You wouldn’t understand what Kaduva implies if you don’t speak Malayalam. And if, like us, you entered the movie without having watched the trailer and simply had some faith in Malayalam cinema, you would be confused by the opening few minutes. A police officer asks one of the prisoners if he is familiar with Kuriyaachen, also known as Kaduva. In shock, the prisoner admits that this is no average man and that his moniker, which means “tiger,” is a fitting description of his character. We realised that we were about to endure a masala potboiler at this point. Our hopes quickly fell because this entire genre has managed to devolve into a maze of formulaic storylines. But in order to do our jobs, we must continue to taste the old wine in new bottles objectively. And that’s what we did during Kaduva’s 2.5 hour runtime. Let’s find out if this film actually succeeded in being unique or if it should have been taken less seriously.
Spoilers upcoming
What Started The Feud Between Ousupputti And Kuriyaachen?
The protagonist of the tale is a guy by the name of Kuriyaachen, who has an idyllic life as a wealthy plantation owner in the village of Pala. He is highly renowned there for having a brazen, but somewhat Godfather-like attitude. He eventually receives a letter from a nearby parish alerting him to the priest’s impending visit to their place of worship. The father, Robin Poovammara, is accused of sexual harassment in the letter, and Kuriyaachen is urged to discipline him. He makes the decision to observe the priest.
One of the villagers, IG Joseph Chandy, a.k.a. Ousupputti’s mother, gives the priest a piano at his first Mass. Anyone who wants to learn the piano is welcome to come see him, he claims. This worries Kuriyaachen, particularly when a little child exhibits an interest in piano instruction. Father Robin wants to carry the piano to his private quarters, but Kuriyaachen stops him. He claims that the church, not the priest, received the piano as a gift. He challenges the father, promising to have Ousupputti’s mother speak in the church about it.
Unfortunately, she claims that the piano was a personal present when he brings it up at the following meeting. Kuriyaachen is shocked by this because she had guaranteed him that she would tell the truth. He feels hurt by this and says a few improper things, which prompts Ousupputti to defend her. Both men start fighting, with the latter threatening to end Kuriyaachen’s life. He follows through on that promise. A portion of the police force has been relocated by Ousupputti. Those officers were all Kuriyaachen sympathisers. He then purchases the property in front of his home with the intention of turning it into a cemetery. He starts a brawl, which leads to Kuriyaachen’s pub being closed. In addition, he assaults his buddies and has them detained on false charges.
Kuriyaachen just takes it all in calmly. He remains mute throughout the pain, with the exception of the one fight scene where he beats up the officers who were ready to attack him. After spending 14 days in prison, he returns home to a worse situation. He discovers his daughter hurt, and he can tell from the way she is acting that the incident wasn’t just due to a fall down the stairs. He learns through Tessa that the priest, Robin Poovammara, had visited their home and attempted to have sex with Elsa, Kuriyaachen’s wife. She hurt herself protecting her mother. Despite being incensed, Kuriyaachen remains silent. He remains mute when he learns that one of his friends has been severely injured by a police officer, SI Dominic Benjamin, who has a grudge towards Kuriyaachen. He also remains silent when his late father’s automobile is taken away.
We can’t figure out why there is quiet. We have seen more than half of the film, and we are starting to become bored. And at that point, the solutions start to become clear. Ananthanathan, the chief minister of Kerala, has resigned, and it appears that Kuriyaachen is to blame. Kuriyaachen encountered an old friend who later entered politics and is now working for the opposition party when he was incarcerated. If the alliance is shown the facts, he can force the CM to quit because he has proof of his corruption. However, they require financial support from a sponsor to persuade any members who might be hesitant. Kuriyaachen consents to carry it out. And with the CM out of the picture, he lets out his inner Kaduva. Even though we grimace as we type that, we know that the movie’s author intended for it to sound just like that. In order to get its prey, tigers must patiently wait, and that is what Kuriyaachen had been doing up until this point. In order to put Inspector Dominic in his place, he knocks Robin up for hitting his wife. He tells him that he must give back his father’s car right away. Following that, he has Ousupputti’s promotion suspended and has him dismissed from law and order. Out of loyalty, Ousupputti takes the blame when he is caught trying to transfer the ex-assets CM’s while meeting with him. Can we just state that we enjoy the effortless arrogance Prithviraj Sukumaran displays in this role? He really needs a better script to work with, in our opinion.
Kaduva Ending Explained: Does Kuriyaachen Manage To Take Revenge From Ousupputti?
The response has so far been affirmative. But now it’s Ousupputti’s turn to act. He assigns Kuriyaachen’s assassination to a hitman he hires from a prison. But let’s not lose sight of the fact that Kuriyaachen, a mythical figure who is capable of defeating ten adversaries at once, is the story’s protagonist. Naturally, he is the one to defeat the bad guys and save the day. Outraged Ousupputti joins the battle, and the two guys engage in combat. Kuriyaachen informs him that he is ending it and it is Ousupputti’s decision whether to continue as he is lying down, unable to fight any more.
The latter simply crumbles. He is given a prison sentence in the next scene because the assets he was bringing were thought to be his. Kuriyaachen encounters him just as he is about to go to complete his sentence. The men discuss how their conflict will continue and that it is not yet ended. And that is most likely what we will see in this film’s second act.
Final Thoughts: What Works And What Doesn t? What To Expect From The Sequel To Kaduva ?
Like we previously stated, this film just isn’t engaging; it’s like old wine in a new bottle. Even with their absurd stories, most commercial pot boilers are nonetheless able to draw audiences due of their extravagant theatrics, which, if not taken too far, ensure that everyone will have fun. It is not even an expectation, nor is there any nuance to it. This film made an attempt to do that, but it came off as boring. Despite how entertaining Kuriyaachen is to watch on film, what exactly was he doing? Additionally, Vivek Oberoi is carving out a significant role for himself as the antagonist in South Indian films. But the writer neglected to make him threatening. And that lessened the thrill of getting one’s just desserts.
We will probably see more of the politics unfold if there is a sequel. The former CM owes Ousupputti a favour, so let’s see how it goes. Additionally, there is a suggestion of his past, which may be developed in the following chapter. But if we’re being truly honest, we just don’t care enough to want to see it. With a dull cliffhanger, the plot was weak. We’ll simply have to see the Jana Gana Mana sequel for it, but Prithviraj Sukumaran’s charm was the only thing that saved the situation. Or you can Instagram stalk him. We would like to see more of him because he is in a class by himself. but, not in movies like Kaduva. Thus, we will give it a strict pass and keep our fingers crossed for better work from Malayalam cinema in the future.
Kaduva is a 2022 Drama Thriller film directed by Shaji Kailas.
