Kanakam Kaamini Kalaham
Introduction
Finally a start of a new weekend and you know what that means – some brand new releases to cover. And first up I decided to watch and review the new Malayalam film Kanakam Kaamini Kalaham on Hotstar. Why did I pick this to be the first new release? Firstly, it is Malayalam and naturally any New Malayalam movie makes me really keen to watch it. Secondly, Nivin Pauly who returns to the silver screen after a quite a long gap with his last release being the exceptional Moothon. Thirdly, this movie is directed by the Director of Android Kunjappan which was critically acclaimed and something that I would be watching and reviewing pretty soon. So enough things were going in favour of the film, does the film manage to tickle your funny bone, stay tuned.
Story & Screenplay
Kanakam Kaamini Kalaham follows the story of a bickering couple who head to a hilltop resort to mend ways till their holiday is disrupted by a group of goofy people. The story is quite typical, something that you will find often in a Malayalam film having a simple premise with a layered screenplay. While this story has all the ingredients for a laugh riot, the screenplay is a bit of a mixed bag. It has several moments that will make you smile but at times you can’t help but think that the jokes are a bit stretched. I also feel this film did not really require a buildup of 25 odd minutes. This could have directly got to the point and perhaps have been as effective. Also I had a minor issue with the length of the film. Although on paper this is just over 2 hours which is ideal for a standard film, here particularly had the film been perhaps 10 odd minutes shorter, the film would have been much more funny and impactful. But, there are still loads of things to admire here. The tone of the film is goofy and consistent throughout and there are several situations created that are funny to witness and successfully manage to tickle your funny bone. While, some sequences are stretched, the writers have experimented with dark humour as well as a couple of burning social issues in a very comic manner that definitely convey the message here. The chaos that is created is pretty fun to watch with all characters adding their element to the scene all at the same time. And the film ends in a hilarious final act that ensures you end the film with a smile. Overall, a watchable but flawed screenplay.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are quirky and funny although much of the jokes may have been lost in translation as I had to watch it with English subtitles. The BGM is alright, the cinematography is good. Director Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval who had directed Android Kunjappan does a fair job here. While he stays faithful to the subject, at times he just goes a little overboard by overindulging in a few scenes. So jokes might seem a tad repetitive and stretched although very subtle. Overall, a decent outing here.
Performances
The performances are pretty good here. Rajesh Madhavan as Manaf is absolutely hilarious with his one-liners. Sudheesh as Siva is pretty good too. Vincy Aloshious as Shalini has a nice little role which she does full justice to. Vinay Forrt as Joby has an impeccable comic timing to boast of and his expression of shock will definitely make you laugh hysterically. Grace Antony as Harupriya looks pretty and is nicely restrained here. And one of my favourites Nivin Pauly as Pavithran is stupendous here. He has a commanding screen presence and he excels in comedy quite well here.
Conclusion
Despite its shortcomings, Kanakam Kaamini Kalaham provides chaotic entertainment and is a good one time watch. Available on Hotstar.