KAALA MOVIE REVIEW



Release Date : Jun 07,2018 Jun 06, 2018 Movie Run Time : 2 hour 46 minutes
Censor Rating : U/A
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After Kabali, Rajinikanth and director Pa Ranjith are back with their second outing together, Kaala. The makers did not hype the film much like Kabali which we should say has worked in favour of Kaala. People who enter the theatre with no expectations might be pleasantly surprised.

 

The film is all about the fight for land and Pa Ranjith wastes no time and establishes that clearly with the very first scene. A powerful politician wants to clear a slum in the name of a scheme to make Mumbai a better place, but he has an ulterior motive. We know who the politician (Nana Patekar) is and we know who is not going approve of this plan (Rajinikanth). All these are pretty clear from the teasers. But how and what happens, in the end, is all that we need to know.

 

Coming to director Pa Ranjith, he is known for making films that talk about oppressed people. Kaala is no different and even the making is in typical Pa Ranjith style. It moves at a leisurely pace. And the second half is largely about protests. If you have followed the recent political developments in Tamil Nadu, you will relate to the film more. Having said that, it is better you don’t mix up the film with Rajinikanth’s recent speech which might turn you off.

 

Kaala is more emotional, it has a relationship based story intertwined with social issues. Pa Ranjith has played to the gallery to make all sections of the audience enjoy the movie. Rajinikanth and Eswari’s romance portion is refreshing and suits Rajini’s current image. Huma Qureshi’s love track looked a little stretched. But one feels that it is done to establish the fact that Kaala would not even mind going against the love of his life.

 

Though sparse in number, the mass elements that we expect in a Rajinikanth film keeps the core fans buzzing. The screenplay is much tighter this time in spite of sentiment scenes taking the centre stage.

 

Kaala is an archetypal Pa Ranjith film with adequate Superstar mass moments. Rajinikanth is back with full vigour and energy, which is a major boost. His evergreen screen presence is exemplary and unmatchable no matter how old he gets. Rajini’s costumes and other accessories like coolers and umbrella have become style statements among the younger lot already. Fans who are longing to watch Rajini in a complete mass avatar are will be pleased.

 

There are plenty of slow-motion shots, crowd-pleasing mass scenes and most importantly the style of Superstar has been put to good use with the support of some terrific background score by Santhosh Narayanan. We can sense that Pa Ranjith has worked on things that he was criticized for in Kabali. However, the second half deals with protests and is majorly dialogue-oriented, and it may seem less engaging at some points.

 

There are 4 fight scenes in Kaala, all choreographed well by Dhilip Subbarayan. Rajini sits back and watches his son smashing the baddies in the first two fight scenes and when you expect him to do the same again for the third time, you get to see the action side of Kaala which will be an ultimate treat to Rajini fans.

 

Santhosh Narayanan adds a lot of strength through his BGM score. If you hear the theatre roar for some of the strong scenes, the major part of the credit should go to him. The songs are purely situational, so if you weren’t impressed with the album earlier, you might very well fall in love with a few of the tracks after watching the movie.

 

The inclusion of veteran editor Sreekar Prasad has made a big difference. In spite of the film talking about a hard-hitting subject that runs for 2 hours and 49 minutes, there aren’t any scenes that seemed unwanted. Not to forget cinematographer Murali’s work which sets the tone for Kaala. Ramalingam needs to be praised for recreating the Dharavi slum exceedingly well.

 

Among the other performers, Nana Patekar is a new addition to the list of powerful, deadly and memorable villains of Rajinikanth films. A well etched out character which gets enhanced with an irreproachable performance.

 

All the supporting actors, from Samuthirakani, Dileepan, Manikandan and others have done their part well. Not just Rajinikanth’s role, Kaala has 4 to 5 indelible characters that will stay close to your heart.

KAALA VIDEO REVIEW

Verdict: Watch "Kaala" for Rajinikanth's Superstardom in Pa Ranjith's true style!

BEHINDWOODS REVIEW BOARD RATING

2.75
( 2.75 / 5.0 )
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REVIEW RATING EXPLANATION

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SONGS REVIEW

Review by : Behindwoods Review Board
Album Release Date : May 09,2018

Semma Weightu
Lyrics: Dopeadelicz, Arunraja Kamaraj, Logan
RAP: Dopeadelicz -  Dope Daddy, Stony Psyko, MC Mawali & featuring Arunraja Kamaraj
Singers: Hariharasudhan, Santhosh Narayanan


A surprising start to the album, and an even bigger surprise if it's the "intro" song for the superstar, Sema Weightu is a restless and dynamic hip-hop track with racy rap and beatbox portions that make for a sheer musical ride. A delightfully zingy number awaits fans of both Rajinikanth and Santhosh Narayanan!


Thanga Sela
Lyrics: Arunraja Kamaraj
Singers: Shankar Mahadevan, Pradeep Kumar, Ananthu


Thanga Sela is a revisit of the locally famous gaana genre, but Santhosh adds his own touch - although the song sounds "minimal", the few layers of sounds that are there complement Shankar Mahadevan's cheerful rendition. Dance-loving fans will have fun with the number!

Katravai Patravai
Lyrics: Arunraja Kamaraj, Kabilan, Roshan Jamrock
RAP: Yogi B, Arunraja Kamaraj, Roshan Jamrock
Additional
Dialogues: Shri.Rajnikanth


Much like the guitar portions that make the composition, Katravai Patravai is electric. Yogi B, Arunraja and Roshan bring fire with their rap to lyrics that are already sizzling hot. David Joseph has a field day on the drums. Bonus points for the kuthu beats infused and the superstar punch in the middle!

Kannamma
Lyrics: Uma Devi
Singers: Pradeep Kumar, Dhee


The phrase 'Santhosh's magic' is almost enough to describe the beauty that is Kannamma, but since the vocals of Pradeep Kumar & Dhee, the lyrics of Uma Devi, the bass of Mani, the strings of Keba Jeremiah & Joseph Vijay and the percussions of David Joseph too deserve rich praise - bravo to all of them. Wonderful, a must listen.

Kannamma - Acapella
Lyrics: Uma Devi
Singer: Ananthu


For a composition like Kannamma that is already soulful, an acapella version is sure to add another dimension, and they do. Ananthu is wonderful all throughout, be it the vocals or the whistle portions.

Urimayai Meetpom
Lyrics: Arivu
Singers: 
Vijay Prakash, Ananthu


Urimayai Meetpom is not easy to place since its percussion setup screams "easy going gaana" but its heavy and focused lyrics - by Arivu - point at a social-message song to motivate the masses. This uncomfortable mix might dilute its power and punch, had they been intended.
 

Poraaduvom
Lyrics: Dopeadelicz, Logan
Singers:  Dopeadelicz


As the name suggests, Poraaduvom preaches revolution, but in rap form. Layers in the background aim to boost the vocals to another level of impact, but whether they do so, is debatable. Dopeadelicz is worthy of mention for their lyrics which sound like slogans at places, though.

Theruvilakku
Lyrics: Dopeadelicz, Logan
Singers: Dopeadelicz, Muthamil


One might feel heady with another rap song in the album, but if lyrics are your thing, Theruvilakku will work for you. Of course, it's packaged well by Santhosh, but Theruvilakku lacks lasting impact.

Nikkal Nikkal
Lyrics : Dopeadelicz, Logan
Singers: Dopeadelicz, Vivek, Arunraja Kamaraj


Nikkal Nikkal sounds super cool - the contrast of thara local percussions with a deep bass beat sounds dope. A good track for your musical palate to finish the album with. You will understand that adjectives like theri, kizhi are the ones that should probably be used to describe the song when you listen to it, so do!

Verdict: A dynamic album by Santhosh - dominated by tracks with social messages - who weaves his magic with his not-to-miss mass and melody tracks!
( 3.0 / 5.0 )

CLICK FOR KAALA CAST & CREW

Production: Wunderbar Films
Cast: Easwari Rao, Huma Qureshi, Nana Patekar, Rajinikanth, Samuthirakani
Direction: Pa Ranjith
Screenplay: Pa Ranjith
Story: Pa Ranjith
Music: Santhosh Narayanan
Background score: Santhosh Narayanan
Cinematography: Murali G
Editing: Sreekar Prasad
Stunt choreography: Dhilip Subbarayan
PRO: Riaz K Ahmed

Kaala (aka) Kaala Karikaalan

Kaala (aka) Kaala Karikaalan is a Tamil movie. Easwari Rao, Huma Qureshi, Nana Patekar, Rajinikanth, Samuthirakani are part of the cast of Kaala (aka) Kaala Karikaalan. The movie is directed by Pa Ranjith. Music is by Santhosh Narayanan. Production by Wunderbar Films, cinematography by Murali G, editing by Sreekar Prasad.