Kaantha Review: Docu Style, Takes Patience

BOTTOM LINE
Docu Style, Takes Patience

RATING
2.5/5

CENSOR
U/A, 2h 43m

What Is the Film About?

Kaantha tells the story of a movie hero Mahadeva (Dulquer Salmaan) and his clash with director Ayya (Samuthirakani), and how his relationship with Kumari (Bhagyashri Borse) takes a major turn that could affect his life when Rana enters as an investigative cop.

Performances

Dulquer Salmaan as Mahadeva delivers a remarkable performance carrying the entire film on his shoulders. This is no exaggeration. While the film may not receive unanimous critical acclaim or achieve major commercial success, it will still be a valuable addition to Dulquer’s filmography as a performer.

Bhagyashri Borse is a surprising and impressive presence in Kaantha delivering a neat performance that no one expected. She is likely to receive much praise for this role, which could help take her career to the next level.

Rana Daggubati plays the investigative cop in the film and his performance is decent.

Analysis

Kaantha is written and directed by Selvamani Selvaraj. He takes the idea of a period backdrop and a “film within a film” concept. While it’s not entirely a first-of-its-kind attempt, it feels fresh largely thanks to the impressive visuals and the period setting.

The film initially grabs attention with the setup of Mahadev, the hero Dulquer Salmaan and the clash between Mahadev and the director role played by Samuthirakani in the film. The first half predominantly revolves around the ego clash between the hero and the director, interwoven with the heroine track. What works here are the visuals and the solid performances one expects from a hero like Dulquer.

However, the first half also has a major flaw: a significant portion of the runtime is spent on black-and-white reels. These sequences, meant to depict film shooting within the story feel neither interesting nor essential – they come across more as showreels rather than narrative devices. The film repeatedly returns to these reels to highlight Dulquer’s performance, even though they don’t meaningfully advance the story.

The pre-interval portion, however is engaging and manages to lift the pacing. Despite the largely documentary-style, slow-moving first half, this segment generates intrigue and gives hope for a more engaging second half. Overall, the first half is decently engaging, though slow paced, setting up expectations for a more compelling second half.

The second half begins with Rana Daggubati entering the story marking a complete shift in the film’s tone. While the first half unfolds like a drama, the second half establishes itself as an investigative thriller. The contrast between the two halves shouldn’t be an issue, but the problem lies in the pacing and length of the second half. Rana’s investigation drives the narrative, and the suspense is maintained until the end, yet the emotional impact barely lands due to the lackluster investigative drama and uneven pacing.

Overall, Kaantha features genuinely strong performances from Dulquer Salmaan, Bhagyashri Borse, Samuthirakani and Rana Daggubati supported by impressive visuals. However, the film lacks a compelling narrative to match these performances and its visual appeal. Watch it only if you can handle a slow burn, and set your expectations accordingly as this is not a film that will work for everyone.

Performances by Others Actors

Kaantha features very few notable supporting cast members, but the key role played by Samuthirakani is written and performed well. From his makeup to his acting, he truly stands out. The Telugu dubbing might take a little getting used to at the beginning, but it quickly settles and he delivers a neat performance.

The rest of the cast consists mostly of relatively unknown actors, but everyone fits seamlessly into the period setting, adding authenticity to the film.

Music and Other Departments?

Jhanu Chanthar composes the music with the songs being okay and the background score suited to the documentary-style narrative. While some might find the score underwhelming, moody or dull, it effectively complements the docu-style approach of the film.

Cinematography by Dani Sanchez Lopez is excellent, making the film visually striking from start to finish. The visuals, combined with the artwork, are very good creating a strong and impressive overall look.

Editing by Llewellyn Anthony Gonsalvez could have been crisper and sharper, particularly in the second half where the film occasionally becomes tedious.

The production values by Spirit Media, Wayfarer Films are top-notch and the film convincingly pulls off another period setting with great attention to detail.

Highlights?

Dulquer Salmaan delivers an outstanding performance

Visually striking period setting

Neat performances from the female lead and other cast

Drawbacks?

Docu-style, boring narration

Extremely slow first half until pre-interval

Lengthy second half

Lacks emotional impact in the end

Did I Enjoy It?

I liked the effort, passion and performances, but as a whole it didn’t click.

Will You Recommend It?

Not for everyone. The film is very slow and requires a lot of patience.

M9 Reviews vs Box Office: Simple Q & A Guide

Kaantha Telugu Movie Review by M9