284. Kavaludaari; movie review

KAVALUDAARI
Cert 12A
143 mins
BBFC advice: 12A

From its Hitchcockian/James Bond-style opening credits, Kavaludaari is very different from almost any Indian movie I have seen.
Indeed, I would rate it as my favourite Kannada film and possibly the best movie from the sub-Continent I have watched so far this year.
This is a classic murder mystery - with Rishi leading the way as an ambitious traffic cop who is trying to prove his worth so he will be accepted as a detective.
Thus, he immerses himself in an off-duty investigation of a family whose bodies are discovered buried at the site of a new building development.
The movie flits between the time of the murders in 1977 and 40 years later when senior officers have little interest in looking into the past.
However, Rishi's cop becomes obsessed and finds two men still haunted by the killings in the shape of a debt-ridden journalist (Achyuth Kumar) and a former cop (Anant Nag) who has hidden from society.
Once he has both on board, the movie really takes off and many stones are unturned.
I really liked Rishi's unusual hero - a man who has struggled to make an impact previously, finally finding the gumption to seize the day.
But what really makes Hemanth M Rao's movie is the quality of its writing and direction.
There are common threads with other Indian movies such as corrupt politics, parents wanting an arranged marriage and even a wayward police officer.
However, all are packaged very differently from any other film I have seen.
Kavaludaari is so violent that I was surprised it was awarded a 12A certificate but its blood-letting is not gratuitous because it is central to a storyline with myriad twists.
Indeed, I was gripped from the first scene in which a murder takes place to its last.
I have not seen many Kannada movies but, if this is the standard, I need to immerse myself much more.

Reasons to watch: Beautifully made thriller
Reasons to avoid: A tad melodramatic

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 9/10

Did you know? Kavaludaari has made such an impact that filmmakers from Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi filmmakers are keen to remake it in their respective languages

The final word. Puneeth Rajkumar (producer): "Kavaludaari is not your usual film. It is an experiment. It may not exactly fit into the meaning of any genre. It may be called a bridge film also. Its success is the most gratifying. I thank the audience for appreciating such work." Bangalore Mirror

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