Kalvan

Kalvan Movie Synopsis: A ruthless Kemban and his friend Suri have a no-holds-barred approach to life. How does Kemabn’s life change when an elderly man and a woman, whom he eventually falls in love with, come into his life?

Kalvan Movie Review: Kalvan is a film that gives off the feeling that a lot is happening while also simultaneously making you think that absolutely nothing is playing out on screen. On a closer look, it’s clear that this outwardly simple film touches upon numerous subjects, ranging from human psychology to animals. But throughout its runtime, Kalvan just passes by without making much noise. This isn’t a film to make you want to pause, marvel, and have another look at it again.

The issue with Kalvan is that it’s simple and mostly a low-stakes affair. Of course, we cannot fault a film because it’s uncomplicated and easy. But, when you consider what Kalvan discusses, the film being too easy is an issue. This PV Shankar directorial is a film intended to be high-stakes but inadvertently turns out to be low-stakes.

On a positive note, what works in Kalvan are the performances of the cast and the characterization of its lead. Kemban (GV Prakash Kumar) is a far cry from the righteous leads in our films who stand as torchbearers and are traditionally a model of rectitude. His character is far from perfect and can even be deemed downright pathetic. However, it can be argued that the eventual character development of Kemban required much more nuance and refinement. But, for the most part, the film does a good job of not making us wrap our heads around Kemban’s intentions.

For the most part, Kalvan follows an archetype narrative with all the standard prerequisites. For example, there’s a mandatory song that pops up to establish Kemban's character. There’s another song that comes up when Kemban falls in love with Balamani (Ivana). There’s yet another song when Balamani falls in love with Kemban. The film also falters when, in a crucial scene, the CGI animal comes across as phoney and so obviously bogus.

Possibly the worst stretch in the film is the introduction of a Malayali character who is a mahout. In what world did the makers think that making him utter the line, ‘I am not a nair but a namboothiri’ innumerable times would come across as funny? The whole sequence is just so painfully jarring and it takes you out of a film that can otherwise be referred to as an inconsequential but harmless watch.