Period dramas are intriguing. To witness, and know how things were before our existence, is fascinating. Even though they are mere fictions, a griping story, and to a near exactness of resurrecting the vintage atmosphere, offer us a great cinematic experience. Kallan attempts to be one such movie. The story of Kallan is based on an actual law that was passed by the government back in the 80’s prohibiting hunting, and how that drastically alters the lives of people who were dependent on the trade. Actor Karu Pazhaniappan who was last seen in the sport drama Natpe Thunai is back on screens with Kallan. Film maker Chandra Thangaraj has helmed the entertainer. So how has the flick come out? Will it help turn director Karu Pazhaniappan in to a successful actor? To know that let us get in to the movie review.
Kallan Movie Poster
The film follows the life of Velu (Karu Pazhaniappan), a man hailing from a hunter’s family. Kallan is set at the backdrop of a village where hunting is the main source of income to people. An amendment in law by the government prohibiting hunting takes away their source of income. Velu’s family is pushed in to extreme poverty from poverty. Velu is adept in making guns on his own – a skill that his father had passed on to him. With no other source to generate revenue, Velu takes up manufacturing and smuggling guns up on his friends’ suggestion without anticipating the consequences of the trade. As he starts and attempts to build his trade, his friends take him on board and begin to pull small heists for survival. While orchestrating one such heist Vel comes across Thamarai (Nikita) who is struck at the hands of a molester stepdad. Velu saves her from him. Yes, you guessed it right, in the process love begins to burgeon between them.
When things seem to be going well, Velu gets embroiled in a theft and a murder which alters his life altogether. Velu is sent to jail which sabotages his relationship with Thamarai. In the prison, he meets Mari (Namo Narayanan), a drug smuggler who runs the show inside the prison walls. Velu’s acquaintance with Mari push Velu deeper in to the life of crime. Together they plan a big heist in Andhra Pradesh. They escape from the prison to pull off the heist. But when they try to set their plan in motion, they get caught in a treacherous web that threatens their survival. Will Velu and his friends cut off the treacherous web and come out alive, if he does, does he have a shot in life, and will he be able to convince Thamarai of that, is what makes the rest of the flick.
Films based on a real-life event, especially one that happened years ago, easily gets the audience hooked. As it is always fun to know how things were in the past and how much we have evolved from there. Also, as the drama unfolds, there is this constant contemplation going on at the back of our head as to how the event would really have occurred. Even though Kallan is a fiction based on one real-life event, it still has that effect on us. Director Chandra Thangaraj plays it clever choosing an intriguing premise to build her film on. She picks the right amendment in law to explore how a single policy change by the government alters the lives of people drastically. With premise and essence ready, she navigates to work on the twist and turns to make the flow engaging. She even succeeds in doing that to an extent in the first half of the movie.
But as the film enters the second half story teller Chandra Thangaraj indulges herself in convenient writing. For instance, Velu’s prison break feels like he has got the free pass to escape just because he is the hero, and nobody is not going to stop him. Even the heists are so dearth of creativity. A solid writing would have done Kallan a lot of good. Perhaps, even turned it in to an interesting watch. Also, the casting department could have been a little better to sell a gritty plot such as this. It is the flavor that artists bring to characters in this sort of a story that uplifts the entertainer. Here the lead character Velu is going through a turmoil of human emotions in a quick succession, but we do not witness that, as the character seems to go on like ticking the boxes in dealing emotions – like laugh done tick, angry done tick, guilty done tick.
Actor Karu Pazhaniappan seem like a miscast. He struggles to exhibit the rugged nature of his character. Actress Nikita’s performance is kind of okayish. Actress Maya Chandran has done justice to her role. Actor Namo Narayana is effective as usual. Actor Soudara Raja is adequate. The rest of the cast has delivered what was asked of them.
On the technical front, music director K’s tracks are entertaining. But his background score should have been better. Cinematographers M. S. Prabhu and Gopi Jegatheeswaran could have done more in covering the drama given that the plot was placed in a scenic town in the state. Editor Ahmed has enhanced the work of his colleague with his neat trims.
On the whole, story teller Chandra Thangaraj bombs an interesting premise with dull events that enact repulsive effect on us audience.
