Karnan

Karnan (2021) : Brief Review -

A monumental achievement for Dhanush, Selvaraj and Tamil Cinema to blend a Superior Social Classic with A Grade Mass Appeal. What Asuran Missed, Karnan has got it alright. That aggresive climax which was missing in Dhanush's Asuran has been found here in Karnan. This is how you make a Cult Film with Massy elements. A chunk of Smart Movie Buffs and Art Lovers always complaint about B grade action in South films and their illogical entertainers, i happened to be one of them too. But there are some films which have that cinematic sense which we look for and stars like Dhanush are one of those countable stars who understand this. With Karnan, Dhanush porves his intelligent choice of scripts again and director Mari Selvaraj gets his second consecutive Classic after Pariyerum Perumal. Comparatively, Karnan is better than Pariyerum Perumal. If you have seen that film then you know how big this compliment is for Karnan. Karnan, a fearless village youth, must fight for the rights of the conservative people of his village, due to the torture given by a police officer. It's a soul-stirring fight against the entire system of those suppressed people who have been overlooked by the upper caste people and government for years. Dhanush acts like he's one of those villager who have endiree this torture for years. The supporting cast is fantastic. Screenplay, Dialogues, Cinematography everything hits the high bar. Even the action scenes have A Grade execution which is rare for South films. Selvaraj has done such a great job that i can't tell in words. I would be laughing on the standard of all prestigious awards if this man doesn't get Best Director Award. Yes he is that GREAT! Karnan deserves your watch like you owed it to them and it's like you'll be doing favour for yourself. Hats off to Team Karnan.

RATING - 8.5/10*

By - #samthebestest.

Karnan is a story of a youth who can't tolerate any injustice. This story has been shown in many films but what differs Karnan from other films is it's superb execution by Mari Selvaraj. From the opening song of the movie you'll start to feel goosebumps. The film is too long because it started slowly in the 1st half but it became a gripping tale in the 2nd half and then you can't move your eyes from the screen.

You'll find many Mahabharat references here but fully opposite way. The animals are used for visual storytelling. The music & specially the BGM is superb. Not just Dhanush but the entire cast did a commendable job. Finally, I can't say Karnan a masterpiece but I'm sure you'll have a wonderful experience.

Available on Amazon Prime Video.

© MandalBros.

Dhanush & Mari Selvaraj unites for the first time in Karnan. Their previous works Asuran and Pariyerum Perumal were both impactful for their bold and strong content and the way that it has been delivered to the audience. With Karnan, they both step ahead by sincerely pulling off a deeply sensitive social issue on-screen. Well, Mari Selvaraj proves once again that he is a visual storyteller. He uses the brilliant village backdrop, costumes, natural lightings & characters to blend his vision in a well-constructed real world (Karnan's world). Karnan is realism. The film is really hard-hitting and each and every frame would be real. The beauty of the film lies in the visually pleasing cinematography. Mari Selvaraj tells his story with beautiful shots. The angles capture the emotion of each and every character. I would salute Mari Selvaraj for taking up such a serious social issue presenting it in a well-written film. Karnan's major strength is the writing, especially of the characters. Every character has a purpose and a scope to perform. After a remarkable performance in Asuran, Dhanush comes back, even more, stronger than Karnan, an angry young man who is in search of justice for his people. His performance can be easily categorized as one of his best. His intensity in his actions, his braveness in his attitude, and his pain in his eyes reflect the reality of an angry young man. Dhanush's performance is pure and intense especially in the climax which made the film outstanding and even more emotional. Lal's performance needs a standing ovation. I was mindblown by his natural and realistic performance which was the heart and the soul of the film. The rest of the casts including Yogi Babu were exceptionally great. They played a major part in building the so-called Karnan's world. Another major pillar of Karnan is Santhosh Narayanan. His songs are impactful and his background score is pulsating. In fact, his musical score helps the film to be more relatable to the audience. It makes us feel and emote for the characters in the film. Overall, Karnan is a very strong social issue-based film.

As usual dhanush acting at his best and rest of the other actors were brilliant.. mari selvaraj cleverly plays with an emotion of audience... bit slow in screenplay however movie has multiple mass scenes which surpasses it...great bgm and camera work , art work everything was upto the level.. watch on theaters have a blast...#stay_safe.

You might think these two movies are of same themes. Ultimately as we all know, Asuran was an effort to make a commercial movie set in rural background and for that you really need to pitch the title of whos hero, villain and other roles. While karnan, was ultimately a tale of oppression of a village with dhanush being an influence towards change. Mari Selvaraj has absolutely Executed without a typical template of potraying a hero centric movie or even defining whos the villain here (The evil is the mind, was well shown with Natty playing the role of the police) Those references of Eagles, Donkeys and Dogs were beautifully explained.

Ultimately, Karnan has very blended with the mythological themes of mahabharatha, with silouhette shots against the sun and many more. Definitely, its a tale that would last for generations, with powerful storytelling and visuals, without hurting any sentiments of any particulars.

P. S;- These are some movies that even tarantino cant make it in hollywood. So go give a watch!