Kaantha Is High On Performances, Low On Execution
Samuthirakani is equally strong, delivering a compelling performance as a celebrated director. The central conflict—an ego battle between a stubborn actor and his mentor—has potential but loses impact due to the sluggish storytelling. Bhagyashri Borse, as the debutante heroine caught between admiration for her director and love for the actor, does well, though her track is underdeveloped
Cast: Dulquer Salmaan, Bhagyashri Borse, Samuthirakani, Rana Daggubati
Director: Selvamani Selvaraj
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Malayalam star Dulquer Salmaan, who earlier impressed Telugu audiences with his portrayal of Gemini Ganesan in Mahanati, once again steps into the shoes of a yesteryear Tamil superstar, M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, in Kaantha. Though the makers insist it is a fictional story, the inspiration is obvious. Dulquer delivers a dignified and restrained performance that keeps the film afloat despite its slow pace and patience-testing narration.
Samuthirakani is equally strong, delivering a compelling performance as a celebrated director. The central conflict—an ego battle between a stubborn actor and his mentor—has potential but loses impact due to the sluggish storytelling. Bhagyashri Borse, as the debutante heroine caught between admiration for her director and love for the actor, does well, though her track is underdeveloped.
Rana Daggubati plays an investigative cop, adding weight whenever he appears. Writer-director Selvamani Selvaraj employs the“film within a film concept, capturing the vintage era effectively with black-and-white reels and period equipment. However, these impressive visuals cannot hide the wafer-thin plot and slow-paced narration. The director seems overly ambitious; exploring the grey shades of a Tamil actor’s personality alone would have been enough to strike a chord with non-Tamil viewers, but it has a lot of limitations. He adds a police investigation to the actor–director drama to pep the proceedings, but he falls short by a long distance.
The story revolves around the clash between the director (Samuthirakani) and his protégé (Dulquer) after the actor renames a female-centric film, Shaantha, to Kaantha and alters the climax. Their creative differences erupt into a personal battle on set. Caught in the middle is Kumari (Bhagyashri Borse), torn between loyalty, admiration, and love. The tension peaks when a real bullet is fired during a shoot—was it a planned murder or a tragic mistake? The rest of the film deals with this mystery.
Dulquer, a favourite among Telugu audiences thanks to Mahanati, Sita Ramam, and Lucky Bhaskar, returns with another semi-biographical role. His performance shines, but the fractured writing doesn’t provide the excitement or emotional depth viewers expect.
Overall, Kaantha offers strong performances from Dulquer Salmaan, Bhagyashri Borse, Samuthirakani, and Rana Daggubati, along with striking visuals. But the narrative fails to match the quality of its cast and technical craft, resulting in a film that is more admirable than engaging.
