Sunil Kumar V A’s Kamal Sridevi sets out to be a layered drama-thriller, unfolding in the noisy market streets of Bengaluru. A woman named Devika is found murdered, but soon the truth emerges—Devika is none other than Sridevi in disguise. What follows is a police investigation that shifts across multiple viewpoints, each retelling the truth from a different angle. While this structure has promise, the film undercuts itself with excessive flashbacks and a stretched runtime that dilutes its tension.
At the centre stands Kamal, portrayed by Sachin Cheluvarayaswamy. Once a filmmaker, now a wanderer, Kamal stumbles upon Devika while longing for simple companionship. Their meetings start innocently but soon reveal her desperate pursuit of quick money, pushing her into sex work. Kamal’s passivity becomes his undoing, leaving him powerless in the face of tragedy. Sachin plays the part with sincerity, delivering fiery lines convincingly, but the character’s arc suffers from uneven writing.
The film’s emotional core lies with Sangeetha Bhat as Sridevi/Devika. Her performance is restrained yet powerful, embodying the struggles of a woman forced to reinvent herself for survival. Although repetitive scenes of her waiting for clients test patience, Sangeetha’s layered expressions make them engaging. The major
reveal about her backstory arrives late—nearly an hour in—but when it does, it finally gives her journey emotional depth.
Among the supporting cast, Kishore as IPS officer Rajesh is intense and commanding, while Raghu Shivamogga’s inspector Sharanappa feels sidelined. Ramesh Indira, as a pimp, brings humour that occasionally feels mismatched tonally but offers brief relief. Akshitha Bopaiah shines in a small yet impactful role as Devika’s female client, bringing sensitivity to a rarely explored perspective on queer desire and stigma.
Technically, the film wavers. The background score supports the mood, but the songs feel generic and forgettable. Pacing is the biggest drawback—the overreliance on flashbacks and repeated beats sap the urgency of what should be a gripping thriller. At just over two hours, the film drags, and trimming at least 20 minutes could have sharpened its edge.
Despite its flaws, Kamal Sridevi does have moments of intrigue—the shifting perspectives keep viewers curious, and the climax raises uncomfortable questions about morality, choice, and society’s apathy. Performances, especially by Sangeetha and Kishore, anchor the narrative even as the script wavers.
In the end, Kamal Sridevi is an ambitious and thought-provoking attempt that shines in parts but stumbles in storytelling discipline. What could have been a taut, hard-hitting thriller ends up as a film that engages intermittently but never fully grips.
