A common man has to pay a huge price to the police force is the explicit message told in an unabashed way in Kavalthurai Ungal Nanban, a crime thriller that is right up the alley of National award-winning writer and director Vetrimaaran who presents the film.
'Idhu Thanda Police' in the 90s showcased how the police can ruin an individual’s life. One is not sure if the makers took a leaf out of that book but the film has been admirably built in a unique way and captures your heart.
Based on a true-life incident, director Ranjith Manikandan who prefers to go by the pseudonym RDM has kept the storyline simple and let the audience take it from there. Prabhu (Suresh Ravi) plays a food delivery man and his living goes for a toss when his vehicle is snatched away by the police on foisted charges. He is hell bent on retrieving the vehicle as his livelihood depends on it. Just when he seems to lay his hands on the vehicle, an unexpected twist to the plot ensures the vehicle is still elusive to him. What happens next? Does he recover his vehicle forms the rest of the plot, which thickens every second in the climactic stage.
Lead man Suresh Ravi in just his second film gets able support from dubbing artiste-turned-actress Raveena Ravi, who bears a striking resemblance to Lakshmi Menon. The actress shows us a gamut of emotions, underplaying her character right through.
Ravi plays an admirable man of action. Full marks to the director for not showing the police force in an entirely bad light by recalling various sacrificial moments of the law force in the recent times.
Admittedly, Mime Gopi is the life and soul of the plot, runging in the fear as the cop basking in his powers for material gain. There is the unwritten message that a common man is only a puppet in the hands of the police department, which predictably misuses the power. The showdown between the common man Ravi and the aggressive cop, Gopi, has been presented in a chilling manner.
Coming to the performances, though Suresh and Raveena put up spirited acts, Mime Gopi as the menacing cop threatens to steal the thunder.
The narration, for the most part, is gripping. The second half in particular, is emotionally loaded. The movie captures emotions in the right mix. The musical score of Adithyha and Soorya is ably aided by the efficient camera work of KS Vishnu Shri and the astute editing of Vadivel and Vimalraj.