Kaalidas

Since he made his debut in ‘Boys’ way back in 2003, actor Bharath carried that label of a young amateurish hero who might falter with mature roles. He has been stereotyped as a boy next door with scripts that worked to suit that image, but after a point it became stale.

Later he tried his best to collaborate with the likes of director Perarasu for some horrible experiments with action masala that almost sealed the fate of his career. With only a few notable films and performances under his belt, Bharath has pinned his hopes on ‘Kaalidas’, a film that marks his comeback!

Starring in the titular role, that too as the cop for the first time, Bharath certainly looked the part as far as his physique goes. What about the performance and most importantly, how the film faired in terms of content and the way in which it got delivered? With the least expectations, I visited the theater with a few elements of intrigue - the poster and something that promised a decent content. I was pleasantly surprised by the movie!

The story of the movie is about a series of murders that happen around a certain residential area in Chennai and the murky mystery that surrounds them. It’s a ‘whodunnit’ kind of a thriller that had some surprising psychological elements tucked within. That, in my opinion, was used quite intelligently as an agent to propel the screenplay.

Another aspect that worked to the film’s advantage was the characterization of the lead, Kaalidas (Bharath). The character was presented with some inherent flaws. It's not a typical ‘hero-centric’ role. Even during his introduction, we get to see him negotiate with a guy who threatens to slash him with his knife. He uses his heart and heads more than his brawn.

In the subsequent scene, we see that his reporting officer designates another experienced senior officer to investigate the case along with him, doubting his abilities. And, during the investigation, the senior officer gets the ‘intelligent’ investigatory moves.

These are some of the many elements that worked to the movie’s advantage, making the screenplay closer to life. The relationship between Kaalidas and his wife Vidhya (Ann Sheetal) was another significant knot that made way for a decent thriller. There were also some unnecessary bits that were pushed in to make things look murkier and also the character of Aadhav Kannadasan was a bit of a hit and miss.

The movie didn’t have a separate comedy track, however, one of the cops cracked some timely wits that brought the house down. Though Bharath didn’t deliver anything special, he has certainly underplayed the role and added an element of dignity. Suresh Menon as the senior cop was a natural fit for the role. Ann Sheetal has made a solid debut in Tamil. Her role was well molded.

The movie could have scaled greater heights with a tighter screenplay that had a much more convincing (sinister) reason behind the murders done on screen. Also, at times one could feel that the random dots were connected by chance and not by any logical means.

With the exception of these minor flaws the movie delivers on what it promised - a solid and decent thriller. Hope this one gives a new ray of hope for a potential talent like Bharath. Last but certainly not the least, a hearty congrats to debutant director Sri Senthil.

Rating: 2.75 / 5

Verdict: A decent thriller!