Kaduva Movie Review

Prithviraj and filmmaker Shaji Kailas collaborating for ‘Kaduva’ has kept the fans excited, and glued with high expectations for a long time. Finally, the movie has been released worldwide, and let us see how far the movie has met the expectations of the audiences.

The film is set in the late 90s revolving around the life of a young high-range rubber planter Kaduvakunnel Kuravachan (Prithviraj Sukumaran) from Mundakayam and his rivalry with a high-ranking officer James Elias (Vivek Oberoi) in the Kerala Police.

It’s an out-and-out Prithviraj show all the way. The actor has always been a rare species in Indian cinema, where his ability to leap from offbeat, content-driven movies to 100% commercial mass hero genres works out the best results. While watching ‘Kaduva’, we do get a little reminiscence of Ayyapanum Koshiyum (the egoistic protagonist, and of course, the cop on other hand, who unlike Ayyappan Nair is a baddie). Not to miss faint reflections from his directorial ‘Lucifer’, where the protagonist’s usage of biblical verses add mass heroism. But then, it diverts soon into a different domain, where the story might look like a time-worn plot, but still, the engaging screenplay with myriad mass moments keeps us engrossed.

One thing that needs special mention is that Shaji Kailas has given importance to each character in this movie. Many mass commercial movies lose the intensity with villains merely seen as barricades for the hero, but we see an emotional backstory for Vivek Oberoi. The first half has racy moments, and it moves at the best momentum. Many moments leave the Prithviraj fans in ultimate amusement. Vivek Oberoi as the antagonist does complete justice to his role. He gets a neat role to perform indeed. Samyuktha Menon as Prithviraj’s wife has done what is required for the role. Of course, female characters don’t have much to score here, for it’s all about the men in war. Kalabhavan Shajohn gives a commendable performance in the negative role. The other actors have breathed the best into their roles.

Technically, it’s Jakes Bejoy who scores brownie points with his background music. The mass moments get escalated with his terrific score. The cinematography and editing are good. Action choreography stands out to be the major highlight.

Overall, Kaduva is a perfect commercial entertainer that will keep you engaged from the beginning till the end. Especially, if you’re a Prithviraj fan, then you are sure to get enthralled.