Vikalpa

By Susmita Sameera



Vikalpa opens on an unsettling note with a young village boy (Ayush Santhosh) innocently playing with a red balloon until a sudden encounter near a tree instils a deep, inexplicable fear in him. Though his mother tries to comfort him, the fear lingers—quietly embedding itself into his psyche. Years later, the boy has grown into Pruthvi (Pruthviraj Patil), CEO of a company returning from Singapore, surrounded by close friends and living with his girlfriend. Outwardly confident and accomplished, Pruthvi is internally haunted by a fear he cannot fully understand or trace back to its origin.



As professional pressure mounts, his unresolved childhood trauma resurfaces in unfamiliar ways. Unable to identify the source of his distress, Pruthvi seeks help through psychiatry, astrology, and belief systems, but none offer clarity. The film deliberately oscillates between psychological thriller and horror, keeping the audience guessing whether his fear is rooted in the mind or something more sinister.



The narrative unfolds across multiple layers and subplots. These include the mysterious suicide of a young boy, the haunting presence of a Mahishasura Vesham figure in Yakshagana attire, his mother’s (Sandhya Vinayak) struggle with cancer, memories tied to his childhood home, and characters like Bomma (Ganapathi Hegde), Samudhyatha (Nagashree Hebbar), his girlfriend with a past of her own, and his friends and colleagues (Pooja Butch and Swaroop Butch). While these elements are conceptually strong and thoughtfully imagined, their parallel progression occasionally overwhelms the narrative. The sheer density of ideas causes the pacing to feel uneven, particularly in the middle portions, where focus shifts away from the core mystery of Pruthvi’s fear.



Although the thriller aspects are effective and engaging, the tonal balance wavers when comedy, romance, and drama enter the picture. These shifts, at times, disrupt the film’s psychological intensity rather than enhancing it.



Despite its flaws, Vikalpa remains engaging. The film benefits greatly from its cinematography, atmospheric sound design, and a memorable musical score. The songs are a highlight especially the emotionally resonant “Amma Neene Ella,” along with the Yakshagana-inspired tracks that add cultural depth and authenticity.



In conclusion, Vikalpa is a film rich in ideas and ambition. While it may not fully realise its potential due to tonal inconsistencies and narrative overcrowding, it still offers enough intrigue and craftsmanship to make it a worthwhile watch, particularly for fans of psychological thrillers who appreciate layered storytelling and thematic experimentation.