Calendar Movie Review: Naveen Shakti’s Thriller Boldly Tackles PMS and Mental Health

By Sanjay Nag

The Kannada film industry is witnessing a shift toward high-concept storytelling, and Naveen Shakti’s Calendar is a prime example of this evolution. Moving beyond the tropes of a standard procedural, the film attempts to deconstruct Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), framing it not just as a medical condition, but as a complex psychological landscape that drives a suspenseful narrative.

The Plot: A Murder Mystery with a Biological Twist

At its core, Calendar begins as a familiar crime thriller. The story follows Akash (Adarsh Gunduraj), a doctor struggling with personal grief and alcoholism, whose life becomes entangled in a web of emotional and professional chaos.

The momentum shifts following the mysterious death of a character’s husband, sparking a high-stakes investigation led by CBI Officer Yuvaraj (Ramesh Indira). However, as the layers of the mystery peel back, the film reveals its true intent: exploring how hormonal fluctuations, anxiety, and depression influence human perception and decision-making.

Performances: Subtle and Intense

The film’s strength lies in its casting. Adarsh Gunduraj delivers a restrained performance, effectively capturing the vulnerability of a man on the brink of collapse. The female leads—Sushmita Nayak and Nishvika Patil—provide the emotional backbone of the story. Nayak brings a raw intensity to her scenes, while Patil’s character serves as a pivotal narrative anchor.

Adding a dash of “90s nostalgia” and gravity, veteran actress Malashree appears as the Health Minister, while Pramod Shetty and Prakash Tuminadu deliver solid performances in their respective roles.

Direction and Technical Merit

Director Naveen Shakti deserves credit for his audacity. It is rare for mainstream cinema to center a thriller around the biological and psychological nuances of women’s health.

• Cinematography & Score: The visual language of the film effectively mirrors the internal turmoil of its characters. The background score is particularly noteworthy, successfully amping up the tension during the investigative sequences.

• Pacing Issues: The film’s greatest challenge is its duality. While the “procedural” and “psychological” layers are ambitious, the middle act suffers from sluggish pacing and a narrative that occasionally feels convoluted.

The Verdict

Calendar is an uneven but commendable effort. It doesn’t always hit the mark as a seamless thriller, but it succeeds as a conversation starter. By blending a Hormonal Mystery with a crime investigation, Naveen Shakti has created a film that is as much about the fragility of the mind as it is about solving a crime.

Bangalore Mail Rating: 3/5 Stars