349. Kadaram Kondan; movie review

KADARAM KONDAN
Cert 12A
116 mins
BBFC advice: Contains moderate violence, threat, bloody images

Ok, there is a lot of fighting, too many twists and its conclusion isn't as satisfying as it might be but I was transfixed by Kadaram Kondan.
You would have thought I would be sated by movies about police corruption in India but Rajesh M. Selva's film proves there is room for at least one more.
It stars Vikram as KK, who initially appears in a coma in a hospital bed but is soon discovered to be a wanted man by the cops.
By that time, the pregnant wife (Akshara Haasan) of a young doctor (Abi Hassan) has been kidnapped and, in exchange for her return, he is forced to help the aforementioned criminal escape.
Who has taken her and why should they want the patient to be free are the key questions of the movie.
But it quickly becomes clear that all is not straightforward with the police investigation as a swarthy and dubious cop (Vikas) tries to wrestle the case away from one who plays it by the book (Lena).
Kadaram Kondan continues a trend for tight thrillers without the singing and dancing which had become Indian cinema's trademark.
It is tense from the word go and keeps the audience on their toes right until the end.
However, its problem is that the characters are exaggerated and their backgrounds are unexplored.
Therefore, while the movie seems to demand that I appreciate Vikram's anti-hero lead I couldn't empathise with him.
Instead, the element which engaged me was the plight of the young doctor whose desperation to save his wife was almost tangible.
I also wish that action movies would lower their body count. The higher they go, the more unrealistic films become.
Despite these reservations, there is enough good stuff in Kadaram Kondan for me to recommend it - especially to action film fans.


Reasons to watch: Riveting detective thriller
Reasons to avoid: Needs greater character exploration

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: Yes
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 7.5/10

Did you know? Malaysia had a corruption score of 52 out of 100 (high scores are less corrupt); this makes Malaysia the 2nd "cleanest" country in SE Asia and 50th of the 175 countries assessed worldwide.

Final word. Akshara Haasan: “I have been asking for years to do an action film like this. If I get more such films, I’d be happy.” The Hindu

Share this post