Kaantha is a murder mystery set inside a 1950s film studio. The story begins with the heroine of a movie being shot dead, and the investigation that follows. The premise is interesting, and the film has a few good moments, mainly because of Dulquer Salmaan. His performance lifts many scenes, and the climax is a treat to watch. Even then, the film did not hold my interest throughout. If the runtime had been shorter by half an hour, it would have felt tighter. Mangoidiots gives it a Raw.
The opening scenes in Modern Studios look authentic. The production team has recreated the grand hall, office room and dressing spaces of that period with care. The choice to show reel portions in black and white and the rest of the movie in colour works well. Director Selvamani Selvaraj has used this contrast neatly. The story feels worn out for such a grand setting. The background music also felt slightly out of place and did not reflect the time period in which the story is set
Samuthirakani appears as senior director Ayya. Dulquer Salmaan plays TK Mahadevan, a leading star of that era. Bhagyashri Borse appears as Kumari, a newcomer. Rana Daggubati is Inspector Phoenix. The other actors suit their parts, but Samuthirakani did not match how a director from that period is usually imagined by us. Rana Daggubati makes an impression in the beginning, but his character slowly drifts into an unwanted comic tone as the case moves forward. Gayathrie Shankar and Bagavathi Perumal do well in their roles.
For me, period films work best when the plot cannot be told in today’s setting or when it is tied closely to a certain time in history. Kaantha does not feel like either. This gap weakened the experience for me.
The film will be available on Netflix.
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