Kattalan review:

For a mostly slick action thriller, debutant Paul George’s Kattalan has a familiar, albeit reasonably engaging set-up, introducing the key players of its ivory trade universe. Sunil’s Maari sits at the throne of the business and has a big network of henchmen and minions to do his bidding. Maari has long been at loggerheads with Eddy (Kabir Duhan Singh). However, total control remains elusive for one or the other, with law enforcement constantly breathing down their necks. The film wastes no time in showing how they go about their business and setting up the rivalry between Maari and Eddy. An early action block shows the ease with which a younger Maari (Raj Thirandasu) and his gang take down elephants. Kattalan excels in the technical aspects throughout, more so in the initial portions. However, its overly familiar storyline keeps the film from realising its true potential. It is understandable why Paul George would trace the backstory of a younger Maari and Eddy, but it adds little weight as the film squanders all the build-up with a bloated second half. 

As with most of Malayalam cinema’s big-ticket actioners from recent times, the elephant in the room here is the writing. Take how Antony (Antony Varghese) gets into the trade, for instance. Antony comes from the outside, but he could have been part of the story right from the beginning in place of Anson Paul’s Stanley. Then, the film could have given us a greater reason to root for his arc. Writers Paul George, Joby Varghese, and Jero Jacob use convenient plot elements to introduce a conflict in the story. Unfortunately, they give away the bedrocks of the conflict so early on that you can see it coming from a mile away. Further, the film triggers violence without establishing any genuine emotions, thus mounting the body count without a sense of catharsis. The losses of the characters feel more like passing moments in a run-of-the-mill spectacle and not as personal as these should have been.

Director: Paul George

Cast: Antony Varghese, Sunil, Kabir Duhan Singh, Jagadish

What also does not help is the large ensemble cast, with one too many cameo appearances. Actors such as Dushara Vijayan, Siddique, and Anson Paul have very little to do here. Dushara has an interesting character, with a comic book-like quality to it. However, the makers use her in a rather conventional way, placing her amidst big action blocks while adding very little excitement to the proceedings. Oddly enough, Kattalan could have used more of Antony Varghese. The use of crisp Biblical sentences appears to be a clever touch early on, but the longer the story goes on, the more you miss the charismatic actor that is Antony Varghese. It almost feels like the makers did not trust him enough to pull off the more dramatic portions, which is a pity especially since he has shown his ability in films such as Angamaly Diaries, Ajagajantharam, and the more recent Daveed. Even when he tries to make his character connect with the audience emotionally, the film lets him down by using the same death sequence to manipulate their feelings. The occasionally bland dialogues also make the film sans any major emotional stakes.

That said, to give credit where it is due, Kattalan deserves plaudits for the sheer quality of its making. Ravi Basrur’s propulsive background score, with the fabulous ‘Jungle Beast Theme,’ makes a good part of the film delectable. Also commendable is the energy that the actors bring to their respective roles, notwithstanding the writing that spoils each of their arcs. One cannot get enough of Sunil, who plays the larger-than-life Maari like only he can. When Maari stares at his opponents and delivers death threats, you know he means business and you think of some of the best moments from the Pushpa franchise. When Maari faces trouble, the actor summons up the appropriate emotion in his expressions as well. Marco villain Kabir Duhan Singh is also in fine form here, especially in the initial duels with Sunil’s Maari. Kabir puts his towering screen presence and chiselled intensity to good use, thus making the most of his screen time. Antony Varghese, too, performs his part in the high-octane, demanding and dynamic set pieces with a steadfast commitment that is hard to dismiss.

The lack of exposition makes the film rather tolerable; clocking in at around two hours, it mostly whizzes through. Unfortunately, however, none of its positives offsets the negatives. This is a pity because unlike the mindless (albeit well-made) actioner that is Marco, Kattalan had the potential to be something bigger and better. When the film ends with promises of a larger sequel in the end credits, the big tusker has already fallen sideways, and it would take some doing to get back up.