Film: Kadali
Starring: Gautham Karthik, Thulasi Nair,Arvind Swamy, Arjun,Manchu Lakshmi
Director: Mani Ratnam
Producer: Mani Ratnam
Banner: Madras Talkies
Music: AR.Rehman
Story
Sam Fernandez (Aravind Swamy) and Berchmans (Arjun) partake training sessions in a Christian missionary for priesthood. However, with a difference in an argument, the two gets separated with Berchmans getting kicked out of the church and eventually choose different paths. Years after, Sam turns out to be a Church Father and Berchman ends up as criminal millionaire. Sam turns the guardian for the young orphan Thomas (Gautham Karthik) who goes head over heels for Beatrice (Thulasi Nair), daughter of Berchmans. The rest of the story how Thomas wins his love forms the crux.
Performances
Gautham Karthik looks promising and he shows loads of energy with his convincing and impressive performance. He has danced well and his chemistry with Thulasi Nair was good. Despite his not so great characterization in the film, he makes us notice his performance with his efforts.
Thulasi Nair looked good but she has very little scope for performance. She is impressive and the song sequences featuring her have come out well.
Aravind Swamy and Arjun had good amount of roles in the movie and their performances are brilliant. The two actors have done their roles with such ease. Lakshmi Manchu is brief.
Technical Analysis
Just like every Mani Ratnam film, Kadali is also technically sound film. Rajiv Menon's cinematography is absolutely stunning and as asset for the film. The beaches and the sea are brilliantly captured while the songs picturisation are a great watch. AR Rahman’s musical scores are pleasing while the background score is impressive. Sreekar Prasad editing is crisp while art direction is good. Dialogues are mediocre with heavy Christianity words been penned.
Analysis
Being the ace director Mani Ratnam’s film, Kadali is surrounded with huge expectations. Instead Kadali my not reach your hopes if you expect to watch the film on the range of Roja, Bombay, Geethanjali et al. Kadali is all bout good vs bad and the central characters are essayed by Aravind Swamy and Arjun. In fact the two prominent stars got more screentime and importance than the debutant actors, where the love story is interwoven between these two prominent characters Sam and Bergman in the backdrop of sea.
The initial hour of the movie is excellent and the Thomas characterization as the innocent child was heart-wrenching, but as the story progresses Mani has shown the struggle between the good and bad. The story moves at a very slow pace and it’s only in the second half the love story takes off. Aravind Swamy has tried to pull off the film in the first half but the characterization lacks the needed depth and it isn’t convincing enough. While the narration holds your interest at times, the slow pace and the sloped screenplay frequently tests your patience.