One look at Sasikumar and we get to think the guy needs some serious anger management sessions, and his movies portray him as a ruthless good Samaritan who loses no hair when it comes to pride, valor, justice etc. Call it stereotype or not, he has established the fact that he is the star who can do such roles with ease, Kidaari is one such movie but also glorifying the actor’s strength to another level. Directed by Prasath Murugesan, it’s about a loyal servant who protects, worships and serves his master at times of need, despair and goodness.
Sasikumar has the flair for being very much intimidating, his rigid looks, razor sharp eyes, the unfading body language sure gives him the raw look. The director has rather made use of all these ingredients to file up a movie where Kidaari fits in comfortably. Set in rural milieu, the director gives a glimpse of various community cultures, their way of life, the loyalty, the local Panchayats, village dispute and all that. Sasikumar is in and as Kidaari a loyalist to one of the village heads, a highly reputed man. The trouble comes when the list of enemies keep piling up as time flies, and the entire plot is centered on how the family built up so many enemies and what happens after that. With a lot of characters and subplots, the movie requires strong characterization backbone, kudos to the director for having done a lot of extensive work in digging the right cast and adding essence into it.
Kidaari is quite predictable, the movie’s plot is easy to determine the moment the narration weaves out. With too many enemies, who would have done the horrendous job becomes a tricky question, so the plot unfolds by establishing each of the nemesis and how the family deals with it. With each story the director has rather given a personal touch, for instance there is the subplot when the village head has to deal with his relatives who use his good willing name for minting money, not the first time you would have heard, but the presentation and screenplay takes the center stage, spot on Prasath! All other subplots have the same kind of screenplay even though as predictable it comes, the problem comes in the form of lengthy screen spaces and love portions which comes as a major hiccup to the movie.
The film has its share of positive vibes, to start with Sasikumar, the actor has a flair and a tendency to look sharp in the opponent’s eye and say "Don’t mess with me dude" all that with a silence. The film has various such portions and he flawlessly does it, even though it’s not the first time. The director’s commitment in prepping the characterization and extensive homework is another positive bit which does wonders for the film, without naming the communities he has done an amicable presentation of what’s at his disposal. Nikhila joins with Sasikumar again and the pair look rather cute and cuddly but somehow the love portion looks amiss, and is not the first time Sasikumar has struggled in this area. The rest of the cast do a great job, they play their parts spot on and deserve a big laud. Darbuka Siva is a revelation of all sorts, his BGM and songs are sweet and well crafted. Set completely in rural milieu, the extensive lens work of showcasing the countryside and the clashes have been skillfully captured by Kathir.
Kidaari wins on the variety content, Sasikumar, strong characterization and presentation of the community clashes, is weak in being predictable, slows down with the love portions and length.
Verdict : Rides high on community content and clashes
