Kara (2026), has craft but not enough conviction

Kara is a bank-robbery story that tries too hard and for too long to be smart and socially conscious. In doing so, it fails to fully utilise its biggest asset, a master actor Dhanush. It is not a bad film, but the opening sets your expectations high, and the rest of the film struggles to match them. Watch it if you go in with the right expectations. Mangoidiots gives it a Raw.

This is a 1990s period film. The writers never quite convince you why it had to be set in that era, beyond the obvious absence of CCTV cameras and the handling of large volumes of cash. That is the first stumbling block the story never fully recovers from.

Dhanush plays Karasaami, a young small-time robber. One of his jobs goes wrong, and he is on the run. Returning to his village, he finds himself pulled into a series of bank robberies. Whether he succeeds in his larger objective is the story. This should have been a nail-biting thriller. Instead, you can see the conclusion coming well in advance, and the film delivers exactly that.

Do not get me wrong. The individual scenes are brilliantly made. Each bank robbery is well-orchestrated, and every movement of the actors is enjoyable to watch. The cast, including Mamitha Baiju, Karunas, Jayaram, and K S Ravikumar, is well chosen.

For Dhanush, the role offers little room to show his range. He spends most of the film in the same note of quiet sadness and physical action. There is no space for romance, humour, or even anger. Any of those would have been welcome, and none arrived.

Mamitha Baiju is almost unrecognisable as the village wife and plays the role very well. Karunas is reliable in familiar territory. But it is K S Ravikumar who stands out, particularly in the scenes where he plays the loving father. Suraj Venjaramoodu is a welcome addition as the police inspector on the case, bringing a light touch of humour to an otherwise dry script. Jayaram takes on an antagonist role, which was unexpected, and he does it justice.

The biggest structural problem is pacing. Each bank robbery unfolds slowly, sometimes painfully so, and begins to feel repetitive. Then the climax arrives in sharp contrast, suddenly shifting into high gear in the last ten minutes. It feels abrupt and oddly placed after everything that came before it.

Kara has the ingredients for a gripping heist film. The craft is visible in every scene. But a predictable screenplay and uneven pacing hold it back from being the film it could have been. Watch it for the performances and the well-made set pieces, but temper your expectations going in.