Mowgli Review:
By anrwriting✍🏽✍🏽✍🏽 [Film critic]
Rating: 2.5 / 5
Mowgli arrives with considerable expectations. Directed by National Award–winning filmmaker Sandeep Raj (Colour Photo), the film features Roshan Kanakala in the lead and independent cinema favourite Bandi Saroj in a pivotal negative role. With pre-release buzz amplified by minor controversies and a delayed release, the film promised a fresh romantic drama set against an unusual forest backdrop. What it ultimately delivers, however, is a well-intentioned but uneven cinematic experience.
Story:
Set in the forest region of Parvathipuram, the story follows Murali, known as Mowgli (Roshan Kanakala), an orphan raised by the village community. Warm, helpful, and idealistic, Murali dreams of becoming a police officer while surviving on small jobs. His life changes when a film crew arrives in the village, and he falls in love with Jasmine (Sakshi Madolkar), a dancer who is deaf and mute. Their gentle romance soon attracts unwanted attention from Christopher (Bandi Saroj), a manipulative producer who sets out to eliminate Murali by planting seeds of doubt and jealousy. The narrative attempts to weave themes of love, betrayal, karma, destiny, and faith.
Sandeep Raj’s ambition is evident. The film seeks to blend romance, action, friendship, and philosophy into a single narrative. While genre-mixing is not a flaw in itself, Mowgli struggles with cohesion. The screenplay introduces multiple ideas but rarely allows them to develop organically. As a result, the film feels episodic, with thematic tracks running parallel rather than converging into a powerful emotional arc.
The romantic track, which should serve as the film’s emotional backbone, lacks intensity. Jasmine’s characterization as a deaf and mute woman appears underwritten, offering limited narrative or emotional depth. The conflict between the lead pair feels contrived, driven more by plot convenience than by character psychology. Similarly, the philosophical layer surrounding karma and divine justice emerges late and remains largely superficial.
Bandi Saroj’s introduction is one of the film’s high points, instantly creating intrigue. However, his character gradually slips into a familiar, old-school villain template. The second half, expected to raise stakes, instead settles into predictable patterns, with prolonged scenes and limited dramatic payoff. A particularly lengthy police station sequence exemplifies the film’s tendency to overbuild moments that ultimately lead nowhere.
Performance:
Roshan Kanakala shows sincerity and energy but needs refinement in expressions and emotional range. Sakshi Madolkar is visually effective in silent montages but struggles in performance-driven scenes, especially given the demands of a non-verbal role. Viva Harsha provides dependable support and injects warmth into the narrative. Bandi Saroj proves his acting prowess but is let down by a clichéd character arc.
Technical team:
On the technical front, the cinematography stands out, capturing the forest landscape with natural authenticity and lending the film a sense of freshness. The music and background score by Kaala Bhairava, however, fail to leave a lasting impression. The film’s runtime could have benefited from sharper editing and narrative restraint.
Ultimately, Mowgli is a film where intention outweighs impact. Its forest setting and thematic ambitions prevent it from becoming entirely routine, but dated storytelling and inconsistent execution dilute its potential.
Verdict:
Mowgli is earnest but flaweda film that aspires to say much, yet says little with conviction. A tighter script and more focused storytelling could have turned this into a far more compelling experience.
