City Lights review: Duniya Vijay's raw thriller let down by formulaic writing
Kannada cinema has had a tough time over the last few years, and 2026 has been no different so far. Films arrive with anticipation and some show potential, but most fail to fully impress audiences or make a solid mark at the box office. Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-ups failing critically and commercially, is a major example. Amid this comes City Lights, directed by Vijay Kumar aka Duniya Vijay. The film carries significant anticipation as Vijay's directorial follow-up to Salaga and Bheema. But does it live up to expectations?
City Lights takes us into the gritty underbelly of Bengaluru's Majestic area, where corruption, politics, rowdyism, burglary and prostitution are rampant. Shivu (Vinay Rajkumar) enters this world looking for a livelihood but gets caught in a conflict with Puneeth (Puneeth Kumar), an MLA's assistant who runs a gang. When Shivu tries to save Monisha (Monisha Vijayakumar) from being trafficked, the two find themselves seeking protection from Ammaji (Umashree), a feared gangster who runs an all-women and trans-women gang.
The film explores the city's underworld while attempting to highlight the goodness that exists beneath its violence and grime. But its answers to the battle between good and evil feel far too familiar.
The best part about City Lights is how it portrays the dirty underworld of Bengaluru while also showing the goodness hidden underneath the dirt. Vijay Kumar once again attempts to boldly address the vices of society, choosing prostitution as his subject this time. He doesn't shy away from conversations that can make viewers uncomfortable, and that aligns with his raw filmmaking style. However, while this approach works in his previous films, certain conversations and dialogues in City Lights don't feel natural. They often seem written for shock value rather than to serve the story. The shock distracts more than it impresses.
The runtime is a crisp 129 minutes, which reflects the film's simple and straightforward nature. The first half, despite occasionally feeling out of sync with the dubbing, moves quickly and sets up the conflict. The second half, however, is where the film loses steam. The screenplay feels dysfunctional, with random scenes stitched together without enough flow or transition. A significant portion of the second half leaves the central characters aside while side characters take over without adding much to the narrative.
At one point, it starts feeling like City Lights is built around Charan Raj's music rather than the other way around. His music is certainly one of the film's highlights, but the visuals don't live up to its standards.
City Lights takes a major hit because of its formulaic execution. It feels like an attempt to recreate the magic of Bheema and Salaga by taking elements that worked in those films and weaving a story around them, instead of organically developing a narrative.
When it comes to performances, Vinay Rajkumar impresses with his screen presence, particularly in the action sequences. Had the dubbing been more seamless, his performance could have landed harder. Monisha Vijayakumar makes a convincing debut and shows potential with her acting chops. Unfortunately, her launch vehicle doesn't give her enough room to shine.
Veteran actor Umashree is undoubtedly the show-stealer. She plays the fierce yet kind Ammaji brilliantly. The rest of the cast is a mixed bag, with several actors coming across as amateurs on screen.
The cinematography by Shivsena switches between handheld, RGV-style shots and conventional framing, seemingly based on convenience. The change isn't limited to action sequences; the camera randomly switches styles during conversations involving certain characters as well, which can be distracting.
Editor Deepu S Kumar does an underwhelming job with the edit. Outdated effects and abrupt jump cuts make the film increasingly exhausting to watch.
Overall, City Lights joins the long list of promising but underwhelming ventures from the Kannada film industry in 2026. It also raises a question about whether Vijay works best when he directs himself. Either way, City Lights' dark world barely lights up before fizzling out under its indulgent and formulaic execution.- EndsPublished By: K JananiPublished On: Sep 18, 2026 16:48 ISTALSO READ | Shiva Rajkumar praises Vijay's rise, congratulates him on becoming Chief Minister
