Khalifa Movie Review: Prithviraj's Action Thriller Gets Mixed Reactions

Mega Onam release Khalifa has hit the big screen on Thursday, August 20, ending the anticipation of the film goers. The movie, directed by Vysakh and starring Prithviraj Sukumaran as Aamir Ali, revolves around gold smuggling and revenge, with mass materials.

The movie has received a mixed reviews, with filmgoers praising Prithviraj’s stylish look and performance, while pointing out predictable plot. High-voltage cameo by Mohanlal has also added excitement to the movie.

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Several movie observers called the film a ‘proper action entertainer with exciting action blocks and good BGM’. Though the movie looked massive, it arguably struggled where it matters the most, particularly with its screenplay allegedly not matching the film’s scale.

Some pointed out that though Prithviraj’s swag worked in favour of the film, the writing appeared dull, with badly conceived antagonists, and the conflicts culminate poorly. An X user, What The Fuss, opined that most of the sequences are cherry-picked from similar commercial action films and randomly placed in this film. 

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“The character development is poor, and the dramatic episodes fail to create the much-needed impact,” the reviewer wrote, adding that Vyshak’s direction doesn’t break away from the usual clichés either.

#Khalifa Review:

Climax highpoint & #Prithviraj’s swag work in favour of the film. The writing is so dull, with badly conceived antagonists, and the conflicts culminate poorly.

Most of the sequences are cherry-picked from similar commercial action films and randomly placed in… pic.twitter.com/FQnmN3d5dS

— What The Fuss (@WhatTheFuss_) August 20, 2026