Sunday, October 13
Shadow

Kanam Movie Review

Kanam Movie Rating: 3/5

Production: Dream Warrior Pictures Cast: Amala Akkineni, Nassar, Ramesh Thilak, Ritu Varma, Sathish, Sharwanand, Vennela Kishore Direction: Shree Karthick Story: Shree Karthick Music: Jakes Bejoy Background score: Jakes Bejoy Cinematography: Sujith Sarang Editing: Sreejith Sarang

Kanam is a film written and directed by Shree Karthick and bankrolled by SR Prabhu and SR Prakash Babu under the banner Dream Warrior Pictures. The film has Sharwanand and Ritu Varma in the lead roles while Amala Akkineni, Nasser, Sathish, Ramesh Thilak and others play supporting roles. The music is composed by Jakes Bejoy, and the cinematography is done by Sujith Sarang.

Aadhi (Sharwanand), Pandi (Ramesh Thilak), and Kathir (Sathish) are three friends whose lives are miserable in their own ways. Aadhi is a singer, but refuses to put out his work to the public. Kathir struggles to find a suitable bride for marriage, and Pandi hates his profession of being a broker. They embark on a time travel journey with the help of a scientist named Paul (Nasser), in order to set their past right, which in turn will change their future. However, a small mishap occurs during the time travel, and how they escape it forms the rest of the plot.

 

 

One can broadly classify films into two types. The first type being one where the film has loads of twists and turns, and is highly unpredictable. It doesn’t have to be a thriller, but can also be a romantic drama, where the unpredictability would be about how the relationship/character arcs are going to progress. On the other hand, you have films where you know exactly what is going to happen, and yet you remain glued to the screen because of the emotional value, the honest writing, and the beautiful performances.

And Kanam falls into the latter category. You might find flaws with the film, yet the film is so delightful that it makes you forgive them immediately. It’s like the difference between ordering biriyani and curd rice at a new restaurant. You are anxious to know how the biriyani tastes, but curd rice is always a safe, comfort food.

The best place to start talking about the film would be the performances. Sharwanand is earnest as Aadhi, and his chemistry with Ramesh Thilak and Sathish works out really well. And the star of the show is Amala Akkineni who plays the mother of Aadhi. Despite being a grounded character, her screen presence makes the film extremely likeable. She’s almost like a silent superstar.

The writing of the film is very basic and simple. It never complicates itself under any circumstance, and each scene conveys the emotion it wants with top-notch clarity. The humour through Ramesh Thilak and Sathish’s dialogues, especially towards the interval, works out big time.

Technically, the VFX during time travel looks convincing and bolsters the film’s engagement. At no point is anything overdone, and at no point does the film try to be over-ambitious. The background score by Jakes Bejoy aids the film at its most crucial junctures, and elevates the film several notches higher. Sreejith and Sujith Sarang – the editor and cinematographer respectively, work in tandem to deliver a visually appealing product.

Overall, the message it tells us is conveyed in a non-preachy way, and the point is driven home. Despite a second half which might seem long for a small section of audience, the film’s unsaturated sweetness makes this a wonderful watch. The performances and music also take this several notches higher. Do not miss this!