Tarun Gopi’s second directorial venture after the successful ‘Thimiru’, ‘Kaalai’ shares some similarities with the director’s debut film. It’s mainly in a similar narrative style. In the suspense element he creates around his protagonist, and in the etching of the female characters, who are depicted as gutsy and given more prominence in the script, it is almost the same treatment.

It’s a complicated scenario the director presents in the earlier part. An air of suspense is created in a conscious attempt to confuse the viewer. Various characters appear on screen in quick succession, the audience are left wondering about their identity and motive, their mutual relationships and what the fracas was all about.

‘I want Jeeva’ thunders a woman constantly on the phone, to what seem like a bunch of hoodlums pushing through a crowd, in search of ‘Jeeva’. And there being three ‘Jeevas’ around, one a police officer Jeevandam (lal), the other a rowdy’s wayward son Jeeva (Tarunchatriys), and the third our hero Jeeva (Simbu) who takes cudgels against those harassing women. Its all a bit confusing for the audience to guess as to who the target is. It continues till we get to unravel the puzzle in the second half, when the film takes a flash-cut to the past. To a remote village lorded over by a woman (Seema) revered by her people, and the gory happenings there.

It’s then that we get to learn about hero Jeeva’s motive for his vendetta against policeman Jeevanandam. We learn as to why Jeeva kidnapped the cop’s daughter Brinda (Vedika) feigning love to her; as to why the rowdy advises his son to backtrack from harassing Brinda; and as to why the woman (Sangitha) screams instructions mixed with expletives, to the men on Jeeva’s track.

While it’s commendable that the female characters like that of Seema and Sangitha have been given more footage and prominence, unfortunately their activities are limited to a lot of screaming, rather than any real acts of bravado. It’s an energetic performance from Simbu. Though a bit of guidance would have helped him help smoothen the rough edges. Vedika provides the romantic angle. Nila comes in a dance number.

No doubt the director after the initial confusing scenario, has cleverly knotted up all the seemingly loose ends, and put back the pieces of the puzzle into a coherent whole. But the complicated earlier part, and the attempt to decipher it do exhaust the viewer. He could have adopted a more simplistic narrative style to this vendetta story.

Cast & Crew:

Director: Tharun Gopi  
Producer: NIC Arts Production  
Cast: Simbu, Vedhika, Sangeetha, Nila, Lal, Vadivelu, Sunil, Santhanam  
Music: G V. Prakash

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Tags: Kaalai - Tamil Movie Review, Lal, Nila, sangeetha, Santhanam, Simbu, Sunil, Vadivelu, vedhika | Filed in Kollywood