The following is a review of the Rajinijanth starrer Kabali by Faceboook user Shabir Tabare Alam.
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1. Because this is the first Tamil film where the protagonist is an Malaysian Indian. Folks of South East Asian descent will relate to certain elements. And the makers got quite a number of things right, like the blood sacrifice when joining a gang, the use of samurai swords and the funeral procession to name a few. Lingo such as Gaadi, Kootali, Jama and Sarakku were on point. Some factual inaccuracies on how South East Asian gangs function, their economics and how gang dynamics work, the excessive use of guns in a country like Malaysia during the hotel scene with no cops turning up and stuff. But hey, we can accept and have accepted in the past, such creative licenses, in the world of cinema.
2. Thalaivar has taken a bold step by collaborating with Pa Ranjith, given his non-masala style with films such as Madras & Attakathi. You have to salute him for this move which paid off well. His move could encourage the entire industry to move towards a new direction.
3. No hero glorification. No cringeworthy dialogues in the name of glorifying the hero. No lame jokes. So that makes this film nifty and cool. So so much better than many cringe worthy masala films.
4. Needless to say, the aged don’s swagger and style is inimitable. Absolutely no one can pull this off.
5. Motifs such as YB Satyanarayana’s Book Baliah My Father, an important literature in the Dalit community, controversial leaders Che & Malcom X’s images at Free Life Foundation are Ranjith’s forte. I also loved the moments with Radhika Apte. The way he finds her, the moment he sees her, the flashback, the song, everything.
I watched this film like how I would watch any Tamil film and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Go watch Kabali at the theatres and please show a middle finger to piracy. Magizhchi.
PS: To some critics who hate the film: “Ennapa Anga Sattham?” (What’s that noise there?)
[fvplayer src=”http://youtube.com/watch?v=CfrREoM6IFk”]