Kataka

Ravi Basrur's Kataka, which is being backed by Puneeth Rajkumar, has drawn a lot of curiosity after the release of its spooky teaser trailer. It hinted that the film deals with some dark arts being practised by people in coastal India. The film is well under two hours and mixes emotions with scares to entice viewers. The end result is a film that does manage to go beyond the one-time-watch tag, though it could have had lesser theatrics in terms of performances.

The film begins on a happy note with a family moving to a new home in a new town. The daughter, though, seems to be preoccupied and there's something bothering her. The film has ample scenes of cultural practices in coastal Karnataka, which are a treat to the senses. The film then moves from light to dark as we are introduced to the murky world of dark arts and this reveals us to discovering some mysteries that are unable to comprehend to the logical mind. The film may have some cliches that are found in horror thrillers but it also tries to show some light on some exorcism practices in the country.

The film scores well technically with excellent background score and cinematography. The performance by the actors also is natural, barring some scenes that seem excessively dramatic. The film scores high on the emotional quotient and works well with the family viewers. There are spooks and thrills that can seem a bit much for the weak-hearted, so watch the film at your discretion.