Director: Manu Warrier
Cast: Prithviraj, Murali Gopy, Roshan Mathew, Shine Tom Chacko, Mamukkoya, Srindaa
Language: Malayalam
Films with religious undertones are usually either a drama or a romance. Seldom do we get to see a film that is a thriller and gives the idea of vengeance a truly gruesome touch. Kuruthi starts off on a light tone. We see Ibrahim (Roshan Mathew) grieving for his wife and child. We see Sumathi (Srindaa) who does the chores and wants to get married to Ibrahim. When a stray communal incident disturbs this sleepy village, chaos is unleashed in the form of Laiq (Prithviraj) who wants vengeance, not just for himself but on behalf of his community.
With a star cast and a superb gripping plotline, Kuruthi takes us through the eerie events of one night which questions the faith of those involved and unravels secrets in one go. How far should a man – who has promised on the Quran – go to keep his word? Is it a crime to hurt someone in the guise of keeping that promise? Do we actually know the people in their lives and the root cause of their actions which are driven by a compulsion to adhere to their faith? Kuruthi attempts to answer these questions in the background of a thriller, without taking an inch away from the actual genre.
The casting is spot on and superb in Kuruthi. Prithviraj gave me the heebie jeebies when he unleashes his pent-up anger on a young man. His relentless pursuit fuelled by his faith and hatred over the happenings around him, resonate in his actions. He doesn’t blink at anything. Kudos and a hat tip to Prithviraj for yet another career-defining performance. Roshan Mathew gives us fantastic undertones of sympathy and confusion. I especially loved his mental oscillation when sheltering a murderer.
Srindaa surprises us with her superb monologue when she reveals her secrets amidst a room full of men. She is calm yet scared and battles with her faith and the events around it. The entire cast of Kuruthi manage to play their parts perfectly, all thanks to a top-notch script. The screenplay is well-written, nuanced and evokes strong emotions. By weaving communal issues and philosophy into a thriller, Warrier gives us a nuanced film that makes us question about communal issues plaguing the country, reservation and the right of minorities. The dialogues by Moosa Khader (Mamukkoya) were a bit round-about, but still worked well due to the way the scenes are placed.
I also loved the cinematography by Abinandhan Ramanujam. A house and the woods are his canvas. And the camera moves so skilfully as we get the see the changing emotions and the importance of space in this story.
As I finished watching Kuruthi, a thought just came to me, following the last film I reviewed (Navarasa). This is how you take a film on the ‘Anger’ rasa.
Rating: 4/5
