Khalifa Movie Review: Prithviraj Shines, But Can Mohanlal’s Cameo Save This Familiar Revenge Drama?

Khalifa Movie Review: Prithviraj Sukumaran returns in a lavish action avatar with Khalifa, directed by Vysakh. On paper, the ingredients are exciting a family shaped by generations of gold smuggling, an inherited criminal legacy and a protagonist forced to choose between staying away from that world or embracing his family’s past.

Unfortunately, once those pieces fall into place, Khalifa starts travelling down a road that action-film audiences have visited many times before.

Prithviraj Commands the Screen as Aamir Ali

Prithviraj Sukumaran plays Aamir Ali, a man drawn into the same dangerous world his family spent generations trying to escape.

Prithviraj brings confidence, energy and undeniable screen presence to the role. He carries several sequences almost entirely through his personality, but Jinu V Abraham’s screenplay rarely gives Aamir enough emotional complexity to move beyond the familiar larger-than-life action hero.

Director Vysakh also leans heavily on slow-motion shots and hero-elevation moments. They initially add swagger, but their repeated use gradually reduces their impact.

Once the narrative settles into its cycle of enemy, revenge, bigger enemy and bigger revenge, much of the intrigue created by the opening begins to disappear.

Predictability Becomes Khalifa’s Biggest Enemy

The film’s biggest weakness is not its scale but its familiarity.

Once Aamir enters the smuggling network, the screenplay becomes increasingly easy to predict. There are stylish confrontations and a few sequences that genuinely work, but the story rarely gives those conflicts enough fresh emotional weight.

Several supporting characters feel more like outlines than fully developed personalities. Emotional scenes are present, but some arrive without enough groundwork to make them truly powerful.

Neil Nitin Mukesh Makes Malayalam Debut

Neil Nitin Mukesh makes his Malayalam cinema debut as antagonist Harris Basheer, but the character doesn’t consistently generate the menace expected from the film’s principal villain.

Shammy Thilakan tries to make the most of his material, while Sanju Sivram delivers a dependable performance in a comparatively limited role. Indrans, meanwhile, adds weight to the scenes he appears in.

The female characters get significantly less room.

Malvika Sharma, playing Aamir’s wife Fiza, largely serves as his emotional anchor. Mohini, as Aamir’s mother, faces a similar limitation. Neither character is allowed enough independence or influence over the central conflict.

Even the romance between Aamir and Fiza feels rushed, leaving an old-fashioned impression that contrasts with the movie’s otherwise glossy presentation.

Khalifa Looks Expensive — And It Shows

Technically, Khalifa is considerably stronger.

Cinematographer Jomon T John gives the film a polished, international visual identity. Its locations and large-scale compositions effectively sell the size of Aamir’s world.

Jakes Bejoy’s background score works particularly well during Prithviraj’s major moments, although it occasionally becomes too aggressive.

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Editor Chaman Chakko keeps several action portions moving at a sharp pace, even when the narrative itself begins to stretch.

The Best Action Scene Has an Unexpected Twist

The action choreography is competent, but there are few sequences that feel genuinely new.

Surprisingly, one of the movie’s most entertaining action scenes does not revolve around Prithviraj at all. A home-invasion sequence featuring security guards delivers considerable energy and becomes an unexpected highlight.

It is an exciting moment, but also exposes the film’s central problem: Khalifa is at its best when it briefly steps away from its conventional hero-driven formula.

Mohanlal’s Cameo Brings the Biggest Surprise

Towards the climax, Mohanlal makes his much-awaited appearance as Mambarakkal Ahmed Ali, Aamir’s grandfather.

The superstar’s cameo immediately gives the closing portions additional weight. His sharp styling and commanding presence are likely to become one of the film’s biggest talking points, even if the look may remind some viewers of Khureshi Ab’raam from Lucifer.

Another popular star also makes a surprise appearance, adding further star power to the finale.

Importantly, Khalifa does not completely sacrifice its present story simply to set up what might come next. Most of its central narrative receives a conclusion.

Khalifa Movie Review: Final Verdict

Khalifa has Prithviraj Sukumaran’s charisma, Vysakh’s scale, Jomon T John’s impressive cinematography and Mohanlal’s crowd-pleasing appearance. What it lacks is a screenplay capable of turning those ingredients into something genuinely memorable.

The film looks ambitious and carries itself with confidence. There are moments when that combination works extremely well.

But beneath the expensive visuals and stylish action lies a fairly conventional revenge-and-smuggling drama.

For Prithviraj fans, the star’s commanding screen presence and the surprise-filled climax could still make Khalifa an entertaining theatrical watch. Those looking for something fresh from the genre, however, may leave wanting more.