‘City Lights’ movie review: Sinking into a bottomless pit

City Lights, starring Vinay Rajkumar and debutant Monisha, is actor Vijay Kumar’s third directorial. Vijay’s preference for the ‘message-meets-entertainment’ formula is plainly evident by now. While it’s far from a rare trope, what stands out in Vijay’s case is how his directorial skills seem to have deteriorated with each successive film.

Vinay Rajkumar plays Shiva, reminiscent of Vijay’s character Shivlinga in Duniya . As in the 2007 blockbuster, the protagonist in City Lights is an innocent rural migrant, unaware of the ugly side of a big city like Bengaluru. In fact, the protagonist’s naive persona, which eventually gives way to violence in the pursuit of justice, is hardly different from the archetype Vijay has played in several of his previous films.