Kaithi (2019)

Dilli, an ex-convict, endeavors to meet his daughter for the first time after leaving prison. However, his attempts are interrupted due to a drug raid planned by Inspector Bejoy.

Trailer

Storyline

On a night where the entire police officers got into an immovable situation, a paroled convict is forced to help the police, so that he can see his daughter for the first time in life. How he helps the department forms the story of this action packed entertainer.

Cast: Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Ali Fazal, Pankaj Tripathi, Divyendu, Rasika Dugal, Vikrant Massey, Rajesh Tailang, Sheeba Chaddha, Subhrajyoti Barat, Shweta Tripathi

Review

Kaithi starts with a very economical setup. A police team led by Bejoy (Narain) seizes a record amount of cocaine that was hidden in a secret cell under the commissioner’s office. The drug mafia has added drinks to sedate nearly every cop in town.

An injured Bijoy recruits Dilli, a life inmate who has just been paroled from prison, hoping to finally meet the daughter he has never seen to save the situation. Meanwhile, several college students find themselves in the commissioner’s office with company line cops, stopping the gang from breaking in and rescuing his boss. Lokesh Kanagaraj delivers it all in the first 20 minutes of Kaithi, a suspenseful and impressively shot (Cinematographed by Sathyan Sooryan) action thriller.

The director offers us a film with no frills and pure genres such as songs and romances that we are used to in Tamil cinema. Despite the 2 hours of action scenes, you hardly ever feel tired (he credits Anbariv for the excellent action choreography). Like a video game, Dilli must complete challenges of varying difficulty while guiding cops to safety.

There are different types of stunts – chases, some fistfights, and just when they seem to get monotonous, glorious shootouts. The fact that the entire film takes place at night gives it a unique touch, as you never know what dangers may be lurking in the darkness.

Lokesh also boasts an interesting cast of characters, including a gangster spirit brother (Arjun Dass), an intrepid constable (George Mariyan), a resourceful student, a spy from both camps, and a future daughter. Performance is solid all around. Narain adds just the right amount of vulnerability, and Deena as the hapless young truck owner adds a few moments of levity, but that souped-up look is what Dilly does for a slightly older version of Partivelan.

Carty delivers a muscular performance that makes you feel like you’re in. He also moves you in a scene that recounts his past in long shots. If there’s one downside, it’s that the film feels too long for its genre, and some action blocks are too indulgent. I cannot say.