Kaattu Malayalam Movie
The wind starts to blow on a familiar terrain and gathers its momentum when it traverses through unusual settings. The rustic characters dissolve in emotions like love, lust, revenge and remorse in its unpredictable rage. "Kaattu" is significantly a director's film, supported by a brilliant screenplay and fabulous performance by its actors. The story "Raanimarude Kudumbam," written by the late writer-director P. Padmarajan, is the inspiration behind the plot of "Kaattu." The maverick director's son Anandapadmanabhan takes a cue from the story and places it in a different premise set in the late 70s and the beginning of the 80s. His screenplay has been diligently intertwined with the honor killing issue in a village called Sethumalai in Tamil Nadu.
Arun Kumar Aravind, who made an impact in his debut film, is at his best in this flick. He delicately treats even the narrow village paths with a mystery while the same effect has been gone into the characterization of Chellappan (Murali Gopy). Arun has given attention to meticulous details of the characters and it bears fruit. Digressing from his usual style of making, he has given a different treatment to a theme that has resemblances to the settings of certain films of director Bharathan during the 80s.
Asif Ali as Noohu Kannu is a revelation in the movie in which he seems to be a gullible youth. Noohu Kannu is slightly puerile and has traces of innocence in him. In a well-controlled manner, Asif Ali has showcased the character distinctly, and it's laudable in the sense that he is not influenced by any actor in his portrayal of a naive hero.
While living among firecracker makers, his dream is complemented by Ummukkulsu, essayed by Manasa Radhakrishnan. Murali Gopy makes a rapid leap into the aura of his best ever performance till date. The ruffian look and demeanor lends a lot of conviction to his character. Varalami Sarathkumar as Muthulakshmi has a pivotal role in the film, but performance-wise, she has an ordinary outing in the film.
Pankan Thamarassery as Mooppan has a fine appearance that fails to expunge from the minds of viewers. A sluggish pace of the movie at some places might be a flaw along with a little overdone climax.
Prasanth Raveendran proves his professional touch with aesthetically shot frames. The soil, night, fields and countryside get a unique visual beauty through his camera. Deepak Dev has a remarkable part in the film as musical quality elevates the drama creating the necessary anxious moments.
'Kaattu' is a refreshing and captivating film with its powerful statement about the craft of a filmmaker and the smart writing by a scenarist.
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