Kuruthi - Malayalam Movie Review

Kuruthi -  Malayalam Movie Review

Manu Warrier’s “Kuruthi” is definitely a brilliant take on the destabilisation of communal harmony with a phenomenal star cast. As the subtitle goes, the crux of the story is the eternal chase to win one’s cause from two diverse perspectives - ‘a vow to kill and an oath to protect’. Now what if one could twist, twirl and topple these abstract concepts of spilling blood and offering refuge within the window of one’s own judgements? From script to screenplay and from cinematography to background score, “Kuruthi” has treaded on with a new facet in the Malayalam Film industry. The topic being much controversial and sticky to its core, the director has meticulously mesmerised the audience by depicting the majoritarian hegemony as well as the minoritarian insecurities in an unbiased, neutral way. 

The movie is all about how the labyrinths of perspectives can wash you down according to the lens of your faith. The story unspools in the current socio-political scenario with a deepening message to the audience. The movie mirrors how subtle shades of faith can unroot and derail one’s own self within the larger context of the community to which one belongs to. The story begins with the protagonist - Ibrahim - in his bereavement as a man in the woods and features him within the thin contours of fragility. However, his character takes shape into its complete vigour as the story unboxes. Despite the odds, his frailty dilapidates into an aura of strength confronting the sinister backdrop in which he gets placed. The tangled layers of relationships and the subtle nuances of individual ideologies are interwoven in such a way that the shades of what is right and what is wrong often get blurred in multiple dimensions. The script ingeniously triumphs in portraying the fact that the hues of intimate relationships can sway when tested through the doors of belief systems and religious convictions.

A major share of the story happens within the murky confinement of a house in darkness and the string of incidents through which the plot unfolds have been pictured in a beguiling way. Being a debutant director in the Malayalam industry, Warrier nails it with a logical and convincing layer of lucid action. There are perfectly no extraneous scenes and each dialogue contributes to the cohesive binding of the plot. With no loose ends and with a strategic chutzpah, the movie has indeed set an indelible mark in the recent history of Malayalam Movie industry. With a couple of recent movies making futile attempts in portraying the communal divide, “Kuruthi” gets it completely right with its coherent effort which doesn’t look as ‘thrusted upon’. On the other hand, it glides instrumentally to a framework of farrago to build its concepts and messages gradually. 

It is strikingly hard to describe the star cast as each character has tried to surpass the other. Prithviraj Sukumaran hits the spot with his entry and exposition with his unprecedented diabolical presence which runs with the same balance throughout. The obnoxious ambience that he splits open, coupled with the miasmic reactions, pull the spectators through tough times in their attempt to locate his moral correctness. Roshan Mathew’s performance turns striking as the character Ibrahim is psychologically complex amidst the convoluted ball game. The grandeur of his character unravels through the inconsistency that he consistently portrays. Words would take a backseat to delineate the character Moosa, played by Mamukoya. Moosa is so akin to the ideologies of brotherhood despite the differences to which he puts up with and Mamukoya has in fact stolen the entire show with his artful dialogues and crispy punches ranging from myth to history. His name as Moses (The prophet) is befitting in every sense as a lion’s share of preachings come from this character. The only woman character - Suma -  played by Srindaa makes it more adorable with an equally demanding role along with the male star cast. Shine Tom, Murali Gopy and Manikandarajan too make the cast memorable with their roles. Their roles were equally captivating considering the lesser screen time they met with. 

“Kuruthi” is not just a movie, but an experience to realise how certain religious nuances can make and break you in a flicker of seconds. In addition to this experience, the two hour movie is a visual extravaganza.The story that begins in a windswept manner slowly picks up the pace and works wonders with Ramanujam’s cinematography combined with Bejoy’s musical score. The question of poetic justice and the counter arguments of being right and being wrong is further dissected within the movie. The movie juxtaposes social and individual stances and converges at a point where "rights and wrongs" remain inextricable.The movie has in its web the power of vengeance, the incertitude of promises, the conflict of emotions, the contradictions within religion and the vacillating flow of anger and hatred.

This is indeed a perfect action thriller and will definitely keep you glued to your seat till the last scene. The cliffhanger ending is in turn a writing on the wall to the insane roads humans travel in the name of religion and faith and the director narrates it in an incontrovertible way, swaddled in an illusive maze of intense dramatic scenes sans picking sides.

In short, a masterpiece coordinated to its perfection with a gripping plot which in turn is merged with an outstanding rendition by its cast.

Dr. A. Krishna Sunder