Sameer Thahir charmed us last time with his brilliant road film, Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi (2013) which was, although not entirely original, a novel feature in Mollywood. And in 2016 we have another fresh attempt by him which talks about a notorious human feeling through a thriller template.
Siddharth (Salmaan) is a short-tempered young man who lives with his wife Anjali (Pallavi) after being in love since college. Albeit through a cranky start with their respective families and careers, the duo manage to salvage the situation, paving a neat road to a peaceful matrimony. Anjali knows that her good-looking husband has anger issues, but still takes the plunge hoping that he might change. Unfortunately, her hopes are not as audacious as they seem, as everyone finds out the hard way.
Siddharth's anger creates a cavity in the relationship with his wife, which is further aggravated and tested by times as they set out to the latter's parents' place through crooked roads of the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. While the first act shows the slow formation of this cavity and Anjali's harried attempts at maintenance, in the second half, the duo are apprehended, due to an entirely coincidental turn of events, by a group of rowdies. Which the makers want us to believe is due to one of the protagonists' feeling, which is also the central theme of the film: rage.
I could agree that rage created the cavity between them, and that rage, that unflinching, uncontrollable feeling due to things petty, got them apprehended in the second act, but the story arcs that grow themselves out of the main story is purely inconsequential. And the conclusion, which is related to one of these story arcs, makes the whole bunch of grapes a little sour.
The biggest problem, if one hypothesizes, is that there is no solution in sight. But that is not what the makers wanted to convey. What they want to convey is how uncontrollable anger can wreak havoc in one's life and alienate him/her from his/her family and friends, inching ultimately to self-destruction. But hold on, while the story gives you a basic, superficial understanding of what the previous statement means, the conclusion is abrupt and equivocal (of the wrong kind). And when that is sampled with a gaping plot hole, things get murkier.
Dulquer Salmaan and Sai Pallavi are terrific with their respective roles. The chemistry between them also played out gorgeously, which helps the audience empathize with them later in the film. However, Pallavi's weird accent played me off a couple times, despite of the fact that her character is not a Malayali. The supporting cast don't much do anything, except Soubin Shahir, who continues to make us laugh. Chemban Vinod Jose a fairly good job; makes him look like he was cut out for the role.
The camera work is brilliant, and Thahir has worked well with his actors in brining out the best in them. However, Rajesh Gopinadhan should have spent few more days in the writer's room to carve the climax out in a better way. What the film finally closes to is that rage, after all, is necessary. While that is a debatable topic, taking on the offensive with the theme made me and my sister turn our heads and shrug.
Having said that, it is a palatable film which never bores. The drama and action are top-notch. Special mention to the thirty minutes post interval for really keeping the audience on the edge. Ignore the songs and the hypothesis, and you will enjoy this feature that is free from the usual ingredients.
BOTTOM LINE: Sameer Thahir's Kali may not be as good as his debut, but the story that he tells using his talented actors is one not to be missed. Worth the DVD rent.
Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES
