Kaanekkaane Movie Review: Suraj Venjaramoodu, Tovino Thomas and Aishwarya Lekshmi’s Film Is a Heartrending Exploration of Grief, Guilt and Absolution (Latestly Exclusive)

Kaanekkaane Movie Review: While watching the central dilemma of Uyare fame Manu Ashokan's new movie Kaanekkaane, I was reminded of this brilliant scene in Breaking Bad. No... not the oft-quoted 'Say my name!'. But the scene that actually transforms Walter White, the forced-by-circumstance meth producer to a criminal going beyond redemption. The sequence where he doesn't save Jesse Pinkman's girlfriend from choking on her own vomit, despite being present at the scene. Tovino Thomas Is ‘Honored and Humbled’ to Receive the Golden Visa From UAE Government.

That one scene put our fave anti-hero into a moral dilemma, and by not saving her, he sped up his journey into darkness with no returning back morally. Such a dilemma is the crux of Kaanekkaane, where a character deals with the guilt of not doing the right thing for his own selfish reasons, while the other is determined to make the former pay for the option he chose.

The film explores the complex, conflicted relationship between a bereaved father Paul (Suraj Venjaramoodu) and his former son-in-law Allen (Tovino Thomas). Kaanekkaane begins with Paul visiting Allen's house. Allen, who was married to his dead daughter Sherin (Shruti Ramachandran), is now married to Sneha (Aishwarya Lekshmi), who is now heavily pregnant with their first kid. Allen's son with Sherin also lives with them, and Paul's visit is to spend time with his grandson.

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It is a curious equation here, as none of the principal characters are happy in their space. Paul is still grieving over his daughter's death (in a hit-and-run accident) and we can sense he is disgruntled with Allen for remarrying so soon, though the latter claims it is for their son. Allen is grappling with demons in his heart, and it is affecting his work, his family life and his relationship with Sneha who vents her frustration at him during their counselling sessions.

This equation gets further disintegrated when Paul realises a hidden fact about Allen and Sneha's relationship.

What it is, I won't say, but it is hardly anything unpredictable.

In fact, around mid-way, we are already privy of what Allen is going through. But Kaanekkaane isn't a mystery drama or a gritty revenge thriller, even though it does grapple with guilt, selfishness and vengeance. The film, written by the famed duo of Sanjay-Bobby (in one of their best writing efforts in recent times), is about characters facing the ghosts of their actions, of unable to live with the repercussions of giving to their their erroneous, selfish impulses, even if it was momentary.

Kaanekkaane is slow-paced, with the pacing picking up nearly after 15 minutes from the beginning when Paul stumbles upon the first revelation. It doesn't last long, even when Paul tries to deconstruct what transpired the night his daughter became a victim of a hit-n-run. Flashbacks appear randomly but they aren't random in context. And once the cat is out of the bag, Kaanekkaane becomes more heartrending to watch as these three despaired souls struggle to hold on to the straws that could make a return to normalcy.

There is no hero or villain in Kaanekkaane, but it shows how each of the lead when it comes to facing a life-changing litmus test. For Paul it is about seeking justice even if it hardly can do any repair for the pain he is going through. For Allen it is about losing his happiness after losing himself in selfishness. For Sneha, it is losing her peace in knowing that her marriage was built on a nest of deceit. And yet, the film ends on a humane, hopeful note that leaves you a warm glow in your heart, even if it shredded you a couple of scenes back.

The performances are truly excellent, though the show truly belongs to Suraj Venjaramoodu. I know it has been some time that the actor has made a successful, and much-welcome, transition from crass comedies to serious fare (wonders a National Award win can do!). He has been giving consistently fine performances, but his every consequent performance continues to be a revelation for me, of how the man can just break me down with his eyes. While he is fantastic throughout, Suraj is utterly heartbreaking in the scene where he breaks down on the roadside and is comforted by a stranger, and later when he lets out his exasperation against Allen for what he is going through.

Tovino Thomas is another actor who continues to surprise me with his every film. It is truly commendable that he doesn't mind being in films where he is at the flawed end of the stick (Kala, and now this). As a performer, he is maturing with every movie, and here, despite being restrained, Tovino is incredible as the man trying and failing to deal with his past. The climax scene where he lets out his tears is a fine piece of acting! Kala Movie Review: Tovino Thomas’ Thriller Is a Brutal Saga That Pokes Holes Into Alpha Masculinity.

Aishwarya Lekshmi also leaves a strong impact as Sneha, even if her own internal struggle gets sandwiched around the two men. Master Alok Krishna is natural as Kittu, the grandson.

Yay!

- A Moving Drama That is Well-Enacted, Well-Directed and Well-Written

Nay!

- Slow-Paced

Final Thoughts

With Kaanekkaane, Malayalam Cinema continues its dominance over other industries when it comes to producing good content even in the OTT era. Director Manu Ashokan had given an inspirational tale in Uyare. In Kaanekkaane, he does a heart-touching exploration of pain, grief, guilt and forgiveness that is still nothing less than inspiring. Kaanekkaane is streaming on SonyLIV.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 18, 2021 05:15 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).