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Kathal
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'Kathal' A touching love story

By P. Sreekumaran
Film critic, ApunKaChoice.Com

Balaji Sakthivel is a talented director. Balaji proved his mettle in his earlier film “Samurai”, which went down well with Tamil masses. The man with the Midas touch is back, after a break, with another quality movie entitled Kathal.

Agreed, it is yet another love tale. But what makes Kathal stand out is the manner of presentation. It is a delectable entertainer set against the picturesque locales of Madurai in Tamil Nadu.

Like

he did in ‘Samurai’, Sakthivel has not shied away from experimentation. And the cast gives him ample support. The result is a film that stays with you long after you have left the cinema hall.

Aishwarya (Sandhya) is the apple of her parents’ eye. Her father is a big shot – a wineshop owner. He is a bit of a gangster, too, feared and respected in the town. Then Cupid strikes. Doe-eyed Aishwarya falls in love, much to the chagrin of her parents, not with a boy of their expectations, but with Murugan (Bharath), who is a mechanic. It is a pleasant surprise for the illiterate Murugan, an honest and hardworking guy, who sets much store by values in life.

But the path of love is never smooth, as the saying goes. So, the lovers run into a hurdle. Aishwarya’s parents fix her marriage with a person of their choice. The lovers have no option but to elope. As luck would have it, they take refuge with a friend of Murugan in Chennai (Sukumar). With his help, they get married.

Then the plot thickens. The duo are tracked down, and sweet-talked into returning back home – of course on the condition that all would be forgotten and forgiven. Was the promise honored? That forms the denouement.

The spectacular success of Kathal is much due to the convincing performances Balaji has managed to get out of the protagonists, Aishwarya and Murugan. Bharath is no great shakes as an actor. But in “Kathal”, the youngster gets under the skin of his character and imbues his performance with a sincerity unsurpassed in his acting career.

It is a brilliant debut for Sandhya who plays the heroine. The tragic overtones of her character come out with telling effect. The talented girl has a bright future. There is no doubt about it.

There are also others who make their maiden reel appearance, too. For instance, Aishwarya’s father (S.Dandapani), and her chacha (Krishnamoorthy). Both acquit themselves very well. The boy assistant of Murugan in the workshop (Arun Kumar) makes an impressive cameo. Last but not the least is the refreshing comedy of Sukumar, who bears a striking resemblance to that ace comedian Vadivelu.

The quality of the film is enhanced by Vijay Milton’s excellent camera and Joshua Sridhar’s melodious music.

To sum up, Kathal is a whiff of fresh air on the Tamil film landscape congested with hackneyed plots and trite themes. It strikes a rich and responsive chord in the viewer’s heart. Therein lies the success of the film.

A must-watch movie.

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