KAYAMKULAM KOCHUNNI MOVIE REVIEW

12/10/2018
10/CR/Malayalam/U

Kayamkulam Kochunni is a 2018 Malayalam epic period film directed by Rosshan Andrrews and written by Bobby - Sanjay duo. The film starred Nivin Pauly in the title role along with Priya Anand, Sunny Wayne, Babu Antony and Shine Tom Chacko in prominent roles along with the extended cameo of Mohanlal as Ithikkara Pakki, a highwayman who's a turning point in Kochunni's life. The music is composed by Gopi Sunder and the editing and cinematography is handled by Sreekar Prasad and Binod Pradhan (previous bests are Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Baaghi and Rang De Basanti) respectively.

WATCH THE OFFICIAL TRAILER OF KAYAMKULAM KOCHUNNI MOVIE.

Plot :

Kochunni, whose father was a robber, escaped from his place due to hunger and suffering, and landed up in a new place where he hide his real identity and grew up as a grocery shopkeeper. Certain incidents effects the life of Kochunni that makes him to continue his paternal legacy, but as a Robin Hood (steals from rich and offers to poor).

Why Should You Watch This Film?

* The Biggest and Costliest Movie of Malayalam Cinema till date.

* The most hyped and promoted presence of Malayalam Superstar, Mohanlal in an extended cameo.

* The biggest film in the career of actor Nivin Pauly.

* The combination of director and writers duo who gave brilliant films like Mumbai Police, How Old Are You, and Notebook.

A STILL FROM THE FILM

Mohanlal (on the picture)

+ves and -ves :

+ Performances including Nivin Pauly and Mohanlal.
+ Casting.
+ Story and Screenplay.
+ Background Music.
+ Cinematography and Editing.

- Direction, in some scenes.
- Songs especially Item Dance.
- Visual Effects and few DI works.
- Dialogues, in first few scenes.

A STILL FROM THE FILM

Nivin Pauly (on the picture) 

Performances :

* Nivin Pauly as the title role Kayamkulam Kochunni did his one of the best performance till date. His hard work and dedication worked out well in this film. The only flaw was the acting in few scenes in the first half that wasn't convincing.

* Mohanlal as Ithikkara Pakki was one of the best casting in recent times. Kudos to the team. The actor has uplifted the movie well post interval. His mannerisms, dialogue delivery and performance in action sequence needs an applause. He has satisfied both his fans and the audience as well. Probably one of the best introduction scene for a Superstar in recent times.

* Veteran actor Babu Antony as Thangal, the Kalari Guru of Kochunni gave a memorable performance in this film. His performance was highlight especially in the climax portions.

* Priya Anand as Janaki has nothing much to do in this movie but was fine in her performance.

* Sunny Wayne as Keshavan did a good job in providing a performance with grey shades. The man who wants to seeks revenge with Kochunni even from the early stage, all his emotions were portrayed well.

* Other actors did fine performances throughout the film.

WATCH THE OFFICIAL TEASER OF THE KAYAMKULAM KOCHUNNI

Technical Aspects :

* Direction by Rosshan Andrrews was satisfactory majorly. Some scenes fall flattered but some gave goosebumps especially the moment before the Interval. And he could concentrate more on technical sides because the "wow factor" or the grandeur that the film demanded was missing. But apart from that, he has done his job neat for the film. He did a good job in detailing the period portions and utilised the actors according to what script demands.

* Written by the scriptwriter duos Bobby -  Sanjay did their best for the film. From the research of the myth of Robin Hood Kochunni to the few adaptations from Aithihyamala, the collection of old Kerala myths and Western Ballads, the film had an excellent backbone. Their writing and detailing of each scene was good. Few dialogues in few scenes in the first half wasn't convincing enough according to the situation, that's the only flaw.

* Music and Background Score by Gopi Sunder was another backbone of this film. The songs were passable, nothing stands out but the background music created an impact on the film. The main music of Kochunni and Ithikkara Pakki was awesome. He created whole mood of the universe of the tale of Kochunni.

* DoP by Binod Pradhan was fine and did a good job for capturing the world of Kochunni. Some scenes were shot by Nirav Shah (who worked in 2.0 and Dhoom 2) and Sudheer Palsane (who worked in Aiyaary and Ferrari Ki Sawari).

* Editing by Sreekar Prasad was fine. Few scenes could be chopped out from the running time of 2 hour and 50 minutes and could be shortened a little bit.

Final Verdict : Kayamkulam Kochunni is a good entertainer that can be witnessed for two reasons. One, the visual storytelling for those who don't know the history of Kerala and then, for the performances of Nivin Pauly and Mohanlal.

#avmoviebuff Rating: 3/5