Karnan
Action, Drama – 2 Hr 38 min
Imdb – 8.4/10
The story is of the age old issue of casteism, which exists even in the most obscure parts of the country. It takes only one man to initiate change and the movie shows us how Karnan tries to get justice for his village.
Karnan Movie Review: Summary
The bus doesn’t stop in Podiyankalum, Karnan’s village. This is only one of the problems they face, because of their poor community. They live in the shadows of Melur village which has the upper hand when it comes to decisions regarding their livelihood.
They struggle even for the basic necessities; a father tries in vain to drop his daughter to college but ruffians from the other village harass them, a simple kabbadi game also does not go Karnan’s way because the referee is on Melur’s side. The villagers of Podiyankalum live in fear of the powerful and dominant men of the upper caste.
The donkey with his legs tied in front, limping, is a constant metaphor running throughout the movie depicting the people of Podiyankalum. Bound by society’s invisible rules they remain unheard and shackled.
The rage builds inside Karnan like a slow pressure cooker. His outburst leads to the destruction of a bus which doesn’t stop even for a pregnant lady. They are then faced with cops who instead of being peacekeepers and protectors of the people, are affected by petty sentiments like pride and ego.
A series of events leads to a whole lot of violence and inevitably ends in tragedy. It is to be seen what Karna does to get even the most basic rights for his people.
Karnan Movie Review: Review
You don’t see the Dhanush behind Karnan. He represents the poor man so perfectly that you forget about his superstardom. In fact, you don’t realize these are actors playing a part because of their simple yet stirring performances.
A poverty-stricken village and its inhabitants are shown exactly how you imagine it to be. The set, the performances, the story all come together so well to give you a powerful visual representation of our country’s situation. We still grapple with the unseen monster destroying millions of lives and the director has done a brilliant job in bringing this to everyone’s attention.
Why to watch
- Angry young man has a new face in Dhanush’s Karnan
- Impeccable performance by Dhanush
- Realistic cinema
- Casteism
- Violence and action
Watch it on Amazon Prime Videos
Also watch Joji Movie Review
