Pramodh Sundar’s first feature, “Kaliyugam 2064“ (released in Tamil and Telugu), aims for an intense post-apocalyptic psychological thriller. It wants to show a stark, thought-provoking picture of a broken future and the fall of human values. Set in the year 2064, the film throws us into a ruined world where food, water, and even basic kindness have become rare privileges.
The core concept is strong, and the lead actors give committed performances. Yet the film’s grand vision keeps slipping away because of a messy screenplay and uneven pacing.
The Bleak World Of 2064
The movie’s biggest strength is its world-building. The future of 2064 is harsh and divided. A powerful upper class, known as the “Residents”, controls what is left of the world’s resources from behind heavily guarded walls. Outside those walls, hungry crowds struggle to stay alive with whatever scraps they can find.
Pushing back against this cruel order is a group called the “Liberators”. They fight to break the system and create a fairer society. This setup is more than a simple backdrop. It acts as a clear reflection of unchecked capitalism, the misuse of natural resources, and the moral breakdown hinted at in the idea of Kaliyugam.
Cinematographer K. Ramcharan deserves praise for turning this vision into something that feels real on screen. The images are striking and harsh, and the ruined, war-scarred setting feels believable, especially given the clearly limited budget. Tapas Nayak’s sound design and Dawn Vincent’s music add to the tension and constant fear of this world. Their work gives the film a heavy, oppressive mood that suits the story.
Performances That Hold The Film Together
The cast gives the film its emotional weight. Kishore, as Sketch, brings a calm but intense presence that gives the early scenes some grip.
Things really come alive, though, with the arrival of Shraddha Srinath as Pari. She is the film’s true emotional core. Pari is written with care, and Srinath plays her with honesty and strength. Her performance gives the film focus and feeling at a time when the plot starts to wobble. She represents that small, stubborn hope that survives in a world covered in darkness.
The chemistry between Kishore and Shraddha, especially through the middle portions, helps keep viewers invested. Their scenes together lift the film whenever the story starts to drag.
A Grand Idea That Slips In Execution
For all its promise, “Kaliyugam 2064” struggles to match its own ambitions. Pramodh Sundar clearly has a strong idea in mind, but the way it plays out on screen is often clumsy.
The early part of the film spends a lot of time setting up the world. While some of that detail is useful, the pacing is very slow. The audience is left more confused than curious, which makes it hard to connect with the characters at first. The plot in the first half wanders from thought to thought without a clear thread tying them together.
Many reviewers feel the film “crashes along the way”, and that criticism makes sense. The script tries to handle survival drama, psychological breakdown, and large-scale social commentary all at once. It reaches for complexity but becomes muddled instead.
The second half brings a run of twists and bold writing choices. Some of these give needed context, and you can see what the film is aiming for. But the earlier lack of control in the storytelling weakens the payoff. Several storylines are dropped or barely touched, so the climax feels dragged out and not fully earned.
Verdict: Big Heart, Flawed Shape
“Kaliyugam 2064” feels like a sincere attempt at something different in regional cinema. It tries to deliver a high-concept dystopian sci-fi thriller within what looks like a modest budget, and on the technical side, it does a respectable job.
The film’s thoughts on human nature are genuinely unsettling. The idea that people can turn on each other and “eat each other” when survival is at stake is handled in a way that sticks with you, at least in theory.
For the general viewer:
If you enjoy post-apocalyptic stories and like films that try new ideas, you may still find this worth your time. The twisty second half, the atmospheric visuals, and Shraddha Srinath’s performance stand out. The higher User Rating hints that many viewers connected with the shocks and the visual style, even if critics did not.
For the more demanding viewer:
Expect a bumpy ride. The first hour has major pacing issues, and the narrative often feels unfocused. The finale hints at many big ideas but does not fully explore them. The movie works better as a moody, atmospheric experience than as a tight sci-fi thriller.
In the end, it plays like a slightly derivative but affectionate nod to the genre. It showcases sincere performances and flashes of smart writing, but production limits and an overstuffed screenplay hold it back. It is a decent one-time watch that leaves you wishing for a sharper, more polished version of the same story.
Key Credits
- Director: Pramodh Sundar (feature debut)
- Lead Cast:
- Shraddha Srinath as Pari, who adds emotional depth and focus
- Kishore Kumar G., strong and steady in a central role
- Supporting Cast: Harry, Master Ronith, Asmal, Iniyin Subramani
- Producers: K. S. Ramakrishna and K. Ramcharan (RK International and Prime Cinemas)
- Distributor (Telugu): Mythri Movie Makers
- Runtime: 1 hour 51 minutes
- Language: Telugu (dubbed from the original Tamil)
- Genre: Sci-fi thriller
- Rating: UA 16+
Review Snapshot
What works
- Concept and mood: Reviewers highlight the fresh, timely dystopian setup. One IMDb user wrote, “Just watched Kaliyugam 2064 and I’m honestly shaken in the best way. The film paints such a dark yet believable picture of the future… it’s a warning.” Cinejosh describes it as showing a “brutal future” with solid production quality and a strong sci-fi adventure feel.
- Performances: Shraddha Srinath receives the most praise, especially in the second half. 123Telugu notes that the main leads rise to the demands of this sci-fi story. Kishore and Iniyaan Subramani are also appreciated for bringing emotional weight to their scenes.
- Visuals and staging: Reviewers on IMDb mention that some scenes look “like a Hollywood movie in Tamil/Telugu”. The dry, empty landscapes and uneasy colour tones strengthen the survival theme.
Where it stumbles
- Pacing and structure: A common complaint is the sluggish early pacing and scattered focus. The Times of India writes, “Rather than building upon its intriguing basic premise, Kaliyugam loses its focus pretty early on… the film is too disoriented to keep us invested.” OTT Play also points out that it “gets a tad bit stretchy and unexplored”.
- Plot choices: Elements such as cannibalism feel added rather than organic. One IMDb reviewer comments, “The cannibal elements [are] worst in movie felt forced and not important.” The late revelations do bring some clarity, but they do not fully repair the earlier damage.
Overall impression
Letterboxd users often sum it up with thoughts like, “The concept had potential, but the execution did not work for me.” The film is seen as bold in intention but lacking in finesse, full of promise but not quite in control of its own story.