MOVIE REVIEW Kabali | Rajinikanth owns this gangster drama

Kabali’s Rajinikanth is a man on a mission. He was grievously wronged years ago and Kabaleeswaram
(Rajinikanth in Kabali) is out to extract his revenge. But before he does it, the audience will get its two-and-a-half hours worth of classic Rajinikanth moves, dialogues and dance steps.

Cut to the Kabali plot: Kabali is a worker who lives happily with his wife (played by Radhika Apte) and daughter. Then things start going wrong and our innocent, hard-working man loses everything. How he fights to save his world and help the downtrodden Tamilians in Malaysia forms the crux of Kabali.

The best part of the film, obviously, is Rajinikanth. His charisma pulls Kabali through. From the slick visuals showing the flashback to Rajinikanth playing his age as a don, his fans will not go home disappointed. Add to it the hit Neruppa Da and you hear enough whistles and clapping in the theatre.

The other cast members are also good and we would like to give a special shout-out to Radhika Apte and Dhansika. Radhika brings a nuance to her performance as Rajinikanth’s wife and is a refreshing change after watching heroines in bit roles in Rajini movies. Watch out for the scene where Rajinikanth and Radhika meet after a long time. We bet this one will give you goosebumps. There is another moment near the interval which leaves you feeling cold.

What doesn’t work in Kabali is its slow pace and patchy narrations. There are moments when the film starts lagging and your attention wanders. For a movie that has lefts fans in a frenzy across the world, Kabali fails to live up to expectations because of this.

While for most audiences this will be the major grouse, die-hard fans are going to love every moment. This one is a feast for them, others will find it enjoyable but lagging at certain moments.

Facts

  • ? “Kabali” is the third Indian film after ‘PK’ and ‘Baahubali’ to be released in more than 5,000 theaters worldwide, with special premieres planned for a day earlier.
  • Make hay while Rajinikanth shines! This seems to be the mantra for theatre owners who are making a killing by selling “Kabali” tickets at exorbitant prices – much to the disappointment of hardcore superstar fans.
  • Superstar Rajinikanth’s upcoming Tamil gangster drama “Kabali”, first movie will be dubbed and released in Malay language. Malay is an Austronesian language mostly spoken in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei and Thailand. It will also be released in Telugu, Hindi and Japanese and will get a Chinese release in a couple of months.
  • AirAsia India, the official airline partner of superstar Rajinikanth’s Tamil actioner “Kabali” and which has a special aircraft bearing the images of the star, spent over a month in designing the livery.
  • He will sport a salt and pepper look along with thick white beard for his role as a gangster in upcoming Tamil drama “Kabali”, which happens to be his 159th film.

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