Citylights Movie Review

Verdict: Citylights has a gritty Bengaluru setting and a couple of strong performances going for it, but a familiar plot and an uneven second half stop it from becoming the powerful underworld drama it wants to be.

Pros:

• Umashree delivers a scene-stealing performance as Ammaji
• Vinay Rajkumar brings real intensity to the action portions
• The Majestic area setting gives the film a raw, authentic feel

Cons:

• The screenplay feels formulaic and loses grip in the second half
• Inconsistent camera work and dubbing pull viewers out of key scenes

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About Citylights (2026)

Detail	Info
Title	Citylights
Directed by	Duniya Vijay
Written by	Duniya Vijay (dialogues by Maasti)
Produced by	Duniya Vijay and Vikram Arya
Cast	Vinay Rajkumar, Monisha Vijaykumar, Umashree
Cinematography	Shivasena
Music by	Charan Raj M R
Production Companies	Duniya Talkies, Yanthrodharaka Anjaneya
Release Date	18 September 2026
Country	India
Language	Kannada
Genre	Action Thriller / Drama
Censor Rating	A

Citylights hit Kannada theatres on 18 September 2026, and it came with a fair amount of curiosity. It marks the acting debut of Monisha Vijaykumar, daughter of director Duniya Vijay, opposite Vinay Rajkumar.

The film is set in Bengaluru’s Majestic area, a part of the city often linked to petty crime, making it a bold choice of backdrop for a mainstream release. Duniya Vijay wears both the director’s and producer’s hat here, alongside co-producer Vikram Arya.

The film arrives at a time when Kannada cinema has been finding it tough to connect consistently with audiences, so expectations were cautious rather than sky-high going in. Early word on the film has been mixed.

Some viewers are appreciating the setting and certain performances, while others feel the story doesn’t fully deliver on its promise. The story follows characters caught up in the underbelly of the Majestic area, weaving in crime, survival, and relationships against the backdrop of the city’s rougher side.

Without giving too much away, the narrative tries to balance multiple threads at once, following different characters whose paths cross as the plot moves forward. It’s the kind of setup that has worked well in Kannada cinema before, but City Lights spreads itself across several ideas instead of committing fully to one, which affects how tightly the story holds together by the end.

Reactions shared by viewers on X and other social platforms after the first-day shows have been a mix of praise and disappointment. A section of the audience is calling out Umashree’s performance as the standout of the film, with many saying her scenes bring genuine energy whenever she’s on screen.

Vinay Rajkumar’s screen presence in the action sequences is also getting a nod from several viewers, though a few have pointed out that the dubbing doesn’t always match the intensity of his performance. On the flip side, a recurring complaint across posts is that the film tries to juggle too many plot strands at once, making parts of it feel disjointed.

Some viewers found the twists predictable, and a few mentioned that supporting cast performances felt uneven in places. The technical side has also drawn mixed comments, with the camera work switching between handheld and conventional styles in a way that some found distracting rather than stylish.

Overall sentiment leans toward “watchable but flawed,” rather than a clear thumbs up or down. If you’re a fan of gritty, city-set crime dramas or want to check out Monisha Vijaykumar’s debut, City Lights offers enough moments, especially Umashree’s performance, to make it a reasonable watch.

But if you’re looking for a tightly written, consistently gripping thriller, this one may test your patience in the second half. Given the mixed reactions, it’s fair to call this a film for genre fans and those curious about the debut, rather than a must-watch-in-theatres for everyone. Those who prefer not to take a chance may find it works just as well as a later watch on streaming.

Disclaimer: This review is based on publicly available audience reactions and discussions on X at the time of writing. Individual opinions may vary.