Khalifa - Movie Review
Vysakh's Khalifa: Part 1 is a gold-smuggling gangster saga that arrives with swagger, a big score and a bigger secret in its last act. It is the first of a two-part story, and you can feel the makers saving their best card for later. Mambarakkal Aamir Ali (Prithviraj Sukumaran), is heir to a vast gold-trading empire stretching across the Middle East, London, Nepal and Kerala. His father Younus (Renji Panicker) never wanted this life for him, and Aamir himself never planned to walk into it. The first half takes its time with his love life, his family and the circumstances that slowly pull him back into the family business. His grandfather's smuggling legacy once worried even Mrs, Indira Gandhi, and that bloodline hangs over every frame. Then the film changes gears. Harris Basheer (Neil Nitin Mukesh), making his Malayalam debut, emerges as Aamir's foil, while Seittuji (Suresh Oberoi) brings quiet weight as his mentor. Indrans and Shammi Thilakan add their familiar presenc...