Kammattipaadam (Review)

Rajeev Ravi presents the violent story of Kammattipaadam and a few friends. Krishnan returns to Ernakulam after receiving a call from his childhood friend Ganga. The movie follows a non-linear storyline, moving backward and forward in time. The development of the lead characters (Ganga, Krishnan, Paranki, Balan, etc.) is the best in recent times.

What sets Kammattipaadam apart from every Malayalam gangster/action film before it is its down-to-earth presentation. The dialogues, however simple, resonate in your mind forever. Rajeev Ravi’s glorious storytelling leaves you with some thought-provoking content. It’s deeper than any movie of its kind in Malayalam, something similar to Padmarajan’s Season. When the audience can relate to the people in the film, it creates a great connection.

Kammatti Paadam accomplishes all that it intends to. It takes a deep dive into the lives of those we wince or frown at, and before the movie ends, you have already developed a bond with them! The more you watch, the more familiar it gets. Kammatti Paadam is that one shining diamond in this new world, a world full of feel-good, colorful romantic movies.

Performances

Complimenting the superb writing is the phenomenal acting. The performances, as expected in any film by a master-maker, are simply divine. Manikandan Achari (Balan) shines the brightest and steals the show. Balan is among the best ever to grace the screen. I wonder how Rajeev Ravi found all these actors. Dulquer Salmaan, one of the most watchable actors of this generation, delivers a stunning performance, and Vinayakan is terrific as Ganga. His dubbing and voice modulation are absolutely brilliant. One note of brilliance is the ‘repeated phone call scenes.’ These three actors now have a classic in their hands to be proud of, one that can be presented to any future generation. Blessed actors. Only a few actors earn such a coin in their lifetime.

Rajeev Ravi

This movie will undoubtedly grant Rajeev Ravi an iconic status in the history of the industry. Several terrific scenes in it will be remembered as classics and only get better with repeated viewings. For instance, Krishnan meeting Paranki for the first time after coming from Mumbai, the introduction of ‘Ganga’ in old get-up, and memorable dialogues like ‘Avante Poakku Kandappol Pidichu Niruththaan Thonniyilla’ and ‘Ee City Irikkunnathu Kammatti Paadaththinte Mukalilaa.’ It is poised to become his most appreciated film in the years to come, possibly surpassing his other works, akin to Shaji N Karun’s Piravi. With Annayum Rasoolum, Njan Steve Lopez, and now Kammatti Paadam, Rajeev Ravi is establishing himself as the Padmarajan of this era.

The cinematographic aspects of this movie are as good as it gets. Madhu Neelakantan’s work is outstanding, as is the background score by K. They together elevate the movie even higher. Every great movie may have its flaws, bits and pieces, but none seem evident here. Music, narration, dialogue, camera movements, and picturesque images—dazzling moments come frequently, always alive. If you haven’t seen Kammattipaadam, then you are missing something that will stick with you. Rajeev Ravi artfully blends amazing little things together to form a masterpiece. I’ll just say that this film is a true masterpiece, meticulously designed, costumed, and acted. This is filmmaking at its best.