Day: December 29, 2022

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Year-End Roundup: Best Hindi Movies Of 2022

2022 has been a mixed year for films in Bollywood. It witnessed the best Hindi movies, and the worst, too.

Several male stars delivered big duds. For example, Ranveer Singh had two releases: Jayeshbhai Jordar and Cirkus. Neither of them had set the box office on fire.

Similarly, several remakes have bitten the dust. The Hindi remakes of Vikram Vedha, Mili, and Jersey are a few examples. Only Drishyam 2 managed to become a blockbuster.

2022 also had its share of wonderful films both in theatres and OTT. Let’s check the best Hindi movies of 2022:

Gangubai Kathiawadi

It was the first big Bollywood release, post the second wave of the pandemic. Gangubai Kathiawadi was released at a time when theatres were operating at 50 percent occupancy, particularly in Mumbai.

The film was based on a chapter from Hussain Zaidi’s book The Mafia Queens of Mumbai. There was certain scepticism on whether Bhansali would be able to pull off this gritty real-life story, considering that his Ram Leela, Bajirao Mastani, and Padmavat were larger-than-life movies.

However, both Bhansali and its leading lady Alia Bhatt surprised one and all. Though Gangubai Kathiawadi had its share of Bhansali-trademark elements in the way the area of Kamatipura was staged, the film had a beating heart which made it much more than just a visual spectacle.

Gangubai Kathiawadi also offered Alia her widest canvas to date. The actor made sure Bhansali’s faith in her did not go in vain.

In fact, Alia sunk her teeth into the role and came up with a performance that is far superior to her previous ones. Physicality was a problem at times, but it is to the actor’s credit that this aspect did not become bothersome for the audience.

Alia expressed a lot just through her body language. The best example of this is the song “Meri Jaan” which takes place between her and Shantanu Maheswari in a car.

There was a multitude of emotions that she had to convey and the actress just killed it.

Another example is one of the initial scenes when the character stands in front of a brothel, leaning on a wall and calling out for men in whispers.

There are no dialogues, let alone a heavy monologue, but Alia conveys the pain of Gangu superbly, just through her eyes. Her performance easily stands amongst the best seen on-screen.

The supporting cast made this film even more memorable. Shantanu Maheswari as the Muslim tailor Afshan made a successful detour from television to films.

The love story between him and Gangu was handled with a lot of sensitivity. Audiences feel sad when the couple does not have a happy ending.

Ajay Devgan as Rahim Lala only had an extended special appearance, but the senior actor was as solid as ever.

Another character worthy of mention is Jim Sarbh, as a journalist. In their first scene, Gangubai introduces herself as Gangubai, the prostitute. This shocks Jim’s character.

Darlings

A story on domestic abuse on-screen is something that calls for a lot of sensitivity. Debut director Jasmeet K Rheen was brave enough to pick it up and mix it with elements of thriller and comedy.

This is a difficult mix to pull off for any director, let alone a debutant. But she managed to make it mainstream.

However, Darlings (released on Netflix) has its flaws: The tonal shift in the second half feels rather abrupt; the dark comedy doesn’t completely land. The indecisiveness of Badru makes the audience impatient.

But then, there is also a lot to like about Darlings. Chief among them is the mother-daughter dynamics portrayed excellently by Shefali Shah and Alia Bhat. The constant tussle between mother and daughter led to some thoroughly entertaining moments.

Jasmeet K Rheen also makes some valid points on the unequal power structure of marriage.

Unlike in Gangubai Kathiawadi, Alia is not the driving force in this film. But the audience roots for her because each one of us can see a family member or friend in her plight.

Kudos to the actor for choosing this film as her maiden production venture.

While Vijay Varma looked truly a scary psychopath, Roshan Mathews in the role of Zulfi was charm personified.

Jalsa

The story of Jalsa (streaming on Amazon Prime Video) is far from cheerful, as the title indicates.

Director Suresh Triveni packs a lot of serious stuff in the movie, starting from moral ambiguities to class divide. There are occasions when it feels too scattered and the characterisation of Vidya Balan leaves a lot to be desired, which I will get to later.

Vidya is introduced as Maya, a strong-willed journalist. She is someone who believes that truth should come out no matter what.

However, when she gets embroiled in an unfortunate accident, she does not stand up to what she preaches. The victim happens to be the daughter of her domestic help Ruksana, played by Shefali Shah.

Despite Jalsa being a new genre for Suresh Triveni, there is no denying the command that the director showed.

He is particularly impressive in showcasing the intricacies of human behaviour when they are pushed to the edge. The class divide between the two central characters was captured well by him.

There is a scene in the first half when Ruksana’s son gets fascinated with the motion flush in the toilet. For him, it is like a toy that only rich people can buy.

Rohini Hattangadi as Vidya’s mother spreads so much warmth whenever she appears on the screen.

Lastly, Ruksana’s bond with Maya’s 10-year-old son, who suffers from cerebral palsy, is also good to watch.

As mentioned earlier, Vidya’s character severely suffered from loose characterisation. At no point do we get a glimpse of Maya’s remorse.

Yes, a certain fear is there about police catching up with her. However, there is no proper scene where Maya feels bad for what she has done. This doesn’t go down well with what is shown in the beginning.

The looseness in the writing also reflects in Vidya’s acting. The actress is sincere but we have seen her do far better in the past.

The climax also ought to have been more power-packed. The stereotypical representation of journalists is another put-off. Not surprisingly, Shefali Shah walked away with the top honours.

Drishyam 2

The Hindi remake of the second Drishyam arrived at a time when there was a saturation of remakes.

Films like Vikram Vedha, Jersey, and Mili couldn’t do much despite having good reviews. However, there were more expectations from this sequel, given that the Malayalam original didn’t release in theatres and there was no dubbed Hindi version available.

The trailer was well received and the presence of the underrated Akshay Khanna added to the curiosity. The film was expected to be at least a hit; however, it went far beyond the expectations of the trade.

Drishyam 2 is one of those rare films that holds its own, both as a remake and also as a standalone film.

Much like the Malayalam original, here too, there are no heroes and villains. The audiences root equally for the common man Vijay (Ajay Devgan) and the police officer (Tabu).

Director Abhishek Pathak deserves huge appreciation for how he adapted the source material, while at the same time, adding certain things that don’t disturb the flow of the original.

Akshay Khanna brought a certain dynamism to his role of a determined cop-cum-friend.

Some sarcastic one-liners brought a smile to our faces, like the one when Akshay’s Tarun mocks Vijay about the latter’s story on what happened that night.

Good Luck Jerry

This is a remake of the acclaimed Tamil film Kolamaavu Kokila. The original was greatly appreciated for its performances and direction. Nayanthara aced her parts in the original.

There were doubts if Janhvi Kapoor would be able to pull off this author-backed role. However, to her credit, she was more than efficient.

Siddarth Sen, who directed Good Luck Jerry (streaming on Disney+ Hotstar), transported the Tamil original to Punjab. He added the angle of Jerry and her family as Punjabi migrants.

The father was replaced by a kind-hearted neighbour. Much like the original, here too, you root for the leading lady.

Good Luck Jerry had elements of both crime and comedy. This concoction was well handled by the director. Much of the film’s laughter comes from Rinku (Deepak Dobriyal). His one-side lover act packs quite a punch.

The movie also gave Janhvi some moments to showcase her masala side and the actress made full use of it. She is particularly good when Jerry has to take things into her own hands.

Mili

This is a survival drama starring Janhvi Kapoor. It is a remake of the Malayalam super-hit flick Helen, starring Anna Ben in the title role.

Survival drama is not a genre that can be watched on a repeat mode and it certainly isn’t for the weak-hearted. Mathukutty Xavier remade his own Malayalam hit into Mili.

Not surprisingly, it didn’t find many takers. But it did great justice to the original. In fact, we can watch Mili even if we have seen Helen.

The best part of the movie is when the survival drama takes over, with Mili’s father and boyfriend joining hands for their loved one.

The freezer room portions make you feel that you are actually with Mili. AR Rahman’s background music also added to the thrills.

The father-daughter relationship was the major backbone and it was a delight to watch Manoj Pahwa and Janhvi sharing screen space.

Sunny Kaushal could have had more scenes with Janhvi but even in those few scenes, he made his presence amply felt with his amiable nature.

Janhvi knocked it out of the park with her terrific performance as Mili, the title role. She makes the pain of the character so real.

Mili also had some impactful social commentary in terms of portraying the stereotypes attached to young working women.

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Year-End Roundup: Best Telugu Movies Of 2022

In 2022, Tollywood saw movies from different genres putting up a great show at the box office.

There are a couple of highest-worldwide grossers, including SS Rajamouli’s star-studded RRR starring Jr NTR-Ram Charan Tej, Mahesh Babu’s Sarkaru Vaari Paata, and Pawan Kalyan-Rana Daggubati’s Bheemla Nayak.

But Nikhil Siddhartha-Anupama Parameswaran’s Karthikey 2 turned out to be the surprise package.

However, there are a few films that tugged at the heartstrings of Telugu audiences with their powerful content and thus deserve to be tagged as the best Telugu movies of 2022. Let’s take a quick look at the list:

Major

In the last few years, Adivi Sesh significantly rose from the ranks, both as a writer and also as an actor. In 2022, he established himself as a formidable force.

Major was based on Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, an Indian Army officer who was martyred while combating terrorists in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Along with being the protagonist, Adivi Sesh was also the writer of this project.

The story of Major doesn’t have any suspense since the audience is aware of what will happen at the end.

But that didn’t stop the audience from cheering on Sandeep when he combats the terrorists.

Through his writing, Sesh presented Sandeep as a wholesome personality and not just as a military man. As a result, the audience had a better emotional connection when the tragedy happened.

As an actor, Sesh grabbed the role with both hands. He nailed his act both in scenes of physical bravado and also as a caring son.

Hit: The Second Case

It was a sequel to the successful Hit: The First Case. Director Sailesh made sure that there was a proper connection between Hit 1 and Hit 2.

Nevertheless, Hit 2 was ahead of its prequel, both as a solid police procedural and also as a psychopath film. Unlike Major and Gudachari, Adivi Sesh did not write the story for this film.

Hit 2 also had a brief subplot where it critiques extrajudicial killings and their celebration.

It is only a brief mention but it makes the movie a cut above the other films of this genre.

Thrillers aren’t new for Sesh but the actor made sure that there is something novel in his performance.

Sita Ramam

Hanu Raghavapudi’s Sita Ramam can be labelled as a poetic love story.

There is a lot to like about this Dulqer Salmaan and Mrunal Thakur-starrer. The two not only shined individually but their chemistry was also top-notch.

As Lieutenant Ram, Dulqer turned on his charm fully and made the audiences fall in love with him.

Mrunal Thakur was the surprise package. She not only looked stunning but also delivered a wonderful performance.

The director smartly combined the love angle with the Indo-Pak conflict. There are ample twists and turns to keep you hooked and it is difficult to be not moved by the ending.

The supporting characters led by Rashmika and Sumanth were also a delight to watch.

Music and cinematography departments also made Sita Ramam an enriching experience.

The film had its share of flaws; the case in point being the comedy track of Vennela Kishore. Also, Mrunal’s character doesn’t de-age even one bit!

But still, Sita Ramam is a feast for those who like intense love stories.

Bhamakapalam

Directed by Abhimanyu Tadimeti, Bhamakalapam is an interesting garnishing of elements such as crime, greed and religion.

The plot is centred on a Faberge egg that is worth ₹200 core. At the beginning itself, the audiences understand this egg has been stolen and gets lost again.

Bhamakapalam is not just an engrossing thriller but it also makes an important statement about finding the god within.

The underlying message is not to be misled by someone who uses religion as a weapon. This message isn’t particularly new; nevertheless, it’s relevant.

Anupama Mohan (Priya Mani) is a woman of many talents. She is a homemaker who is also famous for her cooking videos.

There is also an inner Sherlock Holmes in her which comes out early on. She tries to expose the extramarital affair of her neighbour. But all this backfires!

The husband takes a promise that she wouldn’t do her detective work again but fate has other plans.

The best aspect of Bhamakalapam is how the director builds suspense around the egg. Audiences are constantly wondering about what is so special about this Faberge egg that it is worth ₹200 core.

The film also benefits immensely from Priya Mani’s spot-on performance. She imbibed the curiosity of Anupama.

Her scenes with house help Shilpa (Sharanya) are a delight to watch. Sharanya shined both in the comic bits and also where she is required to show tension.

Ante Sundaraniki

In 2022, Actor Nani came up with just one movie: Ante Sudaraniki. Well, it was quite unusual; for, he delivers a film every three-four months.

In Ante Sudaraniki, the actor teamed up with Malayali beauty Nazriya Nazim. This romantic comedy is helmed by young director Vivek Athreya.

Though the reception at the box office for this sensible flick was mixed during its theatrical release, Ante Sundaraniki surely makes it to the list of best Telugu movies of 2022.

Nani rose to stardom with romantic comedies and he carries them with ease. Thus, he comes up with his best for Ante Sundaraniki. Nazriya Nazim joining him makes the proceedings even more interesting.

Nani appears as Sundara Prasad from an orthodox Brahmin family. Nazriya plays Leela Thomas from a Christian family.

They leave no stone unturned in convincing their parents of their interfaith marriage, but only land in bigger problems which, in turn, leave the audience in splits.

In all, the romantic comedy narrates the struggles of an interfaith couple in a comical way.

Besides the lead pair, the film features a strong support cast like Anupama Parameswaran, Nadhiya, Naresh, Rohini, and Azhagam Perumal.

Virata Parvam

Underrated Virata Parvam deserves serious film buffs’ attention

Rana Daggubati and Sai Pallavi-starrer Virata Parvam gained quite a lot of attention even before its release, owing to its storyline and casting.

But it could not sustain its momentum after hitting the theatres, as many considered it to be too serious a film for regular audiences.

Directed by Venu Udugula, Virata Parvam is set in the backdrop of Naxalism and tracks the heart-wrenching story of Vennela (Sai Pallavi). She falls for Naxal leader Ravi Shankar (Rana Daggubati) and gets attracted to the Naxalism ideology, which tragically ends her life.

Telangana was the hotbed for Naxalism in the 1980s and 1990s. Virata Parvam depicts the various facets of the extremist movement, riding on the love story of the lead pair.

Sai Pallavi’s acting prowess and her ability to carry conflicting emotions effortlessly keep the audience engaged throughout the movie.

Film lovers who are interested in serious stuff will find Virata Parvam engaging.

Ammu

Aishwarya Lekshmi’s Ammu takes a new stance on an age-old issue.

This is a low-profile movie which was released without much fanfare but held the audience in thrall with its intensity later.

Starring the talented Aishwarya Lekshmi in the title role, Ammu depicts the story of a naive and hapless married woman who becomes a victim of domestic violence.

Films on domestic violence are not new to the Telugu audience. But the way director Charukesh Sekar dealt with it makes Ammu a special movie.

Aishwarya Lekshmi’s impressive portrayal of a woman stuck in an abusive marriage added to the director’s vision, making it to the list of must-watch movies of 2022.

While this realistic film has its shortcomings, its brilliance and honesty won over the audiences.

Being the queen of Ammu, Aishwarya Lekshmi grabs all the credit. However, Naveen Chandra plays on par with her. He does an excellent job as an abusive husband.

Bobby Simha’s presence further adds to the impact. Interestingly, Ammu is Amazon Prime Video’s first original Telugu film.

Urvasivo Rakshasivo

The genre of romantic comedy/drama is one of the most overused genres in cinemas across languages. Only two kinds of endings are possible: One happy and the other sad.

But a well-made rom-com is always welcome, like Urvasivo Rakshasivo. It is the remake of the Tamil film Pyaar Prema Kaadhal.

Urvasivo Rakshasivo deals with the conflict between live-in relationships and marriage. The boy wants marriage but the girl wants a live-in.

The most refreshing aspect of this movie is the characterisation of Anu Emanuel’s Sindhu and the wonderful performance of the actress.

There are occasions when Sindhu may come across as both stubborn and spoiled. However, the audience also understands from where Sindhu is coming and the reason for her stubbornness in not wanting to marry.

Director Rakesh Sasi doesn’t tamper with the soul of Sindhu, at any point, even when the lead pair drifts apart.

Most importantly, the happy ending of the story doesn’t come at the cost of squashing Sindhu’s career dreams.

The film also never gets preachy. The scenes depicting the live–in relationship are peppered with much entertainment. Both Sunil and Vennela Kishore brought the house down with their comic timing.

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Some Of The Best Films From Our Neighbours

An overview into the best films that have come from Malayalam and Tamil film industry in the year 2022

Year Ender (Malayalam and Tamil Films)

This article is about some of my favorite Malayalam and Tamil Films that I have seen this year. There has been a big boom of Tamil and Malayalam films in the last few years thanks to the various OTT platforms. This year has also seen some wonderful films from both the industries particularly Malayalam.

First up are the Malayalam films.

1 and 2 Puzhu and Malayankunju: Both these movies are a stinging critique of two upper class men struggling to come to terms with today’s changing world. Puzhu is a gripping psychological study of a police officer called Kuttan (LegendaryactorMamooty). Kuttan is a widower who stays with his son Kichu in a posh apartment. He is an unlikeable character in many ways. He has an overbearing nature that suffocates his son.

Kuttan also suffers from a paranoia that someone is trying to kill him. This paranoia gets further accentuated with the arrival of his sister and her husband. Parvathy plays Kuttan’s sister Bharati. Kuttan has a problematic equation with Bharati as her husband comes from a lower caste.

The biggest strength of Puzhu lies in how the director handled the complex character of Kuttan. He doesn’t waste any time in establishing how unlikeable Kuttan is. There are no redeeming qualities thrust upon Mamooty’s Kuttanfor the sakeof it.

At the same time Kuttan also has his vulnerable moments. The best examples of these moments are the scenes where the father tries to reconnect with his son Kichu and when the son starts openly rebelling against the father.  There are also some much needed lighter bits when Mamooty keeps visiting a suspect whenever he escapes an attempt on his life.

With Puzhu Mamooty showed once again why he is considered as a legend. He generates hatred with the mere twitch of his eyes. It wouldn’t be wrong to say Mamooty lived the role of Kuttan.

FahadhFaasil’sMalayankunju looked at caste through the lens of a survival drama. In this film Fahadh played an electrician Anikuttan. He has a severe dislike for anyone who comes from the lower caste community. The reason for this attitude is connected to his father’s suicide.  In fact even an infant cry disturbs him.

Things take a turn for the bad when monsoon strikes followed by heavy rains. A landslide occurs and Anikuttan gets trapped.

The most interesting aspect of Malayankunju is how the director juxtaposed the aspects of Anikuttan fighting for survival along with that of the crying infant. In fact the cry that disturbs Anikuttan the most becomes a source of strength in those dire circumstances.

Malayankunju is a film that expertly balances the thrills of a survival drama along with the positive changes that happen in our protagonist.

The technical department led by Jothish Shankar and Mahesh Narayan is truly a marvel. The production design coupled with the cinematography play a major part in the audiences being engaged.

FahadhFaasil is someone who has always chosen complex parts and Malayankunju is no different. He effortlessly dwelled into the psyche of Anilkuttan and makes you root for him.

3.Bhootakalam: Rahul Srinivasan’s Bhootakalam has the typical tropes of a horror film. The creaking of the door, the dark atmosphere etc. However Bhootakalam is much more than just a film with jump scares.

The director uses the horror angle to talk about mental health and a flawed education system among other things. There is a clinically depressed mother Asha played by Revathy. She has a troubled equation with her son Vinu (Shane Nigam). Asha had raised Vinu all by herself after the death of his father when Vinu was seven years old. Asha cannot bear to see her son leaving for an outstation job. This naturally leads to many tussles between the mother and son. Both of them live in urban Kerala.

The major area where Bhootakalam scores is the way the director gradually builds up the tension. It is not that there is no love between the mother and son; however both of them are haunted by a troubled past that has only escalated further.

There is a lot of inner resentment and bitterness that has grown over the years. All this comes out in the form of arguments that feel so real. Another noteworthy character in Bhootakalam is the grandmother. This grandmother appears for a brief part but her presence can be felt throughout.

Both Revathy and Shane live their parts, particularly Revathy. The senior actress does a solid job in conveying the misery of a woman who has led a compromised life all throughout and now all those compromises are affecting her child. There is an important scene where she implores her son not to repeat her mistakes.

4. Pada: Pada directed by Kamal KM is a gripping hostage drama based on a real life incident. The incident had taken place in 1966 but the issue is relevant even today.

Four men played by Joju George, DileeshPothan etc hold a collector hostage for over 10 hours. Their aim is to make government withdraw the new bill that will alienate adivasis from their rights. So these people lock themselves in with the collector and start negotiating with the chief secretary played by Prakash Raj. It goes without saying that they have some ammunition also with them.

The biggest strength of Pada is the drama that unfolds as the hostage drama progresses. Through the character of the collector the director makes some important points. He perfectly conveys the difficulties of those who want to help the adivasis even within the administration. This comes out well in a scene where the collector talks about how he had helped the tribals in a land issue. But the four are quick to add that he was not able to finish the program successfully. At 125 minutes Pada is a crisply narrated tale. The performances of all the actors were in perfect sync with each other.

5. Salute: Films about the inner workings of the police department aren’t particularly new. But Salute directed by Roshan Mathews is worth a watch because of the tight script and Dulqer Salman’s performance.

The plot of Salute revolves around a family of police officers. Dulqer Salman plays sub inspector Aravind. His biggest inspiration is his elder brother Ajay played by Manoj. But things take a turn when an innocent auto driver Murali is falsely implicated in a double murder case by Manoj. The upcoming elections complicate matters for Murali. At the beginning of the film, it is shown that Aravind has taken leave; however, he soon decides to fight for Murali which makes them stand on opposite sides.

Salute works best when the focus is on the brothers. Both of them are constantly trying to outdo each other. What makes this more interesting is the fact that they are living under the same roof.

The film moves at a slow pace which is intentional and in this case apt. Another major strength of Salute is how Aravind is never shown to be invincible. He is as vulnerable as anyone else.

There are only two areas where the film stumbled. One is the last stretch and the other is the casting of Diana Penty. The film could have done away with the obligatory romantic track.

1.SaaniKaayidham: The story of SaaniKaayidham is basically influenced by Shekhar Kapoor’s Bandit Queen and also Quentin Tarantino’s films. Caste and violence on women is taken from the first; the revenge saga is reminiscent of the violence shown in Quentin Tarantino’s films. The violence is gruesome with multiple scenes of the villains being stabbed and tortured.

However, SaaniKaayidham is still an important watch on several counts. First and foremost are the performances of Keerthy Suresh and Selvaraghavan. They play half siblings who faced trauma beyond measure due to an unjust tragic event. Arun Matheswaran’s direction is more sure footed when he focuses on the dynamics between these two.

In the beginning there is a strained relation between them but once they get together the dynamics slowly change. There is an undercurrent of emotions that come to surface. This entire process was well depicted by the director.

The film also addresses the pertinent topic of how it is always the woman who becomes the soft target when the fight is between men. Though Poni (Keerthy Suresh) works in the police department it doesn’t stop the upper caste men from raping her. Their ‘justification’ for that is her husband challenged them. SaaniKaayidham is both engaging and problematic in equal measures.

2. O2: O2 directed by GK Viknesh is not just your regular thriller/drama set in a single location. O2 is a film which is above all a strong cautionary tale for humankind. In this film the director smartly juxtaposed the concept of two maternal mothers. One being Mother Nature and the other Nayanthara who plays a widowed mother Parvathy.

The film’s theme is clear from the opening scene itself where the chicks are being killed due to deforestation by human beings. From here we move to Parvathy’s son Veera. Veera is heavily dependent on oxygen cylinder for breathing. From the beginning the condition of Veera symbolizes the depletion of natural resources. Hope comes in the form of a corrective surgery. Parvathy decides to go ahead with it.

Soon mother and son are on the bus to Kochi. Here they are joined by several other characters like a corrupt cop, an ex- MLA etc. In a horrible turn of events they get trapped within the bus.

Films of this genre need a certain expertise and GK Viknesh proved that he is more than just a capable director. He makes you feel the wrath of nature. Audiences are always on the edge to find out what will happen next. The director is also successful in establishing the parallel between both the maternal figures – The Mother Earth and Parvathy. Parvathy is someone who can be unapologetically selfish, self serving and also violent. Nayanthara portrayed all these shades with the finesse that we have come to expect of her.

There are a couple of loose ends in 02 but the film is largely gripping; it is a thriller that ignites your thinking.

3.KadaisiVivasayi:As the title suggests Kadaisi Vivasayi talks about the last farmer in a village. Real life farmer Nallandi played the role of Mayandi. Unfortunately Nallandi died soon after the release of the film.

Mayandi is a farmer who doesn’t depend on technology or any other technological developments. In fact the youngsters in the village are surprised by the lifestyle that Mayandi leads. The supporting cast comprises several unknown faces.

The only known faces in the film are Vijay Sethupati and Yogesh Babu. Both of them appear in extended cameos.

It takes some time to buy into the world of Mayandi. In fact his simplicity is a little difficult to digest. But thanks to director Manikandan audiences are slowly drawn into his world.

The best thing about Kadaisi is that it never gets into the zone of moral lecturing. Nothing melodramatic happens in the village; still normalcy itself makes it melodramatic and at times scary. The inherent message of Kadaisi is to embrace the farmers with love and not pity.

The rural atmosphere has also been brilliantly captured by the director. Manikandan who also handled the cinematography does a wonderful job in capturing the scenic beauty of the village.

Manikandan’s direction is good but the script could have been better. The addition of Vijay Sethupati and Yogesh Babu doesn’t add much. The director tries to add elements of spirituality through the nomadic character of Vijay Sethupati but it doesn’t add much to the film. The less said about Yogesh Babu the better.

Kadaisi is a film that ultimately belongs to the late Nallandi. His real life experience of being a farmer reflects quite a lot in his performance.