Fri Sep 26 11:53:32 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the review of the film “Balti,” based on the provided text:

**Headline: ‘Balti’ Tackles Kabaddi and Crime, But Fails to Deliver Knockout Punch**

**Chennai, September 26, 2025** – The new Malayalam film “Balti,” initially marketed as a sports action film centered on Kabaddi, has landed in theaters, but critics say it doesn’t quite live up to its promise. While the film boasts impressive Kabaddi sequences in its early stages, the sport is quickly relegated to the background as the plot veers into a more conventional action-crime narrative.

Debut filmmaker Unni Sivalingam showcases a talent for staging mass action sequences, but the script struggles to maintain momentum. The story revolves around four young Kabaddi players, portrayed by Shane Nigam, Shanthnu Bhagyaraj, Shiva Hariharan, and Jeckson Johnson, whose lives take a dark turn when they become entangled with local goons and money lenders.

The film’s action elements provide a distraction from the predictable plot and cliché-ridden storyline, but not enough to fully redeem it. The bond between the protagonists and their descent into the criminal underworld, intended to be the emotional core of the film, ultimately falls flat.

Critics noted similarities to Shane Nigam’s earlier film, “RDX” (2023), with “Balti” being more violent, but less impactful overall. Sai Abhyankkar’s music score, while initially effective, becomes repetitive. The film’s bilingual setting, in a town bordering Kerala and Tamil Nadu, is a notable positive.

Alongside the main cast, Selvaraghavan and Alphonse Puthren deliver memorable performances as intimidating gangsters. Poornima Indrajith’s character, a money lender, feels underdeveloped, and Preethi Asrani, the female lead, is largely sidelined.

In conclusion, “Balti” is described as a film with well-executed action sequences that struggle to support a generic and unoriginal plot. While it might provide some thrills for action enthusiasts, it ultimately fails to leave a lasting impression.

Read More