Kaaviya Thalaivan movie review: Siddharth, Prithviraj dish out stellar performances in this memorable period drama!

Fri, November 28, 2014 Subramanian Harikumar

Rich in every aspect, be it music, visuals or acting, Vasanthabalan’s ode to old world theatres is a treat not to be missed

Ever since the first look and promos were out, there was a special quality about J Vasanthabalan’s Kaaviya Thalaivan which got me excited. Though period films are not new in Tamil cinema, I knew Kaaviya Thalaivan would stand out from the lot as it was telling a story about theatre artist and actors rather kings and queens and wars. My excitement knew no bounds when AR Rahman’s brilliant music album was unveiled and I was eagerly waiting for this day to figure if Siddharth-Prithviraj starrer delivers its promise or leaves me disappointed. Lets quickly dive into the review and see what Kaaviya Thalaivan has to offer.

The film tells a story about a theatre group in per-independence era run by ace veteran theatre artist Siva Dasan played by Naseer who takes in two young boys in his company – Kali and Gomathi played by Siddharth and Prithviraj respectively. Though Gomathi eyes to be Siva Dasan’s favourite, it is Kali who charms him with his brilliant histrionics. This leads to jealousy swelling in the heart of Gomathi. Meanwhile, Kali falls in love with zamindar’s daughter and Vadivu, who joins the theatre and catches the eye of Gomathi. When Gomathi comes to know about Kali’s affair, he informs it to the guru who in anger asks Kali to take pledge of never seeing the Zamindar’s daughter again. Fearing their lives from Zamindar’s wrath, the theatre group flees to an another town. All of a sudden Gomathi becomes the Guru’s new favourite and Kali is sidelined and neglected by Siva Dasan. One night, after having a tiff with Kali, Siva Dasan passes away and Gomathi takes over the drama company. Gomathi blames Kali for guru’s death and asks him to leave. As fate has it, after few years Kali and Gomathi meet again, which leads Kali stealing Gomathi’s thunder on stage yet again. Not just that, he is infuriated to find that Vadivu loves Kali. Later, Kali is taken over by the independence struggle as he starts doing plays on freedom struggle, which get him in trouble. Kali’s plays gain immense popularity, leaving no audience for traditional plays dished out by Gomathi and group. Does the tiff between Kali and Gomathi end? Does Gomathi turn a new leaf? I guess you will have to find out on your own.

Kudos to writer-director Vasanthabalan for stepping out of the comfort zone of regular potboilers and delivering a refreshing film which is high on drama that keeps you engaged. Siddharth is the heart and soul of the film as the actor dances, performs, cries, laughs showing off the wide range of emotions which he is capable of delivering. Playing the good guy can generally be boring, but looks like Siddharth had lot of fun playing Kali as his energy and enthusiasm transcends through the screen. Prithviraj is the surprise package in the film as his villainous act is sure to floor you. The actor aptly generates the empathy of audience towards his character, who is tired of losing to Kali all his life. Vedhicka has limited screen time, but the pretty lass manages to impress with her theatrical abilities. Nasseer is in fine form as guru Siva Dasan and proves why he is such a revered actor in Tamil cinema. Thambi Ramaiah and other supporting cast has done a decent job too. AR Rahman’s music gives great boost to the narrative as I found myself humming and tapping my feet along with all the songs. Karna Motcham is a stroke of magic by Mozart of Madras as I fought hard to hold back my tears.

It is hard to say something bad about a film like Kaaviya Thalaivan which ticks off the right boxes in all aspects of film making. But if I had to pin point one, then it had to be the slow pacing of the film. Vasanthabalan’s film at times becomes so self absorbed in it’s song and dance that it starts to drag a bit. Also the director has tried to convey a lot of things in a single film, which has also led to the film’s run time stretching over two and a half hours.

Siddharth strikes gold yet again with Kaaviya Thalaivan, but the film belongs to Prithviraj who shines as a baddie. Watch the film for three reasons – Siddharth, Prithviraj and AR Rahman. While you guys head to see KT on big screen, I am off to catch a local play around my neighbourhood, all thanks to KT. See you around folks!

Rating: 3.5 out of 53.5 Star Rating

Tamil film Kaaviya Thalaivan is a thoroughly enjoyable experience, says S Saraswathi.

After the spectacular success of the National award-winning Veyil and Angaadi Theru, director Vasantha Balan came up with a period drama titled Aravaan, which wasn't a commercial success. 

Undeterred, this master of unconventional cinema has attempted yet another film set in the bygone era. 

Starring Siddharth and Prithviraj, Kaaviya Thalaivan brings to light the lives and times of drama artiste during the 1920s and 1930s, when stalwarts like KB Sundarambal and SG Kittappa took the theatre world by storm. 

Ganakokilam Vadivambal, the character essayed by Vedhika in the film is inspired by KB Sundarambal.

At the heart of the plot is the intense rivalry between two extraordinary drama artists, who belong to the same drama troupe. Kaliappa Bhagavathar (Siddharth) and Gomathi Nayagam Pillai (Prithviraj) grow up together under the guidance of their guru, Sivadas Swamigal (Nassar).

While Gomathi is hardworking and dedicated, fun-loving Kali is the natural performer. 

His effortless talent and innovative style wins him appreciation of his guru. 

This is unbearable to Gomathi, who believes he deserves all the laurels.

Meanwhile, Vadivambal joins their troupe.

For Gomathi, it is love at first sight, but Vadivambal falls hard for Kali. 

Kali, however, is in love with Rangamma (Anaika Soti), the daughter of a local king.

When Gomathi learns of this affair, he finds a way to deceive Kali. 

How this jealousy, anger and desire destroys the drama troupe, their lives and career, forms the rest of the story.

This is a role of a lifetime for Siddharth, a truly memorable performance. He sports innumerable looks in the film and is perfect in every one of them, totally at ease with the character and the body language. 

Equally adept are Prithviraj, Vedhika, Nassar and Thambi Ramaiah. 

Nirav Shah’s camera, make up by Pattanam Rasheed and costumes by Perumal Selvam and Niranjani Agathiyan, of Paradesi fame, offer a ringside view into the lives of theater artists in the pre-Independence era. 

Veteran Tamil writer Jeyamohan, who has penned the dialogues, has shown how mighty his pen can be.

On the downside, the spotlight seems to be focused a little longer than necessary on Siddharth, strengthening his character. Prithviraj and Vedhika are left holding the short end of the stick.

Music by AR Rahman anchors the film well. Every song takes you back to an era that glorified music and understood its nuances. They form an integral part of the film and give greater depth to the narrative. There are a multitude of songs, but every song is handled differently, ensuring a thoroughly enjoyable experience. 

The film is definitely worth a worth. Rediff Rating: 3,5 / 5

Staring: Siddharth, Prithviraj, Vedhika, Nasser, Anaika

Director: Vasanthabalan

Music: AR Rahman

Production: Y Not Studios, Radiance Media

When the world is searching for new dimensions in space, director Vasantha Balan has taken us back into the past to revisit our rich drama days. The drama culture is something which most of us might have not experienced, at least the new generation yo-yo boys. For obvious reasons, Kaaviya Thalaivan had enormous expectations from the cinema lovers. And the first impression is that the movie has kept up to its hype and came out quite well.  

Kaaviya Thalaivan is a story of two drama artistes in a troupe and their relationship. The film touches upon various negative human emotions like fear of failure, jealousy, ego, guilt and deception. Once the negative emotions overtake the good side of a human being, the downfall of humanity begins. Vasantha Balan neatly portrayed this subtle plot with the backdrop of two competing drama artistes. When the competition becomes unhealthy, what happens to the individuals forms the rest of the story. The film also shows the rise and the fall of Drama culture and its performers.  

Technicalities:  

Director Vasantha Balan has to be appreciated for neatly gift-wrapping a simple plot in the most authentic and unique form possible. The screenplay was detailed and well researched. The characterization is brilliant and Kaaviya Thalaivan is an example of inspired direction where a vision is made into reality.  

The dialogues were colloquial and not literary. The Tamil language 100 years back was not the same as today. The authenticity of the language was missing. But the conversations will touch your heart and hits you hard.  

AR Rahman’s music is the actual hero of the film. Try watching the film with yours ears closed. You wouldn’t be able to get under the skin of each scene and decipher its emotional value. In that sense, ARR was brilliant. He just took us into each scene and it just gets better and better. Songs were good and fitted into the situations quite well.  

Cinematography by Nirav Shaw was absolutely perfect. The character framing, camera angles were simple and flawless. However, the film looked bright and colorful. A much warmer color tone would have given a more period feel to the film. May be that’s the task of the DI coloring team.  

Editing by Praveen was tight and smooth. There were a few abrupt cuts but it didn’t hamper the flow. The song positioning in the 2nd half lacked logic and seemed out of place. Otherwise, runtime of 150 minutes is pretty acceptable.  

The art department and the stylists had to be appreciated to give an authentic feel to the entire frame in every scene. The props, the houses and everything in between and around were well taken care of.  

Performances:  

For Prithviraj, these types of emotional characters are a cakewalk. Such a brilliant performer and he did complete justice to this role, which had some negative shades to it. His subtle changes in facial expressions were too good. For Siddharth, this character will be his toughest till date. There was a lot of scope for acting and he lived up to his role. He was good in the courageous and love portions. In the emotional scenes, especially the crying portions didn’t have much impact. He got a bit more screen time than Prithviraj and he made the best use of it.  

Vedhika, a student of director Bala, needs no acting lessons. She was brilliant with her eyes and face expressions. She danced well and performed like a charm. Nasser and Thambi Ramaiah are seasoned performers and did their parts with ease. Anaika played the pretty princess and looked out of sync with her dubbing. Overall, Kaaviya Thalaivan is brimming with loads of awesome performances and purest forms of acting.  

Though predictable, Kaaviya Thalaivan stands out for taking us back into the past and show the rich drama culture of Tamil Nadu. Flawless performances and technically sound makes it a perfect film. Vasantha Balan’s screenplay could have been a bit tighter. The rise and fall of the characters happens quickly so the film slightly shifts focus from the central theme. But the film is quite engaging except for the placement of a romantic dream number between two Swadeshi drama sequences. The film is a must watch for the sincere effort from the team to make a simple film in an interesting period backdrop. If you want to experience some genuine acting, then watch Kaaviya Thalaivan. 

Verdict : A classic from Vasantha Balan!

Rakesh Reddy, cinemalead.com

Kaaviya Thalaivan is a team’s unified dream to deliver a truly unparalleled experience on screens for the Tamil audience. It is pretty evident that the team has worked pretty sincerely for the same, when you travel through the movie. The movie has a stellar star cast that includes Siddharth, Prithviraj, Vedhika, Anaika Soti, Nassar and Ponvannan. Find out why the movie is so special.

Set in the pre-independence era, the movie revolves around a renowned drama troupe, headed by Thavathiru Sivadas Swamigal (Nassar). Kaliappa Bhagavathar (Siddharth) and Gomathi Nayagam Pillai (Prithviraj) are the kingpins of the troupe, but the latter becomes jealous of the former, due to the latter becoming the centre of attraction. What will happen next? Watch the movie to know the answer.

Siddharth can be proud of taking up this film and this is a performance that he can cherish all his life. He is brilliant in this once in a lifetime role. There are scenes in which he gives goosebumps to the audience by his sheer dialogue delivery. For instance, the scene in which he acts as the ‘Rajapart’ for the first time, is sure to receive thunderous applause from the audience.

Prithviraj should be praised for taking up this role, which has to be underplayed to be a loser. The director is known for giving considerable attention to the losers in his films. For example, in Veyyil, Pasupathi was the cynosure of all eyes. Similarly, Prithviraj has good scope in this film and he scores while showcasing his pain and disappointments. Vedhika effortlessly fits into the role and her introductory performance needs a special mention.

Nassar yet again proves that if given the right opportunity, he can walk away with the honour. His majestic performance as the unflinching master is sure to impress everyone. Anaika Soti’s lip-sync is a concern throughout the film. The rest of the supporting cast including Ponvannan, Thambi Ramaiah and Singam Puli do their best to relive as people in the pre-independence era.

Being a film that is predominantly based on stage plays, music is a very vital part of this movie and AR Rahman’s music has taken this movie to a different level altogether. There are plenty of songs in the film, that are used as a part of plays and all of them make an impact. Not to forget, the ‘Vangamakka’ song welcomes us into the movie and sets the mood of the film aptly. The background score is rich and AR Rahman has used plenty of instruments, which give a grandeur feel to the movie.

Nirav Shah has done a tremendous job in setting up the lightings for stage plays, without making them look repetitive. There are plenty of sets in the movie and art director Santhanam has come up with grand and unique designs. Both the art director and cinematographer have shared a great rapport in bringing out the splendid visuals. Praveen KL’s editing keeps the first half absolutely engaging, while the second half could have been trimmed a little.

Firstly, director Vasanthabalan needs to be praised just for attempting a film like Kaaviya Thalaivan. The entire movie revolves around stage plays and the conflicts develop right there. The director reveals about the two main characters at the very beginning with just a poignant scene. While Gomathi Nayagam Pillai says ‘I want to become famous one day and receive accolades from everyone’, Kaliappa says ‘I need none to watch my performance, but I just need to realize that I have become a good actor’. Such conflicting ideologies explained through just two dialogues. There are plenty of scenes where Siddharth commands applause, and the credits go the Vasanthabalan and dialogue writer Jeyamohan.

Yes, the movie becomes predictable after a while, as we have seen the plots unfolding in the same manner before. But, somehow, you are kept interested in the movie, as it unfolds in a completely new environment. The movie is not flawless though. The director seems to have lost his way after a setting up the first half brilliantly. The second half wanders between becoming a patriotic drama and a revenge drama. A little more clarity could have made this a much better film. Also, the narrative flow seems to get repetitive and the movie does not end on a high.

Sai Shyam G, iflickz.com