The film Kadha Innuvare is directed by Vishnu Mohan, who won the National Award for Best Debut Director for Meppadiyan. Released on September 20, this movie did not create much of a stir in theaters. I only got to watch it after it was released on Amazon Prime on December 13.
I had watched Meppadiyan in theaters during the COVID era. Due to the pandemic, I have no idea how much success it managed to achieve in theaters. Meppadiyan also faced heavy criticism from religious fundamentalists for showing a Seva Bharati ambulance in one scene. However, after it arrived on Amazon Prime, the film garnered good feedback. Produced by and starring Unni Mukundan, Meppadiyan won many awards.
Having impressed audiences with his debut film, I was eagerly waiting to watch Vishnu Mohan’s second film Kadha Innuvare. Unlike Meppadiyan, Kadha Innuvare explores love throughout. One of the film’s highlights is its cinematography. The visuals handled by Jomon T. John were heartwarming and breathtakingly beautiful.
The film gives us a visual experience that spans four phases of love. Biju Menon plays the protagonist, who works as a peon in a government office. The primary plot revolves around his love story with Methil Devika’s character, a gazetted officer working in the same office. Along with this, the film also narrates the love story of two eighth-grade students. Each story is set against the varied landscapes of Kerala. While the teenage love story unfolds in Palakkad, the youthful romance of characters played by Anushree and Hakim Shah is set in Idukki. Additionally, the love story of Anu Mohan and Nikhila Vimal, set in their twenties, is told against the backdrop of Alappuzha. The core theme of the film is about giving love a second chance.
Renowned dancer Methil Devika makes her acting debut in this film. All the actors have delivered strong performances, with standout performances by Hakim Shah and Anushree. Likewise, Appunni Sasi’s character as a sculptor was powerful. However, there’s some doubt as to whether the director succeeded in adding enough depth to Biju Menon’s character.
Nikhila Vimal’s character felt like a person without identity. Her typical acting style, which tends to be monotonous, seems unchanged in this movie as well. It almost felt like Nikhila still hasn’t found her way from the recent movie Guruvayoor Ambalabnadayil! She plays herself instead of embodying the character. She played the character as if she is giving an interview on YouTube, and casually brushes off details about her character, and I personally found her to be the film’s biggest miscast. The scenes between her and Anu Mohan felt artificial and uninspiring.
When handling love stories, directors need to pay attention to intricate details. A good reference here would be Autograph (2004), directed by Cheran. That film also dealt with love stories across different phases of life, and despite the potential to turn into a cringe-fest, Cheran succeeded in emotionally connecting with the audience as both actor and director. The film not only won critical acclaim but was also a box office success and bagged a National Award. The songs in Autograph also deserve special mention as they elevated the emotional tone of the film. Cheran’s tears on screen resonated deeply with the audience as well.
Another downside of Kadha Innuvare is its title itself. The director could have been more creative while choosing the title. I also felt that the film’s music was a letdown. Ashwin Aryan, a newcomer, handled the music for this film, but it neither complements the story nor does justice to the overall mood. Though the songs run parallel to the plot, they fail to connect with the audience. The background score also adds no value to the film.
The director missed an opportunity to utilize the boundless potential of music. We’ve seen how Vineeth Sreenivasan, for instance, overcame repetitive and overused subjects with excellent music, like in Hridayam.
Although the film introduces many characters, the director (who also wrote the script) hasn’t managed to explore the depth of these characters effectively. Biju Menon’s dialogues occasionally felt too dramatic. Methil Devika’s dubbing was another weak point.
One issue I personally noticed is the lack of smooth transitions between stories. The narrative abruptly jumps from one setting to another — from one landscape to another — leaving the audience momentarily confused. This aspect could have been handled better.
Another problem, in my personal opinion, is that all the love stories end in tragedy. Personally, I’m not a fan of romantic tragedies, and perhaps that’s why it didn’t sit well with me. Additionally, Appunni Sasi’s character gets a heartbreaking conclusion.
The most lingering character for me was Anushree’s. Having often been stereotyped as tomboyish, loud, or a gold digger in past roles, this film finally gave Anushree a proper break.
Siddique’s character, however, felt overly dramatic. As always, Ranji Panicker brought his usual exaggerated bravado into his role. Hari Pathanapuram essentially played himself as the astrologer in the movie. Kottayam Ramesh’s mechanic character almost made me wonder if he had wandered in from the Meppadiyan cinematic universe.
During its release, I saw discussions in several Facebook groups claiming that Kadha Innuvare is a remake of the 2018 Telugu film C/O Kancharapalem. I haven’t seen C/O Kancharapalem, so I can’t comment on that.
All the negatives I mentioned above are what I personally felt while watching the film. Despite being a film entirely about love, it manages to avoid cringe-worthy moments. At around two hours long, the film doesn’t feel dragged out and can be watched without much lag.
For those who have been in love at least once in their lives, the movie will likely connect with you emotionally — in one way or another.
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