Kanne Kalaimaane Movie Review

Cast: Udhayanidhi Stalin, Tamanna, Vadivukkarasi, Vasundra, Poo Ramu, Shaji & others

Cinematography: Jalandhar Vasan

Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja

Editing: Mu Kasi Viswanathan

Written & Directed by: Seenu Ramasamy

Produced by: Red Giant Movies

Release Date: 22-02-2019

Run Time: 02:04:00

Seenu Ramasamy’s films have always been about the emotional turmoil that his characters have to face. While it was the story of a longing wife in Neerparavai, he brought in the chronicles of a man troubled by his past in Dharmadurai. His latest outing in Kanne Kalaimaane too, deals with a similar trope, but he handles it in a manner that is extremely soft, subtle and mature. This is definitely one of his neater films till date, more because of the fact that he had to walk the tightrope between being melodramatic and being lightweight. Coming out of the screen post the film, one does remember the wonderful characterization, the impressive performances and the satisfying tale that the film brings.

Kanne Kalaimaane begins with an educated farmer Kamalakannan (Udhay Stalin) crossing roads with Bharathi (Tamannah), a bank officer. The first 50 minutes of the film, leading to the interval block, takes its time to introduce us to the characters, build on their traits and also play to the gallery with some commentary on the political scenario. Udhay also gets a couple of opportunities to slot in some lines which can be connected to his real-life scene. Though a specific dialogue about the NEET exam does go overboard, the rest of it is stitched in nicely and doesn’t seem forced. Post the interval is where Kanne Kalaimaane really gets onto its conflicts, where a modern-day independent woman is pit against an old-fashioned household. The film then takes a lot of turns, with an emotional twist coming in beautifully. The last 30 minutes is where the film elevates itself to the next level, coming in from a knot that the director had seeped in earlier. With dialogues that echo in your head, performances at best efficiency and situations that are easily relatable to, one can’t help but fall in line with the intent of the film. Seenu Ramasamy’s strength is how he does not let the film get stagnant or preachy at any point of time, extracting the best from the resources in hand.

It would not be wrong to say that Kanne Kalaimaane is the career-best act for both Udhay Stalin and Tamannaah. In a role that does not demand too much of a physical strain, Udhay concentrates on his facial expressions and brings it to the fore to the best of his ability. And as for Tamannah, this one is a great revelation, in stark contrast to the ‘glam doll’ that she mostly has been in her career so far. We definitely deserve more of this. Veteran Vadivukkarasi is the next in the list, handling a solid role with ease. Her climax conversation with Udhay is a terrific scene, striking the right chord. The actor who plays Udhay’s father also gets a couple of memorable moments in the film.

While it is Yuvan’s score that has been majorly impressive in his recent films, his songs majorly take the upper hand here. The start of Vaa Vellai Raasathi is easily the film’s best point, giving way to a goose bump. Cinematographer Jalandhar Vasan’s camera spans the lush-green outfields and also captures the in-house incidents in the right way.

Kanne Kalaimaane on the whole, is a fantastic feel-good drama that is both thought-provoking and relatable. Seenu Ramasamy puts forth a variety of topics such as farming, cows and bulls, feminism and familial hurdles in what is a slow but uncompromising narrative packed with the right amount of emotions.

Kanne Kalaimaane Movie Review Rating: 3.5/5

Written By: Siddarth Srinivas

Follow @SidhuWrites

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