Karnan review: "Selvaraj mesmerizes the audience with his brilliance!!!"

We are into the 74th year of our Independence & though our nation has developed by leaps and bounds, it's still much slower than what we would have expected. The biggest bane is undoubtedly the caste & religious divide that has denied many communities their fundamental rights. Even as the media has more often than not crossed lines of decency & at times, credibility; it is undeniable that it has also brought to light the atrocities that many of the communities face from the so called "higher" caste. In essence, it is as Joji says, the society fucked them. This is the topic that Mari Selvaraj has chosen in his latest venture "Karnan" & from the look of the trailer, it seemed to be yet another hard hitting gripping flick.

Set in Podiyakalam, a group of villagers from the Dalit community suffered from years of systematic  oppression. All their cries for a better livelihood which included the request for a bus stop fell on deaf ears of the authorities. This invariably meant that they were at the mercy of the neighboring village that belonged to the higher caste who never missed an opportunity to physically assault and belittle them. Karnan (Dhanush) was a short tempered individual who was vocal about the injustice meted out to them & urged his people to retaliate rather than be mere spectators lest the future generation had to go through the same discrimination.

After "Pariyerum Perumal", Selvaraj is back with yet another flick that does not sugar coat the difficulties that the minor communities face. He showcases it not just in dialogues but in the form of numerous metaphors such as various animals (donkey, eagle, horse etc), masked deity, fish hook etc. The attention that he has given to the script in terms of how the various scenes are staged, the character arch of many of them etc., all deserves applause as it felt like a slice of real life rather than something created for the celluloid. However, it did seem to a bit too overdramatic and sluggish at times for me. Santhosh Narayanan's music was soulful & impactful with tracks like 'Kandaa Vara Sollunga' while Theni Eswar's cinematography captures the rustic feel impressively.

Dhanush was brilliant as the protagonist and showcases the change in his overall attitude perfectly as the enemy got tougher. Last week, we got to see our Lal in "Sulthan" & over here, he has done utmost justice to a meaty role. To be frank, it's hard to even say if anyone was average as everyone were right on the money be it Yogi Babu (refreshing to see him in a serious role), Lakshmi Priyaa (as Karnan's sister), Rajisha Vijayan, Gouri Kishan etc.

Verdict: Selvaraj produces yet another fantastic movie which throws light on the social divide still very much prevalent in many communities. Each & every artist has performed impressively led by the talented Dhanush  which was complemented by the music. In short, definitely check it out!!!

Rating: 3.5/5

Regards...Ben