Kaantha

As always Dulquer has top notch acting, Samu and Bhagya did a great job too, first half is good reminds you of mahanati, second half where the movie becomes slow, I don't know why Rana did that character, slow paced, nothing like Dulquer other Telugu movies don't go with that expectation, all and all not for everyone.

Rating - 4/5

A performance driven period political drama thriller showing the ego rivalry of an actor and his Godfather.

The story revolves through the emotional misunderstandings between an actor and a veteran filmmaker which further explores the immeasurable price they had to pay for their selfless ego leaving them with endless regret and guilt.

Selvamani Selvaraj has pulled off an intriguing story keeping cinema as a backdrop extracting the peak performances of the key characters. The screenplay by Selvamani & Tamizh Prabha is commendable keeping the audience hooked to the screen with the charismatic performances and story placement. The story is uniformly paced and once the backdrop is set, the filmmaker has easily placed the emotional dynamics among the lead characters through subtle narration and supporting background scores. The film has precisely explored the hierarchism in cinema, pride, ego, revenge, betrayal and romance with flawless writing and to the dot execution. Hats off to the filmmakers for elevating the film from a drama to a thriller in the final lap through the fluctuating background scores.

Powerful performance by DQ Salmaan who proved his excellence again in mastering period characters with immense accuracy and subtle execution. Poignant performances from Samuthirikani & Bhagyashri Borse who delivered their character with a cutting edge perfection. Incredible performances from Rana Daggubati who has just driven the entire second half with his dominant performance and dialogue modulations. Nizhalgal Ravi, Ravindra Vijay, Vaiyapuri, Bhagavathi Perumal, Bijesh Nagesh & Gayathri Shankar gave solid performances.

Kudos to the technical teams behind the camera for their contributions in setting the period ambience throughout the movie specially the DOP Dani Sanchez Lopez for capturing the core performances and the period settings, sensational Music & Scores by Jhanu Chanthar & Jakes Bejoy respectively, Costumes by Poojita & Sanjana, haunting sound design/mixing by Sanjay, Allwin & Vishnu, effortless contributions by art department, thoughtful colour grading by Bhusam Kiran/ Glen Castinho altogether weaved and tailored into an emotionally engaging story by Llevellyn Antony Gonzalvez.

A fully loaded power house performance story that should be experienced in 4K Dolby Laser Atmos screens.

Set in 1960s background, Kaantha tells the story of a feud between two men one's envy poisoning another's growth and the dire consequences of their ego. The film proves that knowing who the killer is, matters less than watching how the story unfolds. You know the destination, but the journey is what makes this predictable whodunit a memorable classic.

Dulquer Salman as T. K. Mahadevan, a call back to veteran actor M. K. T, is perfectly cast - the actor has put in all that he has learnt through the years into this film. Since it is a whodunit, his character did not have the scope to be well-defined, yet the ability of the actor to shine past that barrier is truly commendable. Samuthirakani as the director has done an equally commendable job, the role of an antagonist is not new to him, and he has done his best with the material he was given.

Bhagyashri as Kumari is probably the best find of this year. Very few female actors start their careers with a meaty role as this in a new industry. Her ability to embody the acting skills of veteran actors speaks volumes about her range. Casting is a huge plus point for the film, apart from the set design, background music, costumes, and screenplay.

Screenplay and dialogues written by Selvamani Selvaraj and Tamizh Prabha are what transform this familiar story into something special. The writing crackles with period authenticity and elevates every scene through nuanced character work. The climax alone should give goosebumps to any film lover.

Rana comes in the second half as your typical whodunit investigation cop and doesn't add much value to the film. The character is an exhausted trope at its finest.

The film's biggest flaw is that it feels like two different films stitched together. The first half is a character-driven period drama about envy and ambition. The second half shifts into crime procedural territory. Both halves are excellent in isolation, but the transition is jarring rather than organic. If you're a fan of both drama and crime drama, you'll appreciate the craftsmanship of each half. But if you're expecting the story to progress naturally from setup to resolution, you might feel blindsided by the shift. The film is quite long, and the essence of the first half gets somewhat lost in the second. I suggest you take a break during intermission and relish what you've watched before tuning in for the genre change.

Regards, Vetrrich Chelvan NF14122025.

Kaantha is good movie filled with a lot of excellent acting performances !

Despite the slow narration, it has enough elements to hook on to the screen ; it has intense story of a ego clash between actor and director set in 1950 Tamil cinema world . As i said earlier ,it has very good acting performances .

Samuthirakani done a good job & Bhagyashri Borse really impressed me with her acting and Rana Daggubati nailed his role as quirky investigative officer .

Dulquer Salman delivered one of his best showcase, some close up shot and acting is fabulous to watch ,his combo with Bhagyashri is treat in the case of acting, both were shining through out their scenes together .

Over all this one has great technical standards ,artworks and impactful BGM ,above all very good performances of all the actors lead by DQ !

This one is not a commercial one, a classy one you don't want to miss it on big screen.

CINEMATIC MASTERPIECE! A period drama set in 1950's Madras tinsel town ( there is a shot of LIC building on Mount Road under construction) , when big studios ruled. First half is the deadly ego clash between a veteran director Ayya (Samuthirakani) taking on the superstar KT Mahadevan (DQ) 'Nadippin Chakravarthy' whom he discovered & mentored. Second half is pure Hitchcockian style murder mystery- who pulled the trigger? The way director has seamlessly blended both the parts together is what keeps you hooked till the end. What a solid performance by Dulquer Salmaan, his best till date, you can see the emotions of the character he plays in the breakdown 'mirror scene'. And Samuthirakani as the ego driven maniac is perfect foil to DQ. Bhagyashri Borse is riveting and does a neat job as the girl torn between her loyalty to Ayya and her love for KTM. For Rana it is a cakewalk as comical investigation officer. Antony's editing and Jakes Bejoy bgm enhance the production. Yes it has pacing issues but is definitely one of the best films of the year, and is sure to sweep the awards."