Release Date : March 06, 2024
123telugu.com Rating : 2.5/5
Starring: Ritika Singh, Sriram, Uttej, Subbaraju, Princess Sahasra, Pharrnitha Rudra Raju
Director: Mritika Santoshini
Producers: Satya Sai Baba
Music Director: TS Vishnu, Hari Gowra
Cinematographer: Sujatha Siddharth
Editor: Tammi Raju
Related Links : Trailer

Ritika Singh’s new horror thriller Valari has arrived on ETV Win today. Helmed by lady director Mritika Santoshini, the film also stars Sriram and Uttej in pivotal roles. Let’s see how the film is.
 
Story:
Naveen (Sriram) is a Navy captain who works in Chennai. He lives along with his wife Divya (Ritika Singh) and son. Divya keeps getting a weird dream in which a 13-year-old kills her parents. Naveen gets transferred to Krishnapatnam and takes his family along. Initially, they start living in government quarters. Divya gets attracted to an old bungalow there. She starts experiencing mysterious incidents, and one day, she meets with an accident. After Divya’s recovery the entire family moves to that old bungalow. Very soon, the family learns the bungalow is connected to their lives. What happened in that bungalow? How is it related to Naveen’s family? Why is Divya getting such a weird dream? The film has the answers.
 
Plus Points:
Ritika Singh is the heart and soul of Valari. The entire film revolves around her character, and the actress gives a solid performance. Ritika Singh also got a chance to showcase her action moves, and she was wonderful in the flashback sequence. Once the key twist is revealed, Ritika’s portrayal becomes even more powerful.
Sriram is decent in his role, and he ably supports Ritika Singh. A few sequences are neatly handled, and the film becomes interesting towards the climax. The social issue shown in the film requires more public attention, and the makers deserve appreciation for touching upon this aspect.
There is a small dialogue at the end where Ritika Singh breaks the fourth wall and poses an important question to society. Moments like these are executed well. Uttej, Subbaraju, and others did what was expected of them.
 
Minus Points:
If one expects a solid thriller or scary moments, Valari will surely leave you disappointed. Going by the trailer, Valari looks like a horror thriller, but the film doesn’t have effective thrills or wow moments. Valari doesn’t scare us, either. The gripping narration, which is much required for films like these, is missing clearly.
Valari has some interesting ideas, but the execution isn’t up to the mark in many scenes, and hence, the film doesn’t give us a satisfactory feel despite dealing with a relevant subject. Thoughts like the protagonist getting a weird dream and forgetting her past twice are very exciting, but the same doesn’t translate properly on the screen.
Some scenes didn’t work because they were staged poorly, and clarity was also missing. For example, there is a sequence in which the protagonist fights against a man who looks down upon women. Scenes like this should have gone to the next level, but as stated earlier, they were not designed well, and hence the impact is missing. More care should have been taken as far as the dialogues are concerned.
 
Technical Aspects:
The music by TS Vishnu is just okay. The lullaby song composed by Hari Gowra is decent, though. Sujatha Siddharth’s cinematography is okay. We can’t help but notice the green screen in many shots, and the VFX works could have been better. The editing is sloppy, and the production values are below par.
Mritika Santoshini’s intention to showcase an important social issue and the problems faced by women in society is good. Though the social message has been delivered neatly, it isn’t merely sufficient. Valari lacks a taut screenplay and thrilling moments.
 
Verdict:
On the whole, Valari manages to hold our attention only in a few scenes, leaving a lot to be desired. Despite having interesting ideas, the film is far from being satisfactory. Valari deals with an important social issue, and the message in the end is good. Ritika Singh carries the movie on her shoulders, and the actress is impressive in her role. The lack of gripping narration, thrilling moments, and ineffective presentation of some crucial sequences are the film’s demerits.
123telugu.com Rating: 2.5/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team
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