Monsoon has hit the coast of India & it has unleashed its fury in various parts of the country. Hoping to create a similar impact on the box office is Pa Ranjith's "Kaala", one of the biggest release of the year. How often is the director of the movie that stars Rajinikant, the baap of superstars mentioned in the same breath??? Quite rare unless ofcourse the director is Shankar & hence it is credit to Ranjith's credentials that he has managed to achieve that so early in his career. So will the collections of this highly anticipated movie (for various reasons) be as eventful as Nadal's "La UnDecima"???
Mumbai, the financial capital of the country & one of the most expensive cities in the world is home to the rich and famous. Ironically, it also houses Dharavi, the biggest slum in the world with skyscrapers around it which is a stark reality of the economic divide among the citizens. It is here that the movie is based where a significant percentage of the population are Tamilians. Over the years, the gangster Hari Dhadha (Nana Patekar) had tried to wreck havoc in the area in the hope of seizing the land. Even after becoming the Union Minister, his aim remained the same though he presented it to the masses as government schemes which would change their lives for the better. However, all his efforts were thwarted by Kaala/Karikaalan (Rajini), the leader of Dharavi who saw through his devious plans. With power & money at his disposal, Hari Dhadha was hell bent on realizing his dream at any cost & what would it take for Kaala to stop him forms the crux of the movie.
This is the second time that Ranjith had collaborated with the Superstar, with the previous "Kabali" giving us an idea about his directorial style. It was a commercial blockbuster, though it would be fair to admit that many werent quite satisfied in the manner that Thalaiva was portrayed. So naturally the responsibility to satiate the masses and critics alike in his latest venture had increased manifold. To be frank, the basic plot as such wasnt novel but the thought that has gone into many of the sequences deserves praise be it the colours used for the main characters, portraits in the background, his views on religion, gender etc. It had undoubtedly one of the finest climaxes that I have seen in a while. If at all there was a dampener, that was in the amount of time that it took to set pace in the first half. Most of the technical aspects were top notch be it Murali G's visuals, art direction & Santhosh Narayanan's music with Kannamma being my personal favourite.
In the performance department, first & foremost hats off to Ranjith for choosing Nana Patekar who as expected was mesmerising. The evil charm that Nana exuded was a delight to watch & that in turn elevated Rajini's performance. It's not so often that the legend manages to display his acting skills & that's what makes both "Kabali" & "Kaala" special. As Karikaalan, Rajini was brilliant & the scenes between him & Nana were the highlights. Equally brilliant were Easwari Rao & Anjali Patel, with the former's chemistry with the superstar making us yearn for more interactions between the two. As for the rest, Samuthirakani was fantastic, while Huma Qureshi & the actors who essayed the role of Rajini's son have done their parts aptly.
Verdict: As expected, it has set the box office on fire with 100 C being crossed in the global market in just 3 days. Records are expected to tumble as the movie is a mix of class & mass which will have most people sing praises about it. In short, dont miss it!!! (P.S: Aravind Akash's name in the movie was Shivaji Rao Gaekwad which happens to be Rajini's real name)
Rating: 3.5/5
Regards...Ben
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