Kaithi Movie Review

Lokesh Kanagaraj proved that he can handle a tough hyperlink thriller with his debut in Maanagaram. With his sophomore film in Kaithi, he opts for a complete action film that is devoid of any commercial compromises like a romance track, songs or any such needless additions. This brave attempt takes up a wafer thin plot and develops an intriguing series of events that keep moving on from one to the other in quick succession.

Kaithi tells us the story of what happens in one night when there’s a drug outburst, an unforeseen circumstance amidst the police force and the unleash of a man who was behind bars for the past ten years.

Lokesh’s big win is in how he brings about a conflict and closure for all his characters in the story, however small or big they may be. Rather than just making it a bang bang adventure, he brings in the emotional angle which is very important for films in this region.

There are always two things happening at every instance of the film, making us invest our interest in the proceedings and play the guessing game of what’s going to happen next. In the midst of all the action, there’s also space for comedy that’s nicely handled by the writers, without overdoing it as a sequence and just limiting it to one liners.

It is a gutsy pick for sure by Karthi, to break away from his groove and do a film sans the usual stuff we like him for. Karthi’s variance is depicted superbly even though he has only a handful of expressions to flaunt in the film. Supporting him well is Narain, who has a solid role to play and is the trigger for the whole story at the start. A seasoned actor like George Maryam too gets an interesting character for himself, while all the baddies such as Arjun Das and Ramana along with the young bloods such as Vatsan and Kanna Ravi get good parts in the story. KPY Dheena is the man against the tide, giving us good comics to laugh at whenever things move a little too seriously.

Sam CS’ extraordinary background score is a value addition for the film, with the special mention for his theme at the interval block. Sathyan Sooryan’s amazing night cinematography is great to watch, as he exhibits top skill during the fight sequences. Kaithi is indeed Tamil cinema’s full-blown action film, and none of the excitement would have been created if not for meticulous work put in by Anbariv.

On the whole, Kaithi is a kick-ass action flick that will please fans of the genre. Those looking for wholesome commercial entertainment might find it a little repetitive, but this is a film that will be remembered for how different, exciting and engaging it is. Kaithi Movie Review by Siddarth Srinivas

Kaithi Movie Review Rating: 4/5

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