The thing with horror films is that if not carefully executed it will be delivering more laughs than scary moments. And worse if it has too many plot elements, then its gonna keep you yawning. Charulatha does not have necessary elements to give yo the thrills of a horror film.

Based on Thai horror flick "Alone", Pon Kumaran's "Charulatha" is a poorly executed film with no thrills. The film treads a cliched path with disappointing CGI, loud and jarring background score and uninspiring acting. Priyamani's final act is the only saving grace in the entire film.

Charu and Latha, two identical conjoined twins by birth are separated by a medical surgery. In the process, Latha doesn't make it out alive. The shock of her sister's demise leaves Charu to live life with a feeling of guilt deep inside.
Two years later, Charu is summoned to her native place, to her house where she grew up with her sister, to attend to her ailing mother. Charu feels the presence of an unknown force in the house always watching her. It doesn't take her much time to realise it's her dead sister Latha, on a mission to avenge her death.
Original story by Banjong Pisanthanakun had the ability to engage and captivate the viewer, but it's not the same in the case of 'Charulatha'. Pon Kumaran gives the story much needed masala touch to suit the Indian audience, however, fails to neither scare nor entertain viewers.

But for a few changes, first-time director Pon Kumaran has almost entirely borrowed the story of the popular Thai film, Alone, and has tried to infuse a few elements to suit our milieu. The sorcerer, for instance, who is an indispensable factor in our ghost films! Incidentally, in trying to pass off a classy scene of action as Vedaranyam in the South, he affects the credibility of the narration straightway.

As film buffs await the entry of Maattrraan, said to be a story of a pair of Siamese twins, Charulatha which also deals with such a twosome has managed to come out first. The idea of a story of conjoined twins sounds novel all right, but the effort to make it convincing doesn’t seem enough. So most of the time it’s like two girls putting their arms around one another! No strain, no pain, no suffering — except for their measured steps while walking, they seem to be quite comfortable as they are! In these days of hi-tech exercises in cinema Charulatha’s attempt at CG, appears insufficient.

Physically inseparable sisters Charu and Latha (Priya Mani) are great friends. But when they turn twenty, and Charu falls in love, jealousy and inimicality step in, and that spells doom for one of them. The suspense and the revelation in the climax are interestingly unravelled but when you know that they are borrowed plumes of a Thai inspiration, you can’t appreciate Pon Kumaran for it. Loopholes in the line are evident, narration confuses you at times and editing does little to help matters.

Skanda from Malayalam cinema plays the hero, but his role is restricted to comforting the heroine, who dreads the spirit that haunts the house. He plays a mere second fiddle to the twin heroines.

An actor of Saranya’s calibre is wasted in the role of the mother, because she’s confined to the bed most of the time. When children are made to talk like adults the irritation could be suffocating. Master Manjunath, the boy who plays comedienne Harthi’s sister, gets on your nerves.

Songs or RR, Sundar C. Babu’s music for Charulatha isn’t appealing. But the significant solo violin bits are an exception.

Overall, Charulatha is an average movie which can be watched if you have few extra bucks to waste.