KAAPAAN (2019)

Critic - No.172

Director: K.V. Anand
Producer: Allirajah Subaskaran, Lyca Productions
Casts: Surya, Mohanlal, Arya, Sayyesha, Samuthirakani
Language: Tamil
Genre: Action / Thriller
Music: Harris Jeyaraj

SYNOPSIS:
A Special Protection Group officer, Kathiravan (Surya) has to identify the threat to the prime minister and the nation.

REVIEW:
K.V. Anand’s Ayan (2009) and Maatraan (2012) with Surya, clinched an important place in the list of gripping contemporary action thrillers in Kollywood. In fact, it gave Surya, his much needed boost for his second leg of career. The expectations were sky rocket from the word go for Kaapaan and does it touch the target it set to hit?

The film is quite clear in what it wants from the first scene, when the plot of threat for the Prime Minister is introduced. And then the story shifts to a village where Kathir, a commander who is in undercover to find out more about the threat behind the Prime Minister. Sounds familiar? Yes, Kaapaan is a typical patriotic action flick similar to those we saw in the 90s fronted by Arjun and Vijayakanth. However, what lacks in Kaapaan is the much needed emotions and excitement in the screenplay that made the 90s films memorable.

Just like K.V.Anand’s previous films, he touches on several social issues such as organic farming, bio war, terrorism, corporate mafia and even corruption among Indian local politicians. The problem here is that he stuffs too many issues in one film and ends up only touching each them on surface level. The narration almost flows in a template – 10 minutes of action scene, 5 mins of comedy, 10 mins of romance and then back to the cycle. The film picks itself up in the interval only get diluted into a lifeless action film with sequence after sequence without any emotional attachment. The revelation of the villain and his flashback set in Kashmir does show promise but by that time, most of the audience might have emotionally detached from the character with any stakes or twists thrown upon doesn’t matter at all.

Surya dazzles in a quite comfortable in the role and looks confident in each scene. Mohanlal fits perfectly in the CM role and commands the screen whenever he appears. Other than these two, it’s quite disappointing to see all the other characters written so thinly. Arya is a pure misfit. Technically the film looks sleek and the locations are visually arresting. The VFX could have been better but nothing really looks patchy. Harris Jeyaraj has worked harder for the score than the songs.
K.V. Anand’s world of narrative is known for the fine balance of commercialism and strong writing in terms of the message he sets out to say each time. However, with Kaapaan, he over stuffs his messages and treats it with very little human emotions which makes it a tiring watch and for his fans, a disappointing one.

VERDICT: 
Charismatic Surya struggles to keep K.V.Anand’s technically fine, ‘Kaapaan a float, that lacks the thrill and emotions needed for a patriotic action film.

CELLULOID METER- 2.5/5: