Released in 2013, ‘Soodhu Kavvum’ the debut directorial of Nalan Kumarasamy is a very important film in actor Vijay Sethupathi’ s career. It was not only a commercial blockbuster but also critically acclaimed and the film that strongly launched Vijay Sethupathi as a performance oriented actor who will be fit for any kind of role. Three years down, the director of ‘Soodhu Kavvum’ is back with his first film hero. It is ‘Kadhalum Kadandhu Pogum’ which has released today amid huge expectations and positive buzz. Let's see what the actor-director duo has in store this time.
Yazhini (Madonna Sebastian) the daughter of Villupuram Railway Station Master (KSG Venkatesh) comes to Chennai as she has got placed in an IT company and loses the job very soon. She shifts to a low rent accommodation where her neighbor is Kathiravan (Vijay Sethupathi) the gang member of the local don/politician, and his aim is to become a liquor bar owner and settle in life with that.
Yazhini struggles to get the right job while Kathiravan’s desire to settle in life and get a respectable position keeps eluding him. Gradually the duo get closer and become friends.
The rest is how they impact each other’s life.
First of all please set aside your expectations over ‘Soodhu Kavvum’ as well as Vijay Sethupathi’s recent films. This is drastically different from 'Soodhu Kavvum' as the director has already warned us. If ‘Soodhu Kavvum’ is a film that made you laugh and clap at least once in 5-10 minutes this is a film that you need to go to the theaters with a clear mind, watch the film with a laid back attitude and a little patience too. But the film definitely deserves your patience and attention. You can watch the film with a smile throughout. It is simple, straight, subtle and realistic.
Kudos to Nalan for opting for a film as realistic and subtle like this as his second outing after a high octane entertainer like 'Soodhu Kavvum'.
'Ka Ka Po' is definitely low in "entertainment value" and this will be a problem only if your definition of entertainment is something that will make you cheer or clap. It is a film that takes its own time to establish the characters and subtly conveys the emotions of the character. It warrants the involvement of the audience and if you are involved you cannot help enjoying it. Despite this warning the film definitely has some moments that will make you laugh out loud and cheer with a clap.
Subtlety is the best take away one can get from this film. Everything has been handled with subtleness and that seems to be the unique attribute of Nalan as a story teller. There is a family angle but we are not served with melodramatic sentiment. There is love but you cannot be sure whether it is love or friendship or just affection towards an acquaintance. The lead characters get desperate but that is not elaborated with tearjerker emotions and dialogues. There is comedy but that is also realistic and subtle and most of them will evoke a smile rather than giving a ROFL moment for you. Hats off to the team, for making such a rare film which if received in the right manner will enhance the film appreciation skills of the audience.
Yes, as said earlier the film is slow and things move without any hurry. This may be a letdown for entertainment seekers. In the second half a few scenes look a little overstretched and they could have been cut down. Especially the Villupuram portions could have been conveyed with a lesser number of scenes. But these are not heavy dampeners that spoil the overall impact made by the film.
Vijay Sethupathi is at his usual best. As an actor he knows how much of emoting is enough for the scene. The scene in which he chases away his assistant to look for some other job is one example for this. A slight overreaction by the actor could have spoilt the impact. This makes Vijay Sethupathi stand out as a performer.
Madonna Sebastian of 'Premam' fame fits into the role exactly and brilliantly conveys the desperation of getting a job and the hardships of living a jobless life with subtle emotions. A grand welcome to Tamil cinema.
K.S.G.Venkatesh as the heroine’s father, the actor who comes as Vijay Sethupathi’s boss and all others have given what is required for their respective roles. Samuthirakani comes in hardly three scenes but makes a strong impact as usual.
Santhosh Narayanan's songs are hummable and re-recording is apt in all the scenes. The thematic songs brilliantly supplement the scenes to make the desired impact. Dinesh Krishnan's cinematography portrays Chennai in a different but likeable tone. His selection of lens for the bar scenes and the angles in the fight scenes are praiseworthy. Leo John Paul’s Editing is seamless and gels well with the measured pace of the script.
Verdict: Book the tickets, enter the screens with a clear mind, sit laid back and enjoy the film with a coffee mug in hand and a smile on the lips.
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