‘Brat’ movie review: Shashank and Darling Krishna deliver an engaging drama on the cost of greed

The popularity of the ‘pani puri seller vs IT employee’ reels shows that comparing “reputable” jobs with self-made businesses is ingrained in our DNA. We are often amazed at the earning potential in certain jobs, to the point where we question the relevance of our own occupation. In Brat, Krishna a.k.a Kristy (Darling Krishna), a gig worker, takes this feeling of frustration and jealousy one step further. In this case, it’s not a human, but the life of a canine — travelling in a Mercedes-Benz, while he is sweating it out on a bike — that triggers the worst side of his low-salary syndrome.

Kristy plunges into illegal cricket betting, as he is a natural risk-taker and a cricket nerd. Kristy focuses on field placements, weaknesses of batsmen, team combinations, and more, making us believe he is the right man for the job (A passionate cricketer himself, Darling Krishna seems to have contributed to the details revolving around the game in the film).

In a bid to deliver the traditional ‘out and out entertainer,’ director Shashank pens a screenplay without explicit breaks. The approach works to an extent, even if the writing remains a bit rough around the edges.

Manisha Kandkur plays the female protagonist, and her character enters the plot in a random fashion. There is no strong reason for her to trust Kristy in their first conversation, which feels written to please the impatient current-day audiences. Shashank of the old, who made sensitive dramas such as Moggina Manasu (2008) and Krishnan Love Story (2010), would have invested more in the emotional quotient of the relationships.

However, here, he compensates for the occasional slackening of the plot with an array of interesting characters, who are unpredictable with their behaviour, thanks to unexpected circumstances. All is not lost in the heroine’s character arc as the director puts her in a sticky situation, offering an easy chance for Kristy to save her with his swift money-making skills.

Ramesh Indira plays Ravikumar, a corrupt cop willing to go to any lengths to satisfy his greed, and a well-written scene reveals to him the bitter truth of the need to get dirty to earn truckloads of free money. Dragon Manju is superb as Dollar Mani, the kingpin of the betting racket. It’s a deliberately written caricaturish character, and Manju plays it with great awareness. He generates laughs without diluting the effect of an antagonist.

The beauty of Brat lies in its commentary about money. Morgan Housel’s bestseller, ‘The Psychology of Money,’ advocates for Plan B, a fundamental rule of financial stability. Shashank’s story reflects on the dangers of not being prepared for unexpected shocks, especially when you are involved in a shaky business.

Darling Krishna plays an emotionally stoic character. With Kousalya Supraja Rama and now Brat, the actor has moved out of his lover-boy image, and he has more or less delivered in both attempts. However, Kristy isn’t a tough character to play, for he is mostly one-note. He is practical yet overconfident in his sole purpose of making money, a character trait seen in Dulquer Salmaan’s Lucky Baskhar (2024).

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There are some great exchanges between Kristy and his duty-bound father, Mahadevaiah (Achyuth Kumar). While the latter values ethics over emotions as a constable, the former desires a flashy lifestyle. However, the film slips due to its inability to take a stand by vouching for one of the two characters. After flirting with amoralism, Brat isn’t daring enough to go full throttle.

It attempts to strike a balance between morality and dishonesty, with a climax that borders on silliness. Shashank attempts to deliver the thrill of the con but doesn’t handle the brave writing decisions with smartness. Does an ethical officer have to be so blinded by his honesty that he ends up being naive? Brat left me with this question.

That said, despite flaws, Brat has enough to keep you glued to the screen and to ponder about after it’s over.

Brat is currently running in theatres

Published – November 01, 2025 11:21 pm IST