Kanakasimhasanam turns out to be as expected from the duo of Rajasenan and Jayaram. Told in the lightest humor vein, the film offers a plenty of chuckles in an often repeated merry go round - camouflage storyline. But the film's real star is Jayaram as expected, who has got a meaty character to display his flexible emoting manovours. So the catchword is, watch it, but only for Jayaram.
The film stages the life of Kasargodu Kanakambaran and his wife Maarthandam Bharathi, who are professional theatre artists. Kanakambaran is also the owner and lead actor of Kottaram Theatres, a drama ballet troupe that specializes in epic themes like Ramayanam, Sakunthalam, and Vikramadithyan.
In all these dramas Kanakambaran plays the lead role of the king and it is always Marthandom Bharathi, his wife and two times winner of state award for best artist, who plays the queen. They have to borrow money at high interest to keep the show going and are soon up to his neck in debt.
They could never find enough to pay their co-artists and to manage the troupe from crisis. As they come back everyday from the venues, money lenders are those they find in their doorsteps asking for payback.
Kanakambaran's father, who managed the troupe earlier, withdrew from the running of the troupe owing to differences with his son after the latter married Marthandom Bharathi. Even though the troupe didn't made profits, it was Kanakambaran's father who wanted the troupe to last long till he breathed his last. Kanakambarabn also take it as his life's challenge to keep the troupe survive at any cost.
At this juncture, Bharathi finds bundles containing money on their verandah, and a note saying that it is a gift from 'Kanthapuram Brothers'. Kanakambaran is only too happy to spend lavishly the money that he thinks as a divine gift. And then enters the 'Kanthapuram Brothers', Udaya Varma and Ramakrishnan, who are closely related to a Royal family from Kanthapuram. The duo wants Kanakambaran to go with them and act out, the role of a prince named Suryanarayanan. Their niece Kanchanalakshmi, who is the present Rani of Kanthapuram, has been waiting for her childhood sweetheart Suryanarayanan who had gone missing two decades ago after a child marriage with the princess. And if Suryanarayanan turns up, Udaya Varma and Ramakrishnan could get a fortune out of the Rani. They promise Kanakambaran three lakhs for the deal of acting for a single day. Kanakambaran does find the proposal appealing as it will help him come out of his debts. He agrees to it despite protests from his wife. As far as the payment is prompt and in cash, Kanakan has no other options but to accept the offer.
Kanakan elopes from his house to reappear as Suryanarayanan in the Kanthapuram palace. He convince the princes that he is the original, after many tests. He has many tug of war with Narsimhan, who is doubtful about the new Suryanarayanan and is also plotting all ways to marry Kanchanalakshmi,with the help of Thripurasundari, the princess favorite servant. But the real drama and confusions start with the arrival of Raja Guru Indrasena Reddy who is the final word in the proceedings of the palace.
Jayaram excels in the role tailor made for him. With able support from Karthika as Bharathi and Lakshmi Gopalaswamy as Kanchanalakshmi, Rajasenan is able to carry forward the story with not much lag, even though with no logic. Others in the cast like Janardhanan as Udaya Varma, Bheeman Raghu as Ramakrishnan, Kalasala Babu as Guru Indrasena Reddy, Geetha Salam as Rishikesha Kaimal, Venjaramoodu Suraj as Bharathi's brother Gopalan and Kiran Raj as Narasimhan have also done their little to lift the film from shades of similar plots.
As usual in the films of recent times, the story and s
