‘Kaantha’ review: Great performances weighed down by slow narration

Rating: 2/5

After the success of Lucky Bhasker, Dulquer Salmaan returns with Kaantha, a Tamil–Telugu period drama that also marks Rana Daggubati’s comeback as both actor and producer. Directed by Selvamani Selvaraj, the film introduces Bhagyashri Borse in a pivotal role. As the film hits theatres, let’s see how it fares at box-office.

Story

Kaantha revolves around the escalating ego clash between iconic filmmaker Ayya (Samuthirakani) and his protégé, star actor TK Mahendran (Dulquer Salmaan). When Mahendran alters the climax and title of Ayya’s women-centric film Shaantha, tensions erupt, placing debutante heroine Kumari (Bhagyashri Borse) in an emotional dilemma between admiration and love. The conflict intensifies on set, culminating in a shocking real bullet being fired. The mystery surrounding the incident, its motives, and its consequences drives the narrative into a murder-investigation territory.

Performances

Dulquer Salmaan delivers a standout performance, excelling particularly in the climax. Bhagyashri Borse impresses with her emotional depth, making a strong mark despite this being a crucial film in her early career. Samuthirakani is a perfect fit as Ayya, while Rana Daggubati brings charm to his quirky role, though his character writing lacks impact.

Technicalities

Director Selvamani Selvaraj started the film with a promising thematic depth but failed in delivering it. Dani Sanchez Lopez’s cinematography is the visual core of the film, blending colour palettes and aspect ratios with finesse. The editing by Llewellyn Anthony and Gonsalvez is partly engaging but becomes stretched during the investigation portions. While the production values shine, the music falls flat, offering little emotional connectivity. James Bejoy’s background score is effective, though the screenplay struggles with sluggish pacing.

Analysis

Kaantha begins as an intriguing clash of creativity and ego but gradually shifts into a murder mystery that lacks strong momentum. While the first half is compelling, the second half loses steam with its slow investigation and weak emotional connect. Despite outstanding performances and technical brilliance, Kaantha ends up as an average watch weighed down by uneven narration.

On a whole, with strong performances and promising thematic depth, Kaantha aims to deliver an emotionally layered cinematic experience but struggles with pacing in its latter half.