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The mushrooming number of independent filmmakers in Kollywood have had a remarkable effect at the box office in recent times paving way for talented debut directors to make a mark and prove themselves. Producer C.V.Kumar of Thirukumaran Entertainment has successfully done it in the past with movies like ‘Pizza’ and ‘Attakathi’ which attempted to be pathbreakers and were quite successful in their attempt. This time around with the production of ‘Soodhu Kavvum’, the production house has once again underlined its thirst for an alternative movie genre with director Nalan Kumarasamy making his debut.
Soodhu Kavvum is a fun thriller that showcases a gang of abductors who kidnap people for ransom and they do this with some ‘moral principles’ to safeguard their business. In one of their kidnapping attempts, they get entangled in a quandary wherein the hunters become the hunted.
The movie was largely convincing due to the choice of actors and the characters they portrayed. The humor flowed along with the narrative, which made the script look authentic. In Kollywood, the subject of kidnapping have been utilized predominantly in darker shades in the past, but in this movie it has been given a novel color that was satirical and convincing at the same time.
Actor Vijay Sethupathy has become the darling of small time producers and debut directors as his last 3 movies were hits and they were all from the stables of first timers. His attempt to show difference in characterization with each movie should definitely be appreciated and in this movie he sported the character of a 40 year old man with a salt and pepper look. His body language and timing has improved and that proves to be a great asset for him to display his satire with ease.
The others in the gang including Simha, RJ Ramesh, Ashok Selvan and Sanchita Shetty were there to join the frolic. Sanchita Shetty’s role was particularly interesting and it adds to the humor quotient of the script and also speaks volumes of the character of Vijay Sethupathi - an intelligent move!
MS Bhaskar in a principled politician’s role was truly an example of alternative thought and was a relief of sort as we have become tired of watching wicked politicians on and off screen. But that was compensated by Radha Ravi who was cast as the wicked CM!!
Karunakaran as the ‘principled’ minister’s son was truly a flash in the pan and rocks the boat with some twists.
Yog Japee as the cold blooded encounter cop was ruthless in his role.
Music by Santosh Narayan set the tone for the movie and helped the scenes gather pace at times. But there were no numbers to be lapped or lauded.
Cinematography by Dinesh Krishnan was convincing and editing by Leo John Paul could have been better especially during the second half where two unwanted songs surfaced out of nowhere and for no reason.
The movie had some logical loopholes wide open and tested our rationale at times, but overall it was more than a decent attempt. Though this one is nowhere near Vijay Sethupathy’s last movie - NKPK, it had very many genuinely funny moments and can definitely be declared as a one time watch!
Verdict: Above Average
Rating: 3/5
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