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Kaithi Movie Review: Karthi is terrific in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s gripping action flick

Karthi’s kaithi, directed by lokesh kanagaraj is a perfect example of convincing storytelling backed by realistic performances, says our review..

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Director Lokesh Kanagaraj is not just a one-film wonder and he has proven his mettle once again with his second venture, Kaithi. The film starts off with a 10-year-old girl growing up in an orphanage, eagerly waiting for a visitor. The visitor is her dad Dilli, who has never seen her daughter because he has been in prison for the past decade.

Meanwhile, Bejoy (a brilliant Narain) has busted a drug racket and seized items that are worth Rs 800 crore. A horde of smugglers try to nab the police officials who have seized the drugs and other weapons. A group of college students is stuck at a police station with a newly appointed constable.

Well, it might seem that there's a lot on Lokesh Kanagaraj’s plate, and it is also reminiscent of his first film Maanagaram which also dealt with multiple storylines. But, Kaithi is like peeling a fruit. The deeper you get, the juicier it gets.

Lokesh employs effective narration when all these stories converge at a point. 20 minutes into the story, there is no trace of Karthi, the hero. And throughout the film, one cannot find a star’ in Kaithi. The characters played by Karthi, Bejoy and Dheena are human enough and that’s what makes the story interesting.

Kaithi is a true-blue genre film and the action sequences are mind-blowing. It also gives its massy’ moments not just for Karthi’s Dilli but also for the villains. In short, Kaithi is a film that stays true to the screenplay and treats its characters with utmost respect. It goes on to show that no actor is superior to another just because of their stature.

Karthi is terrific in Kaithi. He is so natural that you could literally picture a prisoner going through a tough time. Be it the murderous rage or the longingness to see his only child, Karthi gets everything spot on as Dilli.

It is heartening to see Narain get back on the pedestal with an arresting performance. It reminds us of his performance in Mysskin’s Anjathey. Dheena’s role brings in a much-needed lightness to the film and his casual dialogues evoke laughter even in serious circumstances.

If Kaithi is high on story, composer Sam CS’s brilliant background score compliments it aptly. Sathyan Sooryan's cinematography, especially his play with the lights, convey the tension in the air and elevates each scene.

Kaithi is a film that showcases filmmaking at its best. You get a lot of highs during the chase and fight sequences and rightly so.

3.5 out of 5 stars for Kaithi.

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Kaithi is a tense, impressively shot action thriller.

Kaithi Movie Review: A pure genre film minus the frills

• Times of India

Kaithi - Official Trailer

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Muhammed Althaf 1 168 days ago

Fantaatic story and dirextion ,always acting

Rajeev Metha 174 303 days ago

Adarsh thaware 3620 316 days ago.

#Spine-chilling movie kaithi������

raghu6300386775 raghu 113 897 days ago

A very impressive thriller .

Aswin Mukund 1115 days ago

AN EXCELLENT MOVIE...... KARTHI AND LOKESH HAD DONE A PERFECT MOVIE... WAITING FOR KAITHI 2 TO RELEASE

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• This film marks the first collaboration of uncle-nephew duo Anil Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor. Arjun is the son of Anil’s brother Boney Kapoor. Share
• This film marks the first collaboration of uncle-nephew duo Anil Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor. Arjun is the son of Anil’s brother Boney Kapoor.
• This is the second time Arjun Kapoor is playing a double role, the first being Aurangzeb (2013).
• The song ‘Yamma yamma’ from ‘Shaan’ is sampled in the song ‘Partywali Night' for the film.

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Kollywood Movie Review – Kaithi Is A Riveting, Well-Crafted Film That Also Showcases An Actor’s Love For The Story He’s Chosen

Cast: Karthi, Narain

Direction: Lokesh Kanagaraj

Lokesh Kanagaraj gives us an extended prologue for his Kaithi before the opening credits roll. There has been a drug bust and the drug lords are angry as hell. They are ready to pin the blame on the weakest under-ling. The police force led by Bejoy (Narain) is agitated. They need to get the cargo to someplace safe and they can trust no one. There is a drug lord above all, we hear only his name. We don’t see his face. Nobody has seen his face; he is a shadow. His minions are running the show and are out to get every team member in the special task force for what they have pulled. A bounty is placed on each head. Teams disperse. We also learn that there is a mole inside the gangsters, sent by Bejoy, and he’s deep and senior enough to call the shots. We get information in fits and starts as to who is who, not everything as coherent as we would like. There is no time for elation because Lokesh Kanagaraj doesn’t want us to trust anyone. The good guys can be the bad guys. The bad guys can be the good guys. The narcotics officer who seems to be on the opposite side of the law is called Stephen Raj — a name belonging to one of the cult-est undercover cop characters in Tamil cinema.

Lokesh Kanagaraj is the quintessential 90s kid who’s clearly grown up on a steady diet of late 80s to mid-90s Tamil masala action films. There are bits of several things from much-loved action films of those years. Like Inaindha Kaigal , Kaithi too is about two men from the opposite sides of the law coming together for the greater good. Like in that classic, Kaithi too has a father trying to finish a job and return home to his kid. Like Kuruthippunal , here too, there is a young mole wedged deep in a criminal organisation, sharing a bond of loyalty with his senior, what Dhanush and Adinarayanan shared in that film.

A song from another PC Sreeram’s film — Meera — Pudhu Routeuladhan plays just as Dilli ( Karthi ) takes a detour with the lorry, now working for Bejoy on a mission. Meera , of course, was a road movie with Meera (Aishwarya) and Jeeva (Vikram) running away from a bunch of goons out to kill them. At one point, Dilli even references Vijaykanth films. There is a mix of the best of them in Kaithi , from mass action scenes and transformations fashioned after Chathriyan to hand to hand combat set in quarries like Captain Prabhakaran . Kaithi also features the best usage of Aasa Adhigum Vechu, uncharacteristically set inside a police commissioner’s office.

The filmmaking is uncompromising throughout. Lokesh Kanagaraj uses a tracking shot in the prologue to define the gravity of the situation at a retiring Inspector General’s party. The film’s events are over a single night and we are thrust in media res. It’s to the director’s credit that the energy never wanes, and the pace never sags. The stakes are always high because we root for the guys we believe are on the right side of the law and there are enough comedic digressions that offer a breather (one on prison not being on Mars is a howler).

Kaithi wants to intentionally blur the lines between the police and the convict, its atmosphere and setting go a long way in making this happen. One part of the film is the road film — think a mix of Mad Max Fury Road , The Italian Job and Speed — where the convict is wild and free with the blessings of the police officer. The other setting of the film is the commissioner’s office which needs to be guarded at all costs till Bejoy and Dilli reach. The commissioner’s office now becomes a fortress (the building in the film is a British era architecture) and in some weird fashion, a prison for the lone constable (George Maryan in a role and performance of a lifetime). For waging wars that are disproportionate to his position and stature, he is aptly named Napolean. He is Legolas and Gimli rolled into one, guarding Helm’s Deep. We can never tell what got left out at the editing table, but Philomin Raj’s editing is a masterclass, scenes flowing from one to another, and not a single frame feeling like a chore. There is even delicious foreshadowing. Kamatchi complains the weight of a pistol, how it isn’t as light as they make it out to be in the movies. I don’t want to spoil it so look out for that final scene to realize the pettiness of this complaint.

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Kaithi has a strong emotional core running throughout, that of Dilli and the daughter that he has never met. The fuel that the film runs on is this yet unformed bond and the bond that slowly gets forged between Bejoy and Dilli, Dilli and Kamatchi, or Napolean and the college students. Kaithi works in large parts due to Lokesh Kanagaraj not giving in to any form of simplification. His exposition can be garbled but they are intentionally garbled. He doesn’t want to make you root for anyone. He wants your choice to be organic. Even when Dilli is narrating a past, a lesser director would have crumbled and filmed those portions. In Kaithi, we don’t get that. We simply hear what Dilli has to say. We imagine what it must have been like. We feel his pain. This is a mark of a true filmmaker. Not to mention an actor loving the film he has chosen to do.

Also read, Silverscreen.in interview of Lokesh Kanagaraj

The  Kaithi review  is a  Silverscreen  original article.  It was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Silverscreen.in and its writers do not have any commercial relationship with movies that are reviewed on the site.

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Kaithi movie review: Karthi starrer is a relentless action drama that has its heart in the right place

Kaithi movie review: this karthi starrer is an action film with a soul and a purpose. while it still caters to the masses, it is nothing like a crowd-pleasing commercial film..

Kaithi Director : Lokesh Kanagaraj Cast : Karthi, Narain, George Maryan, Ramana, Dheena, Harish Uthaman and Vatsan Chakravarthy

Lokesh Kanagaraj, one of the most promising new-gen filmmakers of Tamil cinema, has passed the second film test with distinction. After making his solid debut with Maanagaram a few years ago, Lokesh returns strongly with Kaithi , a relentless, punchy action film that has its heart in the right place. On paper, it’s is a story that spans across a single night and it follows events that happen in a span of four hours. It’s an idea that could’ve gone haywire because of its thin plot, but Lokesh makes the proceedings so riveting that it’s hard to bat an eyelid.

The plot is simple. Bejoy (Narain) heads a team of cops that has just confiscated a record amount of cocaine, which they hide in a secret cell under the police commissioner’s office. Bejoy gets injured in the operation but his job isn’t over yet as the drug mafia learns about the bust and sends an army to the commissioner officer. Bejoy, in order to save the situation, takes the help of Dilli, a life-term prisoner who has been released on parole to finally meet his daughter. Meanwhile, a few college students find themselves stranded in the commissioner’s office with a constable for company, and they are forced to join forces to stop the gangsters from breaking in.

Kaithi is set in a world where Kamal Haasan’s Virumaandi meets Die Hard meets Assault on Precinct 13. No Tamil action film in recent years has worked as wholesomely as Kaithi, and it’s unimaginably riveting from start to finish. This is a pure genre film and even though it panders to the masses with the way it has treated action, it’s still a refreshing departure from the doldrums of crowd-pleasing commercial cinema. This is an action film with a soul and a purpose. As much as the film relies heavily on action, it never gets repetitive in its portrayal of stunts and that’s one the primary reasons why Kaithi never gets boring. The film pays rich tributes to another Kamal Haasan film called Kuruthipunal and Martin Scorsese’s The Departed.

Also read: Inside Ambani Diwali party: Hazel Keech, Sagarika Ghatge, Isha Ambani make stunning appearances

The film has some really interesting characters and each one’s presence is well justified. George Maryan, for instance, plays a constable who really owns his scenes and makes a solid impact. Narain as the injured police officer brings both vulnerability and haplessness to his performance. Karthi never gets projected as the hero but he still makes one root for him with his solid performance. While it’s no surprise that he could pull off action so effortlessly, Karthi really moves you in the emotional scenes, especially where he narrates his past. Cinematographer Sathyan Sooryan deserves a special mention for the visuals, and he lights up the action scenes only with the help of lorry headlights and flashlights.

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Kaithi Reviews

If there is a fault, it is that the film feels overlong for its genre, with a couple of action blocks getting over-indulgent. But when it is action that we have signed up for, we cannot complain much about that.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Oct 9, 2023

This Karthi starrer is an action film with a soul and a purpose. While it still caters to the masses, it is nothing like a crowd-pleasing commercial film.

Full Review | Oct 9, 2023

Lo and behold, this Karthi-Lokesh Kanagaraj joyride is by far the best action thriller in Tamil cinema since Theeran Adhigaram Ondru.

There's a fantastic "mass" scene, set around a swimming pool, where the protagonist stuffs himself with biriyani — it's a stunning few minutes of a purely physical performance.

Kaithi is Kamal Haasan’s Virumaandi meets Bruce Willis’s Die Hard. In fact, Lokesh has acknowledged both the films in the credits.

With its engrossing screenplay, and hinged around a little girl, 'Kaithi' leaves you teary eyed.

Full Review | Feb 19, 2020

The characters in this Karthi starrer are in a constant fight-or-flight mode. Lokesh forces them to choose between pain and pride. Surrender or resist.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Nov 7, 2019

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Kaithi review: A brilliant thriller set to stand the test of time

Direction: Lokesh Kanagaraj

Cast: Karthi, Narain, Dheena, George Mariam, Arjun Das

Director Lokesh Kanagaraj of Maanagaram fame has proved that he is no flash in the pan with his second outing Kaithi, a gritty mass action thriller. And with a power house performer Karthi at the helm of affairs, Kaithi is an absolute treat to watch.

The entire film is a series of events that unfolds in the course of one night. Like Lokesh's earlier film, here also he uses the hyperlink genre to take forward the story where several incidents happening at different places converge at one point. The movie opens at an orphanage, where a little girl Amudha (Baby Monica) is restless as she awaits a visitor the next morning. Then there is Bejoy (Narain), an injured STF officer who has busted a drug mafia worth of 800 cores and hides it at a secret chamber below the Police Headquarters. He has the responsibility of taking a bunch of cops who are unconscious due to their drinks getting spiked to the hospital. And 50 odd thugs who want to release their drug kingpin Adaikkalam (Harish Utthaman) from the police lockup alongside their goods. A group of college students are stuck at the police station with just a constable Napoleon (George Mariam) on duty. Amidst all these enters Dilli (Karthi) a life convict who is on a parole and on his way to see his daughter, whom he has not seen right from her birth. And Bejoy has only a lorry at his disposal to transport the incapacitated cops to the hospital. He almost blackmails the reluctant Dilli and forces him to drive the lorry to the hospital which is 60 kilometres away. And there is a black sheep among them. Now starts a roller coaster bumpy ride for Dilli. Having taken the onus, how Dilli accomplishes his mission forms the rest of the riveting thriller.

The film does not have a heroine, song and dance routines and comedy tracks. Kudos to Lokesh for not falling into above said commercial trappings although there was enough scope to incorporate in the narrative, especially when Dilli tells Kamatchi his backstory. And it needs a lot of guts and conviction for a big hero to touch such an experimental genre and a producer to invest crores of money on it. Karthi does it with his extremely exceptional and realistic chops. He also pulls off the emotional scenes with effortless ease. Credit goes to Dream Warrior Pictures for bankrolling it. Lokesh's firm grip over the medium is evident as he never goes overboard.

Narain has made a terrific comeback. Dheena as Kamatchi, the young lorry owner appeals with his spontaneous comedy. Veteran George Mariam proves his versatility even as the bunch of boys and a girl chip in their bit. Arjun Das as the antagonist is menacing. Ramana as Tips and Harish Peradi are adequate.

Sathyan Sooryan's cinematography is commendable for his stunning visuals shot completely during night and his immense hard work and efforts are visible. Sam CS's background score enhances each and every scene and maintains the tempo intact. Anbariv's fresh, raw and rustic stunt compositions augment the proceedings and are a major plus.

Kaithi with its solid story combined with outstanding performances and flawless making is set to stand the test of time. The film ends with an open climax, suggesting a prequel or sequel to it. A brilliant and engaging thriller not to be missed!

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Kaithi movie review: Karthi's edgy performance is the highlight of Lokesh Kanagaraj's gripping thriller

Kaithi is Kamal Haasan’s Virumaandi meets Bruce Willis’s Die Hard. In fact, Lokesh has acknowledged both the films in the credits,

If I had to describe  Kaithi in one word, it would be: terrific! Lokesh Kanagaraj, whose last film was the brilliant Maanagaram , has once again delivered a winner. Though it is only his second film, and first with a star like Karthi, the director has a grip over his craft and understanding of commercial cinema. He has dared to make a film that’s different from the usual run-of-the-mill action movies and will take you by surprise.

Kaithi is a genre-specific film that grips you for a nerve racking 148 minutes. The entire story takes place in one single night and there are no flashbacks. Karthi’s raw and intense performance, the film’s taut screenplay and excellent technicality, along with awesome action scenes, makes Kaithi an edge-of-the seat thriller.

Lokesh establishes his plot and characters in a straightforward manner in the first half an hour. Bejoy (Narain) is an honest cop attached to the commissioner’s office in Trichy, who confiscates 90 Kilos of cocaine with a market value of Rs 800 Crores. He keeps it in a secret underground cell which was built by the British. Anbu (Arjun Das), and his gang who control the drug mafia, want to recover the cocaine and also free their leader who is in police custody. The commissioner decides to celebrate the events with a party, but an informer inside the police force laces their drinks. Bejoy, who has not touched the liquor at the party, has to save the life of his colleagues.

Enter Dilli (Karthi), a prisoner released on parole to meet his daughter, who he has not seen in the last 10 years. Bejoy ropes in Dilli and offers him a deal if he helps drive the sick officers in a lorry. Meanwhile, a lone police constable (George Mariyam) and a group of college students caught for drunken driving, have to protect the commissioner’s office from Anbu who is planning an attack to recover his consignment.

Kaithi  is Kamal Haasan’s Virumaandi meets Bruce Willis’s Die Hard . In fact, Lokesh has acknowledged both the films in the credits, but has convincingly worked it out so it blends with the story and situation. Like in his first film Maanagaram , in Kaithi,  Lokesh chooses an open ending that leaves enough room for a sequel. The characters in the film are realistic and well etched.

The highlight of the film is its non-stop action scenes including a chase, deadly fights and a terrific climax. Anbariv, the action choreographer has done a great job along with cameraman Sathyan Sooryan. The  night shots in Kaithi successfully give you that feeling of dread. The only setback comes way into the film, when it seems like a one-man show as Karthi is shown as a fighting machine, winning even against 38 guys.  Kaithi  could have been crisper.

Karthi is terrific with his eyes, especially in a seen involving his daughter where he breaks down.  Kaithi is a well made film that takes the road less travelled and provides enough thrills.

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'Kaithi' movie review: Lokesh, Karthi deliver an arresting film

Over the years, the word ‘commercial’ has acquired certain negative shades when used to refer to cinema. A ‘commercial film’ having an indomitable hero. It meant having songs and humour. You had to have a good dose of action as well. And sentiment to reach the family audiences. These masala movies have led us to believe a ‘commercial’ film has to be built on a specific template.

It couldn’t be anything else, especially if there’s a star in it. What will the fans say, you know? But around two years ago, Lokesh Kanagaraj, director of Maanagaram and Kaithi, emphatically stated that everything a star wants out of an ‘entertainer’, can be organically conjured even in so-called offbeat films. With Kaithi, Lokesh has delivered on his promise.

Would you believe me if I said Kaithi  is a thoroughly commercial film? Let’s take that list again. Mass moments? Humour? Sentiment? Name it and you will find it. Some terrific writing coherently weaves all these ‘commercial elements’ into the fabric of the premise and the screenplay, much like in Lokesh’s first film, Maanagaram.

Kaithi is cut from the same cloth. Humour spurts from unlikely places.  Both films have several ‘innocent’ characters who are pushed into extraordinary situations. They are also built around humanity, and the lack of it. Lokesh seems to enjoy expounding on the myriad equations that two strangers develop under extraordinary situations. But Kaithi is bigger, and in a way, better as well. The coincidences in Maanagaram had been a minor grouse, but here, there’s no room for it. Lokesh presents a complicated story with extreme clarity and confidence, respecting the audience’s intelligence.

Humanity isn’t the only theme of Kaithi. There is a sense of equality in the treatment of characters. Don’t we all have a story? At least the characters in this film do. What Kaithi does is shine an even spotlight on them all, not just on his lead. Again, similar to Maanagaram. Thus, characters feel whole, even if we don’t know much about them. The writing and convincing performances create a lot of flavour even with minimal information. The familiar faces which form the cast also help. Not only do they add a certain heft to the roles, but they also ensure we aren’t lost in the multiple story arcs. And what joy it is to see well-utilised supporting actors.

INTERVIEW|  I hope 'Kaithi' opens more doors for me: Actor Narain

Sure, Dilli (Karthi) gets more whistle-worthy moments, but the film is aware of the creative liberties it indulges in. Some character or the other constantly catches the questions in our head and answers them as well. This leads to an ‘enna da build up over a iruku’ at one point. At another, it is about the number of bullets being used. Again, all indicative of a filmmaker who respects his audience.Kaithi just sweeps us along with its action. I would agree with Lokesh when he called Kaithi a pure action film. A special shout to Anbariv who give us some cool stunt sequences.

The action pieces are stacked like a game through the film, and they keep leveling up each time. And the bigger it gets, the crazier it becomes. The final act, in a way, reminded me of Varathan. Kaithi uses our Kollywood-conditioned minds to good effect in creating theatrical moments.Even when there isn’t any action, something is always brewing. Introductions are made, premises are set, hurdles are planted rapidly. Blink and you’ll miss a connecting link.

But most of this information is given to us in intelligible pellets. Kaithi moves at breakneck speed, its frantic cinematography and edit only slowing when Dilli talks about his family.  The sentiment feels a bit incongruous but it’s understandable. Had Mansoor Ali Khan done the role, maybe Dilli would have more unconditionally grey? But with Karthi playing him, Dilli had to be someone who the larger masses will root for. He had to be white.

ALSO READ|  Had a narrow escape while shooting for 'Kaithi': Actor Narain

While the rest of the film is on firm ground, these are the portions that feel unmoored. But Karthi, the actor, reins it in. Dilli gets a generic flashback, but Karthi sells it with such genuine restrained emotion that we buy it. And the film turned meta for me for just a moment. With Dilli looking like Paruthiveeran, what if the latter and Muthazhagu had ended up together? The story of Dilli and his wife Viji feels that way. Suddenly, even the most common of stories gets a fascinating twist. There is more such clever use of popular content to the film’s advantage — the inspired use of Jumbalakka and Aasai Adhigam Vechu — which act almost like a commentary.

Remember what I said about being self-aware? No film is without flaws and VFX proves to be Kaithi’s Achilles heel, as is the increasing frequency with which we are expected to suspend our logical faculties. But then, these are minor grouses in a film that lands most of its punches. I was reminded of what Lokesh said in one of his interviews. Nothing that happens in Kaithi is really 'logical' in strict terms. The challenge was to present it as convincingly as possible. And Kaithi does one helluva job with that.

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Kaithi Movie Review: This Karthi Movie Is A Brilliantly Crafted Action-Thriller!

Kaithi is an action thriller that features Karthi in the lead role. The movie, which is directed by Lokesh Kanakaraj, has already garnered the attention of audiences with its unusual yet fascinating theme. Interestingly, Kaithi has hit the theatres as a Deepavali release and is clashing with the Vijay starrer Bigil at the box office.

Did the Karthi movie find a place in the hearts of viewers? Read Kaithi movie review here to know....

Dilli (Karthi) is a culprit who is serving life imprisonment for the past 10 years. He escapes jail in a bid to see his only daughter, whom he has never met. On his way, he meets an injured cop named Bejoy (Narain) and decides to help him. How Dilli finally meets his daughter after fighting all the odds forms the crux of the story.

Script & Direction

Lokesh Kanakaraj, the director has succeeded in portraying the night journey of a culprit and cop, which is interlinked with the beautiful father-daughter relationship, with absolute perfection. The writer-director succeeds is establishing a totally engaging narrative with the strong base of a well-written screenplay.

The screenplay doesn't waste much time in establishing the characters and solely focuses on the gripping night journey, which is commendable. The action sequences are executed extremely well, which elevates the overall experience. Kaithi stays away from some of the most overused clichés of Tamil cinema like the masala elements, romance, and songs, which has actually helped this action-thriller in staying true to its genre.

Performances

Karthi delivers one of the finest performances of his career as Dilli, the criminal who longs to meet his daughter. The actor has handled the various shades of his character with absolute ease and shines in both the action and emotional sequences.

Narain, who appears as cop Bejoy, delivers a matured performance in his well-written role. The rest of the star cast including Yogi Babu, Ponvannan, George Maryan, Ramana, Dheena, Mahanati Shankar, have played their respective parts to near perfection.

Technical Aspects

Sathyan Sooryan, the director of photography, deserves a special mention for the exceptional visuals which has created the perfect backdrop for the action-thriller. Cinematography has truly played a big role in making Kaithi, which is majorly shot at night time, a complete visual treat. Editing by Philomin Raj is top notch, and makes the movie a totally gripping experience from the beginning to the climax.

Kaithi also stands out with its brilliantly choreographed action sequences, which are truly a treat to the action genre lovers. Sam CS, the music director, shines once again with the excellent background score, which totally syncs with the narrative and creates the perfect mood.

Screenplay & direction The performances by Karthi and the rest of the star cast Cinematography Action sequences Background score

The absence of entertaining factors

Kaithi is a brilliantly crafted action-thriller, majorly backed up by the well-written screenplay and terrific performances. Don't miss this one.

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Kaithi Movie Review: Karthi's Stunning Performance Makes It an Engaging Watch

Curated By : Gautaman Bhaskaran

Last Updated: October 25, 2019, 18:58 IST

Kaithi plays at multiple levels. Karthi's Dilli is a murder convict out on parole to meet his 10-year-old daughter whom he has never seen.

Cast: Karthi, Narain, George Maryan

Director: Lokesh Kanagaraj

Once in a blue moon, a more-or-less sensible Tamil film pops out of the cans, and a Deepawali opener this year is one with actor Karthi playing a prisoner on parole. Karthi's career graph has been unsteady since his lovely rustic performance in his debut Paruthiveeran many years ago. But his latest, Kaithi (Prisoner), by writer-director Lokesh Kanagaraj, sees Karthi in a far more controlled form than some of his earlier outings. He has finally called it quits to some of his trademark mannerisms.

Kaithi plays at multiple levels. Karthi's Dilli is a murder convict out on parole to meet his 10-year-old daughter whom he has never seen. His wife is dead, and Kanagaraj keeps us at the edge of our seats till the very end. Will the father meet the daughter at all?

Call it coincidence or bad luck, Dilli finds himself a prisoner even on his parole, having to drive a huge truck at the command of a top cop, Bejoy (Narain) – who has laid his hands on a huge consignment of cocaine that he has hidden in the city police commissioner’s office. An injured Bejoy asks Dilli to drive him and his incapacitated men (whose drinks have been spiked by the drug mafia) to a hospital – and very quickly, if they are to be saved.

On the other side of the spectrum, we have the little girl, who has spent her life in an orphanage, waiting to meet that someone she has no clue about. She spends a restless, sleepless night wondering who is going to knock on her door.

And between these two points, we have a bunch of college students caught in the commissioner's office, a situation that turns trickier by the minute. For, they are under attack from the blood-thirsting mafia.

With the pack of drug pedlars not wanting Bejoy to reach his destination, and moving heaven and earth to stop that truck winding its way through thick jungles and in the darkness of the night, the film feels like a roller-coaster ride.

Kanagaraj could have done many things with a story of this kind that unfolds between dusk and dawn. One, he could have stopped Dilli from turning into a Goliath, taking on dozens of men and flattening them out. A typical crowd-puller to get Karthi's fans elated. Two, like much of Tamil cinema, scripting leaves a lot to be desired. I could never understand why the lone policeman in the station, essayed by George Maryan (with the others having run away), does not seek help from his fellow colleagues – instead choosing to fall back on the students to help him keep the station as well as the cocaine hidden in the basement safe.Honestly, Kaithi could have done without these mass movements.

However, Kanagaraj does step away from melodrama. Even the scene in which Dilli hears his daughter's voice for the first time over the phone has been handled with sensitivity, though the last frames may have well been lifted from a super hero movie.

I am going with three stars for Karthi's memorable piece of acting.

Rating: 3/5

(Gautaman Bhaskaran is an author, commentator and movie critic)

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• 'Kaithi': Five reasons to watch Karthi's film

'Kaithi': Five reasons to watch Karthi's film

Visual Stories

Kaithi Movie Cast & Crew

Director Lokesh Kanagaraj made a name for himself with his very first movie -  Maanagaram  and his second directorial  Kaithi , with Karthi in the lead, has hit the screens today. A sinister drug ring lead by 2 brothers; an undercover cop inside the drug ring; a corrupt cop helping the criminals; a special task force which has captured a huge load of drugs; a party by a senior police officer at which all top police officers get drugged and become unconscious; a former convict released from prison after 10 years, going to see his daughter for the first time; a group of college students caught at the Police Commissioner's office which is under attack by the criminals... Well, take all this and have Lokesh Kanagaraj at the helm and you get an intense, gripping and racy action-packed thriller, in  Kaithi ! To see how all of this comes together, watch  Kaithi  in the theatres...

Karthi, as the rugged and intense Dilli, a convict who has just been released after a 10-year-sentence, is brilliant. His body language, conviction, the innocence in his speech and clarity in his thoughts, are all beautifully etched. Narain gets a meaty role and has done a very good job. The casting needs a special mention as all the characters are near perfect. George Maryan, Ramana, Harish Uthaman, Vatsan Chakravarthy and all the other actors too, have given their absolute and intense best. Narain and Karthi travel throughout and the variation in their characters with the rapidly changing situations, has been nicely portrayed. Lokesh Kanagaraj has stamped his class over the entire movie and proves his talent yet again. The multiple threads moving parallely to converge at a common point, is something we have seen in  Maanagaram  itself and he does it well, in Kaithi too. The wry dialogues laced with sarcastic humour, are sure to work well with the audiences.

The lack of a heroine or songs in this movie will never be felt, for the pace of the screenplay keeps the viewers glued to the screens and wondering what would happen next. Songs would have only dampened the pace of the movie. However, Sam CS has showed off all his skills in the BGM and it elevates the visuals to an altogether different level. Sathyan Sooryan's cinematography needs a special mention, especially the aerial shots, which are a big plus to the movie. Philomin Raj's editing is very good too. 

The only areas that stand out as a bit odd are the cinematic twist to the action sequences, which seem to have been added to bring in the commercial factor. The raw naturalness seems to be missing in a couple of places, especially towards the climax. However, even with a dialogue in the end scene, Lokesh keeps the viewers guessing.

Verdict: Kaithi is a brilliantly made movie with Lokesh Kanagaraj and Karthi shining bright!

Galatta Rating: ( 3 /5.0 )

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• User reviews

• Dilli, an ex-convict, endeavours to meet his daughter for the first time after leaving prison. However, his attempts are interrupted due to a drug raid planned by Inspector Bejoy.
• On a night where the entire police officers got into an immovable situation, a paroled convict is forced to help the police, so that he can see his daughter for the first time in life. How he helps the department forms the story of this action packed entertainer.
• At an orphanage, 10-year-old Amudha is told by the caretakers that someone important is going to meet her in the next day at 10:00 am; She waits anxiously, wondering who it may be. Meanwhile, a smuggling van carrying a ton of cocaine from an interstate group of smugglers are seized by Inspector Bejoy and his team. The contraband was smuggled by a huge gang headed by Adaikalam, the most wanted smuggler in Tamil Nadu, whose identity remains unknown. Adaikalam's brother Anbu plans to capture the five police, kill them, and retrieve the contraband. According to Anbu's plan, all the police officials in the city get unconscious after consuming poisoned drinks at a higher official's retirement party. Bejoy, who avoided the drink as he was under medication, tries to save the lives of all the unconscious officials without letting the media or anyone else finding out. Bejoy convinces Dilli, an ex-prisoner who happened to be there with him as he was detained for looking suspicious (and being the only one who can drive a lorry), to help him save the officers' lives by threatening him that he would not let him meet his daughter Amudha the next morning, with the help of a lorry borrowed from Kamatchi, a caterer present at the party. As Kamatchi has navigations of routes and roads, Dilli tells him to come with them as well. Dilli, Bejoy, and Kamatchi together load the unconscious officers into the lorry and try their best to get them to the hospital as soon as possible without any casualties. As Anbu announces a huge sum of money as the reward for catching the policemen, gangsters from Anbu's gangs try to hunt down Bejoy and his team. They are guided by Paalpandi, a corrupt cop (recruited by Stephen Raj, Zonal Head of Narcotics Division) who pretends to be unconscious while giving information about the location of the lorry to the gangs. Meanwhile, at the commissioner's office, the drugs are hidden along with Adaikalam's men who are in custody. As Anbu and his gang would take the drugs and free Adaikalam's men, Bejoy orders constable Napoleon and a group of college students detained due to drunk driving, to close all the possible exits and to try and keep the gangsters outside the commissioner's office at the cost of their own lives while they wait for higher officials. Dilli, Bejoy, and Kamatchi come across the various gangs, but Dilli takes care of them brutally. Back at the building, Napoleon is instructed by Bejoy to negotiate a deal with the captured men of Adaikalam. Napoleon makes one of the men call Anbu and agrees to release the prisoners in exchange for his and the student's safety. Surprisingly, Anbu agrees. However, Bejoy realises that Adaikalam himself is captured unknowingly with his men and instructs Napoleon to cancel the deal. Adaikalam tries to guide Anbu into the commissioner's office, but the students purposely blast loud music to keep him from hearing Adaikalam. Anbu manages to climb up to the roof and break into the building, but he is subdued by the students and tied up. Dilli and Kamatchi manage to transfer the unconscious officers to a school bus from the hospital so that they can continue to the commissioner's office. However, they come across another huge and armed gang under leadership of Tips who were ordered by Anbu himself to kill both Dilli and Bejoy. They beat up Bejoy, and Paalpandi brutally stabs Dilli but Dilli manages to kill Paalpandi and all the gangsters including Tips, while rescuing Bejoy and proceeding to the building. Anbu's gang is outside the building and Ram manages to catch a student, and under the order of Anbu, kills him. Infuriated, Napoleon bludgeons and renders Anbu unconscious with a fire extinguisher, to which Adaikalam swears he will kill all of them. Dilli, Bejoy, and Kamatchi make it to the building. Dilli alone enters the building through a secret passage and sends the students through the passage, while he and Napoleon go to burn up the cocaine. The duo reaches the storage room, but to their surprise, they also find a confiscated M134 Minigun. Instead of just burning the drugs, Napoleon decides to eliminate all the syndicate members. They reach the ground floor as the goons break-in. Dilli uses the gun to kill Ram and all of Anbu's gang outside the building. All the policemen are resuscitated, and Bejoy finds the moles in his department. Stephen Raj is incriminated and all injured are moved to the Government Hospital overnight. Bejoy thanks Dilli and promises him that he will soon arrange a good life for him and his daughter. Nalini, who is Dilli's probation officer, brings Amudha to the spot, and they meet with tears of joy. In prison, one of the captured men tells Adaikalam that Dilli, who had no connection with the gangs, was the prime reason for all of their losses, to which Adaikalam, who already knows Dilli, replies that he does have a connection. The next day, Dilli, Amudha, and Kamatchi leave for Dilli's village.

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Kaithi, translated as “Prisoner,” is a 2019 Indian Tamil-language action thriller directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. Produced by S. R. Prakash Babu and S. R. Prabhu under Dream Warrior Pictures, and co-produced by Tiruppur Vivek under Vivekananda Pictures, the film stars Karthi in the lead role, alongside Narain, Arjun Das, Harish Uthaman, George Maryan, and Dheena in significant roles. The storyline revolves around a recently released prisoner who must urgently transport poisoned cops to a hospital to reunite with his daughter, all while being pursued by criminals.

Kaithi hit theaters on October 25, 2019, ahead of the Diwali festival, garnering praise from critics. Its positive reception translated into box-office success, with earnings amounting to ₹105 crore. The film was chosen for official screening at the International Indian Film Festival Toronto (IIFFT) in August 2020 and clinched awards at Ananda Vikatan, Norway Tamil Film Festival, SIIMA, and Zee Cine Awards. Serving as the inaugural installment of the Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU), the narrative focuses on combatting drug trafficking. This universe extends with Narain reprising his role as Bejoy in Vikram (2022), and George Maryan returning as Napoleon in Leo (2023), both directed by Lokesh. A sequel, Kaithi 2, is currently in the developmental stages.

The caregivers at an orphanage inform a young girl named Amudha that an important visitor will meet her the following day, leaving her in eager anticipation. Meanwhile, Inspector Bejoy and his team intercept a van smuggling 900 kilos of cocaine, resulting in the drugs and the perpetrators being detained at the commissioner’s office. The mastermind behind the syndicate, Adaikalam, remains unidentified. His brother, Anbu, plots to eliminate the police officers involved in the seizure and reclaim the drugs. However, their plans take a dramatic turn when the top-ranking police officials fall unconscious at the Inspector General’s retirement celebration after consuming spiked drinks. Bejoy, who had abstained from drinking due to medication, discreetly attempts to save his colleagues, following the IG’s request to avoid media attention.

In a desperate bid to save the officers’ lives, Bejoy coerces Dilli, a former convict detained for appearing suspicious, into helping him by threatening to deny him the chance to meet his daughter Amudha. Utilizing a truck borrowed from Kamatchi, a caterer present at the event, Bejoy, Dilli, and Kamatchi load the unconscious officers into the vehicle and rush them to the hospital. Meanwhile, Anbu offers a hefty reward for capturing the officers, prompting his gangsters to pursue Bejoy’s team. A corrupt cop, Paalpandi, provides the gangsters with information about the truck’s whereabouts.

Bejoy tasks Constable Napoleon and a group of detained college students with blocking the exits to the commissioner’s office to prevent Anbu’s gang from accessing the drugs and freeing Adaikalam’s men. Despite facing numerous obstacles and encounters with hostile gangs, Dilli, Bejoy, and Kamatchi persevere. Napoleon negotiates with Adaikalam’s men, leading to an unexpected agreement from Anbu. However, Bejoy discovers Adaikalam among the captured and cancels the deal.

As chaos ensues, Dilli confronts Anbu’s gang while Bejoy strategizes to neutralize the threat. Despite setbacks and betrayals, they manage to save the officers and thwart Adaikalam’s plans. In the final showdown, Dilli and Napoleon decide to eliminate Adaikalam’s gang to safeguard innocent lives. With the situation under control, Bejoy expresses gratitude to Dilli and assures him of a better future for him and Amudha. Nalini, Dilli’s probation officer, reunites him with Amudha, bringing tears of joy.

In the aftermath, Adaikalam, realizing Dilli’s role in disrupting their operation, hints at a connection between them. Dilli, Amudha, and Kamatchi set out on a new journey to start afresh.

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'Monkey Man' review: Underestimate Dev Patel at your own peril after this action movie

In his directorial debut “Monkey Man,” Dev Patel gifts action-movie fans with a multilayered, hyperviolent narrative. Sure, he pulls off a deep dive into Indian mythology, yet he's pretty darn good at attacking goons with fireworks, platform shoes and all manner of sharp objects too.

More “Rocky” than “John Wick,” the gritty and gory revenge thriller (★★★ out of four; rated R; in theaters Friday) is a love letter to his two-fisted influences, from Bruce Lee movies to Asian cult flicks like “Oldboy” and “The Raid.” But the underdog story, produced by Jordan Peele, also shows a bunch of new sides to Patel, who knuckles up as a legit action star and a guy who can make a movie that’s totally cool, occasionally amusing and impressively thoughtful.

'Monkey Man': Dev Patel got physical for his new movie, and he has the broken bones to prove it

Patel also co-wrote the screenplay, a modern take on the mythos of the Hindu monkey god Hanuman. Kid (Patel) competes in an underground Indian fight club, though his job is mainly to take a bloody beating while wearing a monkey mask and hope his colorful boss Tiger (Sharlto Copley) doesn’t stiff him on pay.

At the same time, our hero is also haunted by the murder of his mom and a traumatic childhood, which fuels Kid’s mission of vengeance to take down those responsible. He gets a chance to infiltrate a repressive political system by working in a high-end brothel and starts causing problems for power players including a narcissistic, no-good celebrity guru (Makarand Deshpande) and a corrupt police chief (Sikander Kher).

With the holiday of Diwali on the way, as well as an important election, they don’t need someone like Kid messing things up. He becomes a wanted man and ends up left for dead in the street, where he’s found by a tribe of trans women who like Kid have been marginalized. Their leader Alpha (Vipin Sharma) nurses him back to health yet also imparts a key lesson: Instead of enduring pain and suffering as his primary existence, Kid needs a purpose in life.

While the piecemeal rollout of Kid’s backstory and bits of the Hanuman tale muddy the plot at first, “Monkey Man” swings into a groove when the main character is at his lowest point. Kid gets himself (and the movie) into gear in a lively montage where he uses a bag of wheat for punching practice as Alpha offers up a nifty percussion accompaniment. (It’s the next best thing to Survivor songs psyching up Rocky Balboa back in the day.)

Thusly inspired and trained, Kid goes on a righteous rampage and literally fights his way to the top floor of the villainous big boss. Patel can craft a mean action sequence, whether between ring ropes as masked men duke it out for crowds, a speedy car chase involving a tuk-tuk named after Nicki Minaj, or Kid kicking, stabbing and brawling his way through hordes of bad guys. As the guy at the center of these battles, the Oscar-nominated Patel ("Lion") never seems or looks out of place, even borrowing Keanu Reeves’ fashionable panache when it comes to gnarly combat couture.

The fact that “Monkey Man” includes social-cultural context, as something meaty to chew on rather than a throwaway thematic thread, is the cherry on top of Patel’s bloody sundae. He’s managed to craft a rare action movie that makes you think and also will joyfully plunge a metal rod into a dude’s brain.

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Movie Reviews

'la chimera' is marvelous — right up to its most magical ending.

Justin Chang

Carol Duarte and Josh O'Connor in La Chimera . Neon hide caption

Carol Duarte and Josh O'Connor in La Chimera .

The wonderful 42-year-old filmmaker Alice Rohrwacher practices a kind of cinema that I've come to think of as "Italian magical neorealism." She gives us portraits of hard-scrabble lives in poor rural communities, but they're graced by a whimsical, almost fable-like sense of enchantment.

Rohrwacher's 2014 film, The Wonders , was a lyrical drama about a family of Tuscan beekeepers. She followed that in 2018 with Happy as Lazzaro , about a group of sharecroppers on a tobacco farm whose story moves from picaresque comedy to aching tragedy.

'The Wonders' Of Family And Change

Her marvelous new movie, La Chimera , follows in much the same vein, with one key difference. While Rohrwacher has generally worked with non-professional Italian actors, this time she's cast the English actor Josh O'Connor , best known for his Emmy-winning performance as a young Prince Charles on The Crown .

But O'Connor's character here doesn't give off even a whiff of royalty, even if his name is Arthur. When we first meet him, he's asleep on a train bound for his old stomping grounds in Tuscany. He's just been released from prison after serving some time for the crime of grave robbing.

Arthur has a mysterious archeological talent: Wielding a divining rod, he can detect the presence of buried artifacts, many of which date back to the Etruscan civilization more than 2,000 years ago. Arthur works with a group of tombaroli , or tomb raiders, who rely on him to figure out where to dig.

Upon his return, many of those old friends welcome him back with a parade — one of several moments in which Rohrwacher briefly channels the vibrant human chaos of a Fellini film. Arthur is a little reluctant to rejoin his old gang, since they let him take the rap after their last job. But he doesn't seem to have anything else to do, or anywhere else to go. He may be an outsider — his Italian throughout is decent but far from perfect — but it's the only place in the world that feels remotely like home. And O'Connor plays him with such a deep sense of melancholy that it feels almost special when his handsome, careworn face breaks into a warm smile.

It's not immediately clear what Arthur wants; unlike his cohorts, he doesn't seem all that interested in making money off their spoils. The answer turns out to lie in his dreams, which are haunted by a beautiful young woman named Beniamina — the love of his life, whom he's lost under unclear circumstances.

And so Arthur's determination to go underground becomes a metaphor for his longing for an irretrievable past: Beniamina is the Eurydice to his Orpheus, and he wants her back desperately.

Arthur is still close to Beniamina's mother, Flora, played with a wondrous mix of warmth and imperiousness by the great Isabella Rossellini. Her presence here made me think of her filmmaker father, the neorealist titan Roberto Rossellini — a fitting association for a movie about how the past is forever seeping into the present.

One of the pleasures of Rohrwacher's filmmaking is the way she subtly blurs our sense of time. La Chimera is set in the 1980s, but it could be taking place 20 years earlier, or 20 years later. Rohrwacher and her brilliant cinematographer, Hélène Louvart, shot the movie on a mix of film stocks and sometimes tweak the image in ways that evoke the cinematic antiquities of the silent era. As sorrowful as Arthur's journey is, there's a playfulness to Rohrwacher's sensibility that keeps pulling you in, inviting you to get lost in the movie's mysteries.

One of the story's most significant characters is Italia, played by the Brazilian actor Carol Duarte, who works in Flora's household. Italia is a bit of an odd duck with a beguiling bluntness about her, and she might be just the one to pull Arthur out of his slump and get him to stop living in the past.

I won't give away what happens, except to say that La Chimera builds to not one but two thrilling scenes of underground exploration, in which Arthur must finally figure out his life's purpose — not by using a divining rod, but by following his heart. And it leads to the most magical movie ending I've seen in some time, and also the most real.