To say in Tollywood jargon Kalisi Naduddam is a `family` film. The main criteria that guarantees success of Telugu film is how much the movie makes women shed tears. This is another such attempt to make tears flow to float currency into producer’s bank account. Story is as old as Telugu film industry. There were many such movies Telugu viewers watched earlier. What makes this slightly different is purpose behind this film: Why should women walk behind men? They should walk together, hence the title Kalisi Naduddam. The Kodi Ramakrishna - Soundarya pair is well known for such family tearjerkers. But this film`s purpose gets lost, as he is desperate to include all the commercial and comic elements that Tollywood always bank on.

The glorification of womanhood can only be done if you have a lead character, to contrast the sacrificial nature of typical Indian wives. At least, that`s what the director seems to think. So we have, Krishna (Srikant) who has an arranged marriage with Vijaya (Soundarya), a woman with a progressive outlook and yet quite traditional in terms of her devotion for her husband. Living in the same apartment are some other couples who are totally different to our hero and heroine. Background is perfectly set for formula `family` story. Krishna is an arrogant, stubborn and over ambitious guy. He leaves his cushy job of Assistant Revenue Officer and ventures into real estate business. His chauvinistic and egoistic nature will not allow him to listen to his wife who advises him not to do it. He challenges her saying earning money is not an easy business. If she can beat him in earning, then he will accept defeat and leave her. But if he wins, she will stay a doormat. Though shocked she accepts the challenge. As any body can guess Krishna suffers losses due to his foolhardy ways. Vijaya gradually climbs up the ladder of success. Encourages other women in the neighbourhood to do the same. In the process, all her travails and her devotion to her husband are depicted.

Srikant`s character as the arrogant man gets on your nerves. Soundarya gives a very good performance as expected of her. Incongruously placed songs irk you every now and then. Every alternate scene in the film is comic one. Many a times they weaken the tempo. The role of Krishna is so unreasonably and unrepentantly cruel. The best answer to his wife`s problems would perhaps have been to divorce. But contrary to that we have a long speech in the end by Srikant apologising for his misdemeanours on the stage where Soundarya is being honoured for her work towards the upliftment of womankind. Director Kodiramakrishna shows strong tendency to please every section of the crowd.

Verdict: Run of the mill tear jerker.