Karnan Movie Review: We hear from our forefathers how strongly society was influenced by casteism. Post-independence, there was a ray of hope that turned out to be delusional. It’s unfortunate that there are certain regions and a huge chunk of the population that has been treated inferior as they belong to so-called lower castes. But contrary to it, if you are reading this and thinking that India has really developed over the years, then you are living in a la la land, my friend!
What’s Karnan all about?
To put it in simple words, the film is about a remote village in Tamil Nadu (Podiyankulam) that comprises a marginalized community. Podiyankulam has been oppressed for decades by so-called upper caste or privileged people. Not just dominant caste groups but even government officials give a deaf ear to the needs of Podiyankulam. The situation is so worse that they don’t even have a bus stop for transportation. There’s a fire inside all villagers but they have no option but to keep mum against the evil forces. And then there’s a fearless youth Karnan (Dhanush) who disobeys to live a life in oppression and raises his voice like a rebel. As being a rebel against strong forces has its own share of struggles, here Karnan and his community pay a huge price. Will Podiyankulam ever get justice? What happens to Karnan? Watch the film for all these answers.
Here’s the teaser:
Inspired by a true incident
The film is loosely based on the 1995’s Kodiyankulam caste violence that happened in the Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu.
Karnan Movie Review (department wise)
Hats off to Mari Selvaraj for picking up such a strong subject and presenting it with utmost honesty. Mari doesn’t spoon feeds you to tell how the strong ones have always treated weaker ones with inferiority and scenes featuring a donkey with front feet tied, speak volumes. He has very well depicted the police brutality and anger of oppressed ones. Songs like Kandaa Vara Sollunga are being perfectly used to intrigue the viewer and pace up the story. In short, Mari’s work in Karnan is amongst the best to come out of India in recent times.
Coming to performances, Dhanush is the lead here and he justifies it by delivering one of the best performances ever. He oozes out a carefree and rebel persona to the utmost perfection. He is raw and will make fall for him. Lal too stands out with his grandpa’s act. His camaraderie with Dhanush gives a ride of emotions. He makes you smile, cry and roar in anger. Natarajan Subramaniam as SP is so good at being a baddie. At moments, you will feel hitting him, and that’s where his act wins. Rest all other actors delivers more than expected.
As mentioned above, songs are intriguing with their deep meanings. Also, they form an important part of the narrative. Santhosh Narayanan deserves kudos here. Special mention to cinematographer Theni Eswar who has beautifully captured the countryside. It’s hard to specify here, but there are lots of scenes that will make you stun with their frames.
On a conclusive note…
Karnan is a brilliant example of how teamwork leads to a masterpiece. The film is so good at exploring hard-hitting reality, that it will leave disturbed for good and introspect the privileges. Watch it now, if cinema isn’t just a source of entertainment for you!
Karnan is currently available on Amazon Prime Video.
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