12A Railway Colony Review: A Thriller That Never Finds Its Thrill
12A Railway Colony stars Allari Naresh and Kamakshi Bhaskarla, directed and edited by Nani Kasaragadda, with story and screenplay support from Polimera director Anil Vishwanath. Music is composed by Bheems Ceciroleo, marking his first attempt at scoring for a thriller.
The film follows a young orphan residing in Warangal’s Railway Colony, spending his days aimlessly with friends, dabbling in local political errands for the MLA, and flirting with every girl he sees. His life takes a turn only when he genuinely falls for the heroine and dreams of marrying her. Everything shifts when a shocking dual murder shakes the colony, dragging Allari Naresh’s character into a chain of unexpected events.
However, despite its promising setup, the film takes an unbearably long time to get to the point. The first half is painfully slow, boring enough that you’re just waiting for the interval so the actual story may begin. The real “thriller” element only starts in the second half, but by then, the exhaustion has already set in.
Though marketed as a thriller with a paranormal touch, that “paranormal” angle is extremely basic and far from exciting. The moment the twists begin unfolding, you’re more tempted to leave the theatre than stay invested. Even at just about 2 hours, the film feels unnecessarily long. The Pahalgam episode feels entirely pointless, adding nothing to the narrative or the hero’s characterization.
On the technical side, the songs are decent. Bheems’ background score is okay, but the film barely gives him scope to elevate the tension, only one scene truly lets him do what a thriller score demands.
Allari Naresh performs well, though his accent feels off at times. Kamakshi Bhaskarla does justice to her role. Sai Kumar, despite his reputation, is barely given anything meaningful, his casting feels more like a formality because the character is a cop.
Overall, 12A Railway Colony is a thriller that doesn’t thrill. With sluggish pacing, weak execution, and minimal excitement, it fails to deliver the gripping experience it promised.