Review: Kaalidas 2
Film: Kaalidas 2
Cast: Bharath, Ajay Karthi, Sangita, Bhavani Sre, Abarnathi, Ananth Nag, TM Karthik, “Singam” Jayavel.
Written & Directed by : Sri Senthil
Produced by: “Five Star” K.Senthil – Dr. N. Yogeshwaran
Banner: SKY PICTURES
Music : Sam CS
Director of Photography : Suresh Bala
Editor : Bhuvan Srinivasan
Rating: 3.5 stars
Director Sri Senthil comes up with an engaging, intelligent investigative thriller in Kaalidas 2. The film isn’t merely an entertainer. It looks to be an eye-opener to many. Without getting preachy, it manages to gently shine the light on how society is biased against men.
Synopsis…
The story begins on the night of December 31st in a gated community. As the residents begin to make preparations to welcome the new year, Gokul (Ananth Nag), a resident steps out on office work, leaving his young daughter in the care of his wife Sanju (Abarnathi). As celebrations begin, Sanju joins in only to realise that her daughter has been missing for an hour.
The cops are summoned and Kalidas (Bharath), a sincere and smart officer who understands the ground realities of police work, arrives with his team. He goes through the preliminary procedures with practised ease. He reassures the parents, gets his staff to check the water bodies around and in the building, makes arrangements to question all the bachelors in the building and makes enquiries with children who were playing with the missing child. The houses of the bachelors in the building are all searched.
It is at this time that the police higher ups, facing undue pressure from the residents, choose to send Assistant Commissioner Vaishnavi (Bhavani Sre) to oversee the investigation. Annoyed at having to work on New Year’s eve, she grudingly comes to the investigation venue and throws her weight around.
The police pick a suspect called Stephen, who has already been charged with raping and murdering a child, from the building and begin questioning him about the whereabouts of the missing girl. Although there is no clinching evidence to suggest that Stephen had a role to play in the disappearance of the child, the police are convinced he is the reason for her absence. What happens then is what Kaalidas 2 is all about.
Analysis:
The story is full of twists and turns and therefore makes it hard, in fact almost impossible, for audiences to guess what will happen next. As a result, you have an engaging and gripping plot that keeps you glued to the screen.
To his credit, director Sri Senthil narrates the story with such passion that you slowly find yourself being drawn into it. The film, apart from proving to be an engaging entertainer, also shows how biased society is against men.
A sexist dialogue one of the cops delivers in the initial portions of the story actually stings you. While undertaking a search of all the houses of bachelors, he tells a woman cop accompanying him, “Among men, there is no one who can be called innocent. The reason why we are not searching the houses of men with families is because they will behave when there is a woman around.”
However, by the time the story ends, you realise how wrong the perception of the cops and that statement is.
Performances:
Bharath, who has always been a good actor and who has delivered several commendable performances in the past, shows that he has not lost any of that sheen. He comes up with a realistic performance and plays the role of a dutiful cop to perfection. His measured tone and performance bring credibility to the plot and prove to be one of the biggest strengths of the film.
Bhavani Sre as Assistant Commissioner Vaishnavi looks equally convincing in the film. Ananth Nag and Prakash Raj too come up with small but powerful performances to add strength to the narration.
Technical aspects:
The film has a neat background score by Sam C S that amplifies the mood on screen. Suresh Bala’s visuals are, for the most part, on mark and a delight to watch. Bhuvan Srinivasan’s editing is sharp and the story unfolds at a pace that is just right.
Verdict: Kaalidas 2 lives up to the impression its predecessor made. It is a neat, entertaining and engaging investigative thriller that can be enjoyed with the whole family.
