Shoot The Kuruvi movie review: An engaging gangster flick with a lot of potential

Gangster flicks are not new to Tamil cinema. We have so many gangster films in Tamil now that detailed research can be carried out on all kinds of don films ever made. Shoot The Kuruvi is, however, a breath of fresh air. The film, which has a lot of dark humour, also has shades of Jigarthanda. While it does have some logical flaws here and there, the film works predominantly, mostly because of its short runtime of 65 minutes. 

Director: Mathivaanan

Cast: Arjai, Aashiq Hussain, Sha Ra, Rajkumar G

Streaming on: ShortFlix

The film starts by establishing the history of a don called Kuruvi Rajan, played by a convincing Arjai. Rajan rises to the top through hook and crook. Over time, he becomes a deadly villain, whose identity is known only by his victims. On the other hand, we are introduced to Sharif (Aashiq Hussain), who suffers from a terminal illness and wishes to tick items off his bucket list. How the two worlds meet forms the rest of the story. 

Their lives come together only midway into the film, and while the engagement factor is on point, the short runtime doesn't allow certain characters and storylines to be fleshed out enough. For example, a set of playing cards from the Mughal era is an important element in the film. The history of those cards is explained very quickly and vaguely, thereby failing to convey their worth and value. 

The film is narrated by professor Mithran (Rajkumar G), who helps two students in their research about Kuruvi Rajan. Initially, the film might seem vague and rudderless, but the way the parallel stories find a connection piques our engagement. The second half attempts to keep us on the edge of our seats, with a climax that we almost see coming, yet manages to surprise us. 

The most important factor in a gangster film is establishing the roots and rise of the gangster. Here, the history of Kuruvi Rajan is established in a convincing way. But, the fear his character is supposed to evoke seems lacking somewhere. Although he says dialogues like “I’m not a gangster, I’m a killer,” the rush in establishing his don persona, leaves us with an unconvincing don. While Arjai’s performance is pretty convincing, the writing could have been better in asserting his tough guise. 

As mentioned earlier, a small yet significant portion of the film is dedicated to comedy, dealt with by Sha Ra and Aashiq. Sha Ra who plays Govind comes as a comic relief at a time when we wonder about the need for comedy. While the comedy seems irrelevant, it makes us laugh all the same. The humour ends up becoming one of the highlights of the film. 

From what Shoot The Kuruvi has turned out to be, it seems like there hasn’t been a big budget to make the film. With the given production value, the film is a decent entertainer, that manages to keep us hooked until the end. It is a film with a lot of potential that promises to do much better, given more budget. While the run time is its biggest advantage, we can’t help but wonder if the film would still be enjoyable if it took more time to establish characters and storylines. Keeping that thought on hold, Shoot The Kuruvi is a short and fun entertainer that gives you more than what you expect, and less than what it is capable of giving.