Kaththi — An Honest Review
A movie focusing on Vijay’s brilliant sense of mind and utilizing them to fix one of the most common issues of our county, the decline of Agriculture.
It’s a movie that will… well, why don't you read on to know more!
I never stopped watching movies. Actually, I’ve increased my daily watch routine from 2 movies to 5 movies a day on holidays. And yet, I don’t see the need to write reviews for all of them. Some of the really touched my heart with their story, some of them had amazing soundtracks and some of the even had my favorite heroes in them, but none of them made me feel like what watching Kaththi made me feel today. So, what’s so special about this movie?
Kaththi, a film written and directed by the genius that is A. R. Murugadoss (a film evangelist who is responsible for some of the greatest hit films of the years in Kollywood), is yet another framed poster into AR’s hall of fame. It talks about one of the most dignified professions of our country and also one of the most underestimated of them all, Agriculture and Farming.
STORY
Rating: 4/5
The movie starts off showcasing Kathiresan (Vijay), a prison inmate, who showcases his brilliant sense of mind and skills to find another escapee from the prison and in turn, help the wardens catch him. In this, we see what kind of person we can expect Kathir to be, but then, once he escapes, he finds a safe house with his ex-partner-in-crime (Sathish) and witnesses the accident of the double-acting counterpart of Vijay, Jeevanandham (Jeeva), who is a huge social activist and has been responsible for the upliftment of his own village in interior Tamil Nadu.
Where people do good, there are always those who come running to stop you, and that’s where the villain, Chirag (Neil Nitin Mukesh), comes in. Neil, who has acted mainly only in Bollywood movies, looks like a hot-shot villain, perfect for the role of a CEO of one of the biggest real-estate MNCs. He attempts to stop Jeeva and his band of activists and get that village demolished for industrial purposes at any costs.
The story, which unravels itself and it’s beautiful mysteries only in the second half of the movie, is quite interesting throughout and keeps the viewer glued to his seat.
It is honestly one of the best screenplays I’ve seen in quite some time with respect to Kollywood cinema and it deals with the important issue we keep ignoring everyday: The Decline of Agriculture in India.
So, okay. The story is great. Why didn’t I award that 1 extra rank to get a perfect score here? I felt that the story lacked more detail into it. It lacked a good story for the heroine to make her mark. It lacked a clear picture on what the aam aadmi can do to solve the problem, but it sure does tell us how devastating it’ll be if we lose our farmers.
CASTING
Vijay, a double acting masterpiece of a protagonist in the movie, is the best person to fill Jeeva and Kathir’s shoes. He delivers all his lines with complete confidence and pompous style, the kind that us Tamilians go crazy for.
Plus, I respect Vijay for this because he has always been choosy in his work and always chooses movies that carry a social message to the media. Starting from Gilli to Nanban in the middle and now, Kaththi, all of his movies carry a strong message that the general public can take in.
She’s cute, she’s beautiful, she’s amazing with her expressions and a brilliant actress. She’s Samantha Ruth Prabhu. I can’t say much about her role in the movie because like most Kollywood movies, the heroine title seldom gets any screen time and purpose in the movie other than support the hero and show up for the romantic cues. I’m not saying Samantha does only that in the movies, but that’s how the screenplay defines her in a nutshell.
Call me a feminist, but I am yet to see a Kollywood film in which the heroine is actually crucial to the story as much as the hero is.
Now, for my favorite character in the movie, Neil Nitin Mukesh… also known as, Chirag. He looks like he’s born for the role of a villain, looking super sexy in a black and grey suit and portrayed as the evil CEO of a huge MNC which tries to acquire land that belongs to the villagers.
Unlike most, I actually whistled when he came on the screen… and so did others. His charm is all in the beginning of the movie, where he takes over the screen with his looks, but as the story develops, his role is diminished and the viewer is made to hate him.
Overall, brilliant acting and I hope Neil will be stepping his foot into Kollywood cinema a lot more from now.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Rating: 3.5/5
Being a photographer, it would be a sin if I didn’t comment on the cinematography of this movie. Compared to previous movies, I could see quite a lot of change in the past few years about how different angles and various cinematography. Although there is a good improvement, other cinema has already caught up.
New Kannada movies have taken up using more advanced cameras and lenses, getting better visuals and more clear and realistic sound. That magic is still missing in the big screens.
MUSIC & SCORE
Rating: 2/5
Anirudh has scored yet another hit film, adding to his good luck and portfolio, but what surprises me is the quality of songs that were heard on first play, when the album first came out, wasn’t so appealing. Songs like Selfie Pulla are still too forward and not relatable enough to the regular viewer, who doesn’t even know what a selfie is.
Anyway, the music is kind of crappy, to be honest, but the visuals make up for it. Vijay’s impeccable dance steps and dappankuthu style of beats always keep the crowd dancing, making the most unrelatable songs, danceable.
Anirudh might’ve dropped a few points on the soundtrack, but the score was amazing. The theme/title track and the Villain theme track is one to look out for in the movie. It has made all the difference in the watching momentum, as the themes have made for a much more upbeat experience.
CONCLUSION
Rating: 4.25/5
Why is the rating so high? BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO WATCH IT! Period. If you understand Tamil, this movie is a must watch, because this is actually a must-watch for every Indian out there.
We have to realize our roots and respect the profession that made us who we are. We are nothing without our farmers toiling in the sun, getting us our daily supplement of proteins and nutrients.
This movie is dedicated and respected to them, and for that reason alone, it’s a must watch. Plus, it’s brilliantly executed and very entertaining every second of those 3 hours.
TL;DR version: MUST WATCH!
Thanks for reading! ☺
