Movie Review – Kaithi

Marks of a good movie goes in vain due to blatant second half

Ever since watching ‘Maanagaram’ I was curiously following Lokesh Kanagaraj. And when I got to know that it’s ‘Kaithi’ which is going to be his next film, I was obviously curious. The teaser was terrific, the trailer even though good, wasn’t as great as teaser. I also got to know that the film had no heroines and no songs. So, my curiosity went a notch higher.

With all these expectations and some rift back home, I headed for the first day first show of the movie with a regular culprit of mine. PVR RCL has become a recent favorite for me. Even though I hate PVR for its impunctuality, the two movies that I had watched here were bang on time. Guess it’s due to the pressure of acquiring Sathyam that they had to maintain this. Additionally, the drive to theatre from my home is scenic and lovely. Additionally, as of now they are charging the parking only show wise, even though not as less as Sathyam it’s still wise, the day they start collecting charges hourly I’ll stop visiting them.

The movie comes to the point immediately. Much like Hollywood thrillers. Bejoy (Narain) and his gang capture a huge amount of cocaine and want to exploit the gang behind it and its chief gangster. In the process of it he injures his hand and is handicapped throughout the movie. May be an indication as to how handicapped loyal policemen are. His boys along with other policemen get drugged and fall unconscious and that’s the time he collaborates with Dilli (Kaithi). Kamatchi (Dheena) tags along with them as comic relief which is more of a nuisance than relief. Show that the director doesn’t have confidence on his script so wanted a comedian. Much like hero’s friends in all those rom coms. I was totally put off by that idea.

In spite of him the movie progresses terrifically. The introduction of Karthi is terrific. It’s not Deus ex machina but produces the desired effect. He gets introduced first as someone who was roaming around streets, then his face is revealed when Bejoy is in need of a driver for the lorry. He has terrific ‘gethu’ in those scenes. Even after emotional dialogue, when he comes down with a plate of biryani it was terrific. Much on the lines of ‘Ayirathil Oruvan’ where he longs for food. These are proper mass scenes which would work with any audience no matter who the star is. As a director he has done a terrific job there. He knows how to build scenes.

The following sequences with lorry and the top angles were made really well. Another Hollywood signature shot. The first chase sequence with all the flame throwing and rickety camera were ingenuine. I was expecting that trailer scene to appear there but it didn’t happen in that fight. The second fight was more elaborate and was a fist fight where we get to see Karthi’s mass presence. Again, intelligent direction there by first involving in chase and only then fist. This again is a scene which would have worked with any actor, such is director’s presence.

On the other hand, there is a separate storyline in commissioner office where the drugs are stored. First few moments in those were tense just like the police sequence in ‘Maanagaram’. Those are decently made. So, in all the first half provides terrific moments.

But, but, but… quite unexpectedly the second half goes into masala template immediately. The action sequences become repetitive. What looked great in first half started to become boring in the second half. Same WWE moves became lull, thanks to the Jimiki sentiment where Dilli resurrects, by far the worst scene in the movie. Simultaneously we get to see the intro of much hyped villain who does nothing than shouting inside the cell. Not doing anything is fine but he doesn’t have a presence even in whatever scene he appears. For example, if they wanted to show how simple boys make such a don a sitting duck, it should have been made in ‘Soodhu Kavvum’ way where Bramma gets shot in the butt after so much hype. Here the hype goes for nothing.

Also, the idea of using George Maryan as a hero in police station too didn’t work for me. He tried really hard but didn’t work for me. But the most irritating thing was the use of loud speaker. Suddenly a serious movie went ‘Saroja’ way. Even though the idea is good, the execution wasn’t.

But with all the shortcomings, the Terminator type climax worked wonderfully, the whole theatre was in riot for that scene. Thank god that I didn’t observe the posters beforehand, otherwise it’d have become a spoiler. He joining with her daughter and the prelude to second part felt needless. I don’t think there is anything he cane more than this in second part. When even the second half felt repetitive it’d be pointless to go for part two.

I was kind of disappointed after coming out of the movie. Not because I had seen a bad movie but seen a movie which went bad from great. It was a great premise and the film showed great promise but everything faltered in the second half. But when I got to know from my friend that Lokesh Kanagaraj had written the movie for Mansoor Ali Khan, suddenly my eyes lit up and mood enhanced. I started imagining the whole movie if he had acted. How terrific it’d have been, especially the scene in second half where he adjusts his lungi after the fight…