Kishkindha Kaandam Review..!!

Asif Ali is back with his fourth theatrical release in 2024. Director Dinjith Ayyathan is directing his second movie with Kishkindha Kaandam, both of them had Asif in the lead role. Also, the movie has Vijaya Raghavan & Aparna Balamurali in pivotal roles. The film has a run time of just over 2 hours which is certainly an advantage for a film in the drama genre. Although, Kishkindha Kaandam had a fascinating trailer, the film comes with a very low buzz. It definitely needed a huge boost from the audience, nothing less than a positive word of mouth will get the movie going in the Box-office. Honestly, the film has come up with all the merits in terms of performance and technical quality.

The film starts with some brilliant frames, capturing the beauty of Western Ghats and shifts to a remote area in the midst of a forest. There is an impending election in the area, and naturally there is an order to deposit licensed fire arms before the police station. This is the beginning of the story which connects to the protagonist, Appu Pillai, who happens to be a retired military officer and has a licensed gun in his possession. In a parallel shot, Ajaya Chandran, who happens to be the son of Appu Pillai is in a register office. He is getting married to Aparna, but his father is nowhere to be seen. Eventually, he gets a call from the police about the gun and he seems hesitant to talk about it. Also, he was covering for his father & there seems no issue between them. Why would the father not have attended his son’s wedding.? What is with the gun.? If you have noticed this opening scene, you might find that the director & writer have begun the story with a soft mystery element. Well, there are no insignificant or irrelevant details in the story. It is imperative that the audience take a close look at every minor detail as the proceedings of this plot are not simple as it looks. There are several layers in the story and more insightful elements for the audience to explore, that are unfolded slowly over the 2-hour duration.

There is another striking detail here, that they have placed a character in this story who act as the audience surrogate. Aparna Balamurali plays this character called Aparna. She is an alien in the world of father & son, who notices the odd incidents and is curious to understand the mysteries. She is in search of an answer. With each passing moments, she has new findings and unlocks new puzzles for the audience. Like I said earlier, the story doesn’t divulge every detail at once, instead it raises the curiosity in the audience and answers one question at a time. So, everything is new for an outsider but how about the protagonists.? Well, do not jump to any conclusions earlier. Here, the character establishment of the protagonists and the unravelling of the mysteries connecting them is peak cinematic moment. The character detailing was so flawless such that it is visible through the performance of the protagonists. Each scene gets an intense and profound explanation through their performance. For example, there is one scene in the movie involving Vijaya Raghavan & Nizhalgal Ravi. This is basically the mood shifting moment in the movie, a high point that was developed through a completely dramatic episode. But this was carefully done such that the recurring episodes are not exaggerated with cinematic moments.

Another beautiful part of this story lies with the character of Asif Ali. When Aparna has a question, Ajaya Chandran can generate answers. There is an explanation for her questions through him. It is simply because he has travelled this journey before. He basically lies amidst all the puzzles and conflicts in the film. But the audience are not fed with any complexities in the narration. The answers to the puzzles evolve gradually for the audience to embrace. Asif Ali deserves special recognition for this performance. The more you observe, you find more depth in his portrayal of Ajaya Chandran.  Once the film finally ends, you might want to backtrack his character and relive his performance again. Such is the grace of his character & performance. There is a subtle scene in a mortuary where he sheds a drop of tear to convey an unimaginable emotion that is so deep within a person.

But the film still belongs to Vijaya Raghavan who has eternalized the character of Appu Pillai. He has been absolutely phenomenal to portray a character who himself is the mystery part in the story. There is a thousand meaning that the audience can derive from his expressions and reactions. He never lets out a smile in the entire film, except in a nightmare sequence of Ajaya Chandran. The police station scene in the latter half is probably the apex point in his characterization. There is a beautiful explanation about his reality after this scene which will certainly make the audience emotional. After the final moments, the audience will leave the theatres emotionally with a long-lasting impression.

The technical crew behind this film should be credited for making a gem of a mystery drama. The background score by Mujeeb Majeed, subtly lifts the mood of the film and perfectly complements the emotions of the characters. It is not overdone by going loud at every other moment. Talking about the frames, the long shots of the forest and the close-up shots of the characters convey several meanings. Bahul Ramesh is the writer and DOP of the film. Probably why the shots, if you look at them individually, convey a deeper meaning. The editing by Sooraj E S, really helped the slow-paced nature of the movie. The audience will be preoccupied in the characters and plot moments. There are certain repeat shots that is much needed for the narration. And they are well conceived without any abrupt cuts or rushing the narration. The audience are fed with the right emotions and right answers at the exact moment that is deemed fit in the storyline.

Why the title, Kishkindha Kaandam.? The monkey plays a pivotal part in the story and unlocking of mysteries. It is also understandable why the makers have a preferred a tagline called “A Tale of 3 monkeys.” The three major characters represent different sides of the mystery element in the story. Any more revelation about this will be a spoiler, that will ruin the audience experience. Finally, Kishkindha Kaandam is a poignant tale that explores human idiosyncrasies while untangling various puzzles.

Compiled By Jayaram Gopalakrishnan