Kathakali (2016)

Movie: Kathakali (U)

Rating: 4.5/5

I'm a big fan of Vishal since most of his films are action films and I'm an action lover. But this time, his KATHAKALI turns out to be more than just an entertainer. Unpredictable, intelligent and action packed, it's the best film Vishal has delivered till date.

KATHAKALI is so well scripted that you won't be disappointed. It's a full on thrill ride with a lot of action and entertainment. The music too here deserves a special mention as it enhances the film to a great extent, as does the cinematography along with the action scenes and visuals.

Thanks for such a film Mr Pandiraj!

As far as the screenplay is concerned, it does take its own pretty time to build up but when it does, it fully entertains. Of course, the romance portion could have been shorter. This is the only flaw I found, otherwise I didn't get disappointed by anything else.

Vishal excels as Amudhavel, and plays the character with utmost sincerity. As expected, he impresses once again with his action scenes. Catherine Tresa is fine. Other actors like Mime Gopi, Karunas etc are all fine in their respective roles. The action scenes are just amazing, and the film has an amazing colour tone. The music by Hip Hop Tamizha is pleasant. The editing is fine except for a few scenes in the first 30 minutes. The twists and turns are quite excellent, and the final twist which comes in the end is just unexpectedly amazing!

Overall, KATHAKALI is a solid action thriller which will be remembered for its unpredictable screenplay and overall entertainment value. It deserves repeated viewings, and it proves the rise of Indian Cinema is happening!

Thank you Vishal!

Director Pandiraj is back after a long hiatus with back to back films. After Pasanga 2, it’s Kathakali now and this is his first action flick which is quite a deviation from his regular children’s flick and comedy films. Vishal had a mixed year of 2015 with average films like Aambala and Paayum Puli but he won the Nadigar Sangam elections which surely ended his year with a good note. Produced by Pandiraj and Vishal, Kathakali stars a simple cast of actors including Catherine Tresa, Karunas and co.

Kathakali is the story of a family ravaged by a local don who gets mysteriously murdered. With a lot of suspects including the lead and his brother, the crux of the story is to figure out who the actual murderer is. Just like any other film that builds up suspense, characters that aren’t connected to the murder are shown in a light as if they’re actually the murderer, only to unravel the twists at the end.

The film is slow paced intentionally and takes it’s time for the story to develop. This is a tailor made role for Vishal for whom the man who stands up to injustice is a character that fits like a glove. Catherine’s role of a city girl doesn’t have much to perform but gets a decent amount of screen space. Karunas is back after a while as a comedian and Imaan Annachi is there too for the comic relief. There are two songs which are cleared off at the first half itself. Hiphop Tamizha’s background track is definitely more interesting than the songs. Though it’s an action film, the use of very less fights but still having a gripping second half shows the directorial prowess. Handling the henchmen and sending a selfie with them to the villain shows how mass scenes are redefined these days. The only way to make a slow moving film entertaining is to cut short the run time and it has worked really well. Second half was much better and the final few minutes is a roller coaster ride with a line of twists.

Overall, Kathakali is a film that can be enjoyed with family for it’s clean content and less drama. Though one might walk out of the theatre sensing a lack of some important element, Kathakali is definitely worth watching once.

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good twist plot.. bit boring first half.