In Kanguva, Tamil cinema’s latest attempt to present another pan-Indian film starring Suriya, the Moon is used as a silent witness to the unfolding events. Set in the 1100s, the film follows Kanga or Kanguva, the prince of an island village called Perumaachi. He attempts to protect his clan and the child whose father he killed from the imminent threat posed by a foreign invader manipulating a rival clan. Led by Udhiran (Bobby Deol). Fast forward to 2024, Suriya plays Francis, a bounty hunter who is pursued by a boy who bears an uncanny resemblance to the boy from the past. This child was captured by the Russians for a brain mapping experiment. There are repeated shots of the Moon throughout the film, suggesting its continued presence in both timelines.

If you had watched the movie All the way to the Moon, you might have managed to avoid the headache brought on by the deafening decibel levels throughout the film’s 2 hours and 34 minutes. I wonder how many strips of Strepsils Suriya and Bobby Deol they consumed after the dubbing sessions!

Disclaimer for Bobby Deol fans – If you are expecting the Animal star to light up the screen, prepare to be disappointed.

The technical aspects of a film that has been in the making for almost two years are let down by one of the weakest scripts by Siruthai Siva, who is known for making commercial potboilers with some of Tamil cinema’s biggest stars.

Here is the trailer:

Apart from Vetri Palanisamy’s outstanding cinematography and impressive set designs, everything else misses the mark. Suriya’s commitment What is clearly one of your dream projects? it shines, but the poor writing does little to elevate the film. You can feel his dedication to the project, but unfortunately he is not rewarded.

Also Read: Kanguva review

The full frame shot of Suriya’s six-pack should have been a celebratory moment for his fans, but it passes by with almost no reaction from the audience. It becomes just another rudimentary set piece, and Kanguva has plenty of it.

THE FIRST IRRESPONSIBLE STRETCHES

Initially, Kanguva reeks of mediocrity. The scenes depicting Francis’ life as a bounty hunter in the present day feel lazy and disrespectful to the audience. In fact, Suriya says one of the cruxes of the film is the embarrassment of those excruciating tensions set in Goa.

Veteran actor-director KS Ravikumar plays the police commissioner who assigns reward jobs to Francis, but his character is a caricature. Similarly, Disha Patani’s role as Angelina is as uninteresting as it is underwhelming, doing nothing to move the story forward. Francis’ aide Yogi Babu is falsely portrayed as a bounty hunter. In the final stretches of the film, the makers seem to have realized this and abruptly abandon the action sequence where Yogi Babu, armed with machine guns, confronts Russian agents. Redin Kingsley, who plays Disha Patani’s sidekick, does little to advance the plot, instead slowing down the pace of the film with embarrassing one-liners.

Here’s a trailer:

The film subjects the viewer to several poorly executed segments seemingly designed to appeal to a generation in love with spectacle rather than substance. Even some parts of Gen Z evoke more emotion than the first 20 minutes of Kanguva.

Veteran actors Kovai Sarala and Ravi Raghavendra (father of composer Anirudh Ravichander), who play Francis’ parents, get less screen time than the eagle that follows Suriya in both the timelines.

LOST OPPORTUNITY IN THE 1100’S

The bar is set so low in the opening chapters of the film that it feels as if Kanguva is preparing the audience for something better in the episode set in the past. while TV series set in the 1100s It is definitely an improvement, they are not without their own shortcomings.

Nothing moves the film forward, not even the fundamental bond between the Kangaroos and his adopted child. The plot points are as general as they come – there’s betrayal, sacrifice, and bravery – but none of these themes resonate due to poor writing and the film’s time constraints.

In one of the rare scenes that is allowed to breathe, a group of 15 women from Perumaachi take on Udhiran’s men in a frozen wasteland. This scene works because the audience is given enough time to connect with the characters’ purpose. The action choreography here is the highlight of the film.

There’s no doubt that Siva has incorporated some new ideas, but they fail to come together to create the impact needed to make the audience root for and boo the lead character. In one such process, Kanguva defeats hundreds of Udhiran’s men using the elements of nature. Although well shot, the sequence lacks the believability needed to fully draw the viewer in.

In an interview in October, Surya said: He wanted to make a movie in the style of Braveheart or The Lord of the Rings. Producer KE Gnanavel Raja seems to be a big fan of SS Rajamouli, who inspired many filmmakers today to dream big. However, Kanguva lacks the solid vision and compelling writing that makes the films they aspire to create so effective.

Let’s not forget music composer Devi Sri Prasad. In one of Siruthai Siva’s earlier works, Veeram (starring Ajith Kumar), DSP’s music elevated the well-written portions. But in Kanguva his work is as noisy and underwhelming as the script it accompanies.

IT HARMS THE FOMO SECTOR OF TAMIL CINEMA

Tamil cinema seems to be suffering from FOMO (fear of missing out). Filmmakers like Rajamouli (with Eega, Baahubali and RRR), Sukumar (Pushpa) and Prashanth Neel (KGF) dared to dream big and their films became successful. But Tamil filmmakers seem to be missing the point; They are not brave enough and the writing here reeks of laziness. Shankar’s Indian 2 is another example How not to make a big budget movie and how to position it for success.

You wonder what Selvaraghavan, who made the fantastic Aayirathil Oruvan with Suriya’s brother Karthi in 2010, would have produced if he had been given a budget as big as Rs 300 million.

Directors not collaborating adequately with dedicated screenwriters has been a long-standing problem in Tamil cinema. Although they are skilled at the craft, it is their writing that holds them back. Apart from Mani Ratnam, Vetrimaaran and Gautam Vasudev Menon, how many filmmakers have actually used literature?

Kanguva is a timely reminder that a pan-Indian film doesn’t have to be a Rs 300 crore spectacle with little substance. Tamil actors and directors have gained national and international recognition in the past by creating well-grounded, well-written works.

No, Tamil filmmakers and stars do not have to shoulder the burden of saving the industry. They can learn a lot from the Malayalam film industry, which understands the importance of respecting its audience.

Plus, let’s be honest: the star cast in Tamil cinema is starting to feel like glorified fillers rather than anything that adds to the film’s climax.