Director: Sri Ganesh
Cast: Atharvaa, Kanna Ravi, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Radhika Sarathkumar, Vatsan Chakravarthy, Prakash Raghavan, Radha Ravi, Vinod Sagar
Kuruthi Aattam (directed by Sri Ganesh of 8 Thottakkal fame) opens with scenes that introduce us to a plethora of characters. It’s even a little disorienting at first, but this is a film that grows on you as you’re pulled deeper into the world of gangsters and assassins in Madurai.
Not all characters in the film live on the wrong side of the law. But the line is thin. We meet the protagonist Sakthi (Atharvaa), who’s a kabaddi player and also a staff nurse at a hospital. There’s Vennila (Priya Bhavani Shankar), Sakthi’s love interest and a school teacher who generously doles out corporal punishment to her students (for a few minutes, I thought she was the villain)!
We then meet the gangster families of Madurai, led by the Godmother Gandhimathi (Radhika). A character that seemingly wields unlimited power over the city, she is often seen clad in a prominent green saree (who does that remind you of), with her subordinates even addressing her as A…kka!
While 8 Thottakkal was more complex in its storytelling (there were shades of the Rashomon effect in the climax), Kuruthi Aattam could be classified as a straightforward revenge saga. But it’s a well crafted one at that. There’s more depth to the characters and the story than you’d typically associate with a film in this genre.
While the film sticks to the formulaic template of an angry young man getting pulled into violent events he’d rather not be involved in, the scenes that lead up to this set up are refreshing. We’ve seen films where two characters are secretly in love, but perhaps in a first, we have two characters here that are secret friends. This whole stretch, involving Atharvaa and a fantastic Kanna Ravi (of Fingertip fame), is brilliantly conceptualized and executed.
Madurai is famous for the dessert Jigarthanda, a delectable preparation containing a variety of ingredients that add to its taste. Kuruthi Aattam’s script is similarly concocted. The narrative relies more on the interplay among its sprawling medley of characters than a complex story. Each of these characters, right from a young girl who’s fighting a disease to a man who is constantly ridiculed by his own father, has his or her personal battles. But these personal battles fit into the grand scheme of Kuruthi Attam’s script superbly, leading to an action-packed climax. In a way, Kuruthi Aattam is episodic as well wholesome.
In a film that relies so much on its characters rather than the story, the casting had to be near perfect. The acting performances had to be spot on too. Young actors like Atharvaa and Priya are ably supported by veterans like Radhika and Radha Ravi in this regard. Radha Ravi especially essays a memorable cameo, a rip-roaring scene between his character and his son’s towards the end of the film being a major highlight.
Yuvan Shankar Raja’s BGM, that makes generous use of percussions, is rollicking and adds to the tempo of the film. Vicky’s stunt choreography is impressive and is one of the film’s high points, especially when combined with Dinesh Purushothaman’s stylish cinematography.
Overall, Kuruthi Aattam begins as a slow burn but catches pace as it progresses. There are umpteen kabaddi references throughout the film, so let me end this write up with one. Kuruthi Aattam might not take your breath away but it at least stays on its feet from start to finish.
Overall rating: 3/5
