I am Kathalan Malayalam Movie
In 'I Am Kathalan', starring Naslen Gafoor, the plot intertwines romance and technology. Director Girish A D seems to echo elements from his previous works in the romantic aspects but brings a fresh twist with a storyline steeped in tech jargon. The familiar setup quickly escalates as the protagonist, Vishnu-an engineering dropout played by Naslen-turns to hacking devices as part of a personal vendetta. Sajin Cherukayil's screenplay provides ample scope for Naslen to shine within his comfort zone, capturing the viewer's interest with an intriguing theme, though it falls short of reaching its full potential.
In his latest outing, Girish has tried to present a novel conflict compared to his previous flicks that were focused on exuberance of youth and their perfunctory romance. While shades of infatuation sustains in the background, the plot presents the relevant issue of hacking computer systems and gizmos. The technical jargons may appear bizarre for an ordinary viewer but the turnout events make it engaging. Vishnu is the familiar hero of a typical Girish-directed movie and the former's affair with his classmate Shilpa, played by Anishma Anilkumar, is always at odds.
The hero's wayward attitude makes Shilpa, who is the daughter of an influential banker, shy away from him. After her studies, Shilpa joins the head office of her father's firm Royal Periyadan as the head of the IT department. Vineeth Vasudevan plays finance manager Mathew and Sajin Cherukayil appears as Praveen Kumar, an IT employee of the company. The situations that create technical chaos in the firm are interesting and naturally, one would pant for more engaging moments. Vishnu is adept in hacking computers and his revenge plot against Shilpa's father, played by Dileesh Pothan, keeps the movie on tenterhooks in some parts. Still, the tempo of the conflict is volatile throughout the screenplay and its sustainability could have yielded more impact.
Visnu is a highly tech-savvy youth, who hobnobs with Aneesh, played by Vineeth Viswam, to execute his plans. In his comfort zone, Naslen is entirely at ease with the character and he has accomplished it with elan. The emotional turmoil of a dejected lover is vivid in his expressions and body language. Throughout, Anishma Anilkumar exudes a perfect sync with Naslen. Her effortless mien and simplicity in rendering give a convincing outcome to their combination. Though the intentions of the character are predictable, Vineeth Vasudevan's role is a tad from cliched mode.
Indeed, the perfect portrayal of a greedy banker by Dileesh Pothan adds significant thrust to the plot. In a controlled performance, the actor is in full flow in his depiction of a businessman's livid nature in the face of loss due to hacking by an anonymous person. In a way, 'I Am Kathalan' qualifies for being pigeonholed as a thriller in tech premise despite the ups and downs in the script. The film has the familiar trappings of a Girish A D film, still the nicely woven tech domain spruces up the tale to make it engaging to an extent.
