Movie: Kanam
Rating: 2.5/5
Banner: Lyca Productions
Cast: Sai Pallavi, Naga Shaurya, Veronica, Rekha, Devaraj, Priyadarshi and others
Music: Sam
Cinematography: Nirav Shah
Editing: Anthony
Producers: Lyca and NVR Cinemas
Story, Screenplay and Direction: A L Vijay
Release date: April 27, 2018
Sai Pallavi is the most happening actress in South India. Two blockbusters – “Fidaa” and “MCA” in her bag, people are eager to watch her next. Though “Kanam” initially made right buzz, the film lost craze after it got postponed several times and the trailers didn’t raise much hopes. Amidst low buzz, it hit the screens today.
Let’s see whether Sai Pallavi hold the magic this time too.
Story:
Tulasi (Sai Pallavi) turns pregnant with her lover Krishna (Naga Shaurya) when they are studying. Their parents admonish them and ask Tulasi to abort child. Five years later, they get married and start life afresh but Tulasi can’t forget her aborted child.
She keeps drawing the child’s pictures as the years pass by. When they move into a new apartment, strange killings happen in their family.
Tulasi suspects that their stillborn baby Diya (Veronica) is doing this but Krishna believes it is her hallucination. After three deaths, things turn serious. What happens next?
Artistes’ Performances:
Sai Pallavi is a natural actor. She can switch into any role. Although her character is not developed properly, she shows her exceptional skills in some sequences such as interval bang.
Veronica the child actress steals the show with her expression, she doesn’t get to say dialogues but yet she makes her presence felt strongly. Naga Shaurya has played the role of a husband in routine manner.
Priyadarshi irritates with his silly comedy in the beginning but he gets his act right in the final portions. Rekha, Devaraj and others give adequate performances.
Technical Excellence:
Music by Sam C is decent. Except one montage song, the film doesn’t feature any songs. Background score is good.
Nirav Shah’s cinematography is nothing extraordinary. Production values are decent. The film’s technical values are just standard, nothing praiseworthy.
Highlights:
Veronica and Sai Pallavi
Plotline
Drawback:
Uninteresting screenplay
Slow narration
No exciting elements
Weak emotions
Analysis
Director A L Vijay of “Madras Patnam” and Vikram starrer “Nanna” tells rousing stories. He has developed a knack for telling them without masala trappings convincingly. This is the first time he touched a subject that falls in the genre of supernatural thriller, though it hardly has any horror elements. It is more of a story with emotional moments than supernatural elements.
In the very beginning of the story, it is revealed that heroine Sai Pallavi sees her still born baby Diya, played brilliantly by child artiste Veronica.
While her husband doesn’t believe about their daughter’s presence, she can notice Diya. She suspects she is behind the unnatural deaths in their family.
All these are unfolded without much suspense in the very beginning of the story, the director reserves the suspense about the ending.
Though first half of the movie is neat and holds interest, the later portions have made tedious watch. Other than the ending, entire second half is dull and predictable.
Moreover, it runs without any twists and turns. Films in the genre demand either chills or twists. This film lacks both.
It is evident that the director wanted to bring the emotional angle of a mother and her stillborn child but even on that front, the director’s ideas have not translated onto the screen from paper.
There are really good moments: Sai Pallavi realizing the presence of Diya, the sequence in psychiatrist office, and a lift sequence. But all these come pre-interval. Post-interval it doesn’t create tension or build up emphatic situations.
Adding to these problems, the characterization of hero Naga Shaurya is too inactive. Other actors too appear like in TV serials. Only Sai Pallavi gets our attention with her impeccable acting skills and of course, the child actor.
Despite the novelty in storyline (still-born supernatural thriller), “Kanam” doesn’t satisfy the thriller lovers nor the one who crave for sentiments. It is the case of neither here nor there.
Overall, “Kanam” has some moments, interesting story but fails on the narration front.
Bottom-line: Dull
