12A Railway Colony (2025) REVIEW ft. Allari, Kamakshi, and Sai

Over the past few years, Allari Naresh has moved away from his comedy roots to explore different kinds of roles. With 12A Railway Colony, he tries his hand at something even more different, a murder mystery. The film hit theaters on November 21, 2025, featuring Kamakshi Bhaskarla as the female lead, alongside Sai.

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First-time director Nani Kasaragadda helms the project, working from a story by Dr. Anil Vishwanath, who previously wrote the Polimera films. The movie comes from producer Srinivasaa Chitturi and tries to mix suspense with supernatural touches. Bheems Ceciroleo handles the music, while Kushendar Ramesh Reddy takes care of visuals.

The Plot

We follow Karthik, a young man who does odd jobs for a local politician named Tillu. He’s drawn to Aaradhana, a neighbor who dreams of making it big in badminton. She shares a small home with her mother and barely notices Karthik’s interest in her.

Things take a dark turn during election season. Tillu needs to hide something sensitive and Karthik thinks Aaradhana’s empty house is the perfect spot. When he slips inside, he’s stunned to find both Aaradhana and her mother dead. What makes it stranger is that he’s certain he saw her alive just moments before entering. Was it really her, or something else?

This discovery kicks off an investigation. Karthik teams up with Rana Pratap, a police officer played by Sai Kumar. The second portion of the film turns into a classic murder mystery, slowly peeling back layers to reveal political scheming, secret relationships, and buried truths.

How the Actors Fare

Allari Naresh puts in visible effort as Karthik, even attempting a Telangana accent throughout. While his sincerity shows, the character itself feels incomplete and doesn’t create much emotional connection. Coming from a comedy background, he seems slightly uncomfortable in the intense scenes, though his journey from laid-back youngster to determined seeker shows he’s willing to push himself.

Kamakshi Bhaskarla becomes central to everything in the latter half, yet her role stays frustratingly thin. The script revolves around her but gives her barely any time to develop the character. She does what she can with what’s written, but the material doesn’t allow her to make a real impact.

Sai Kumar arrives with the kind of presence you expect from a veteran, but his character goes nowhere. Strangely, the story sidelines the trained officer and has Karthik—who has no investigative background—take charge of solving the case. The rest of the cast, including Viva Harsha and Getup Srinu, appear in roles that feel routine and forgettable.

The Positives

Despite several issues, the film does get a few things right. The interval block lands with some force, finally waking up a story that had been dragging. Learning about Aaradhana’s fate creates genuine curiosity about what comes next, and the second half does pick up compared to the opening hour.

Once the mystery element kicks in, there are moments where pieces start falling into place. A couple of twists involving a medical angle and political connections add some depth. The writing plants small clues early on that become relevant later, which thriller fans might appreciate.

On the technical side, the visuals capture the colony setting reasonably well. Bheems Ceciroleo’s background music helps during suspenseful stretches, adding tension where the script might lack it. One song fits naturally into the flow, though the soundtrack as a whole doesn’t leave much impression. Kamakshi brings good screen presence, and the pre-climax sequence builds appropriate tension.

The Problems

The film’s most glaring weakness is how slowly everything moves in the first half. Most mysteries hook you within the opening 20-30 minutes. This one takes almost an hour before anything substantial happens. Until then, we’re stuck watching repetitive conversations and scenes that don’t advance the story.

The romance track feels completely manufactured. There’s no chemistry between the leads, and their scenes together lack any real feeling. The comedy portions miss their mark entirely—they’re neither funny nor useful to the plot. The entire opening stretch feels like it’s just filling time until the actual story can begin.

Then there’s the investigation itself, which doesn’t make much sense. Why would a local helper with no training be running a murder investigation? The trained police officer essentially becomes a bystander. Anyone who’s watched a few thrillers will see most of the twists coming from far away. The script reads like it was written quickly, without enough thought given to how the pieces connect.

The film also can’t figure out what it wants to be. Is it a ghost story? A murder mystery? A political thriller? It keeps shifting between these without fully committing to any. The visual effects particularly stand out for wrong reasons—especially when locations change in the latter portion. The green screen work looks cheap and obvious.

The dialogue often sounds forced, particularly with the regional accent that never feels natural. Characters repeat the same beats, and scenes drag on longer than needed. Then there’s the ending, which sets up another film instead of properly concluding this one. That choice actually hurts whatever momentum had built up. Even at just over two hours, the pacing makes it feel significantly longer.

What Critics and Viewers Said

Reviews from film critics have ranged from disappointed to dismissive. One major Telugu site gave it 2 out of 5, noting it brings no real suspense despite being a thriller. Another publication was slightly kinder with 2.5 stars, acknowledging some improvement in the second half but pointing out the slow start and questionable sequel setup. A few reviews were harsher, calling out the predictable writing and cheap production quality.

The audience response hasn’t been much better. The film opened with around ₹75 lakhs and saw theater occupancy of only 15 percent by the second day. People who walked into theaters expecting something gripping found themselves bored through most of the first hour. While some gave Naresh credit for trying something different, most felt let down by the execution. The accent issue came up repeatedly in viewer comments, with many finding it distracting rather than authentic.

My Take

I went into 12A Railway Colony hoping to see Allari Naresh successfully pull off a new genre. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t give him—or anyone else—much to work with. The opening hour tested my patience with its lack of direction and energy. Even when things picked up later, the improvement felt too little and too late.

Naresh clearly worked hard on the role, and I respect his willingness to step outside his comfort zone. But a good performance needs a solid foundation, and this script doesn’t provide one. Kamakshi deserved more screen time and better writing for a character this central to the story. The technical work is a mixed bag—some decent camera work undermined by obvious visual shortcuts.

What frustrated me most was the film’s identity crisis. It keeps jumping between being a supernatural tale, a grounded crime story, and a political drama without nailing any of them. The investigation follows predictable patterns, the emotional beats feel hollow, and the pacing drags throughout. For a thriller, there’s surprisingly little that thrills.

If you’re a die-hard Naresh fan curious about his dramatic turn, you might find scattered moments of interest. But for anyone looking for a well-constructed mystery that keeps you guessing, this one falls short on too many fronts. The sequel hint at the end feels particularly presumptuous given how the film plays out.

Rating: 2/5