated film that is best skipped.