Kala movie review: Moor and Tovino savagely slug it out in Rohith VS’ film

3.5/5

Why do pain, fear, helplessness and freedom assume more importance when it’s a human experiencing these? That’s director Rohith VS aims to establish through his film Kala, which has Tovino Thomas and Suresh Moor in the lead.

In the first scene featuring Tovino’s character Shaji, the audience is introduced to his chiselled physique and aggressive demeanour as he bathes his dog, an expensive foreign breed. Seconds later, as Shaji is distracted talking to his young son, the unattended dog flees to the nearby fields leaving its master to chase it and bring it back. In those few minutes, Rohith establishes the kind of man that Shaji is – to his wife (Divya Pillai), to his son and to his dog. All different versions and we see his most docile one when he is in conversation with his father (Lal). Shaji is plagued by inferiority complexes, with people around considering him a failure and yet he has to keep up the appearance of being tough even if it means lying and blaming others. And perception is the concept that Rohith toys with most in Kala.

The entire film is set in an area in the wilderness that Shaji’s ancestors have claimed as their own territory. Among a group of labourers who come to harvest the areca nuts in their property, there’s one Tamilian (Moor) who shares a past with Shaji, and how they sort it out is what the film is about.

Kala, for most parts, is a raw action-drama that has two men unleash their savage sides as they slug it out as hunter and prey, interchangeably, at various phases in the movie. While Tovino is built up as the ‘hero’ fitting the popular perception, Rohith turns this upside-down in an arresting scene, which is claimed to be inspired by true events. From then on, the movie takes on a feverish pace, leaving the audience in tenterhooks.

Apart from the divide through caste, creed and financial status among people, Rohith also stresses his point, in fact pierces it, as to why humans consider themselves as the dominant race capable of squishing and stamping out everything on their path when the planet is inhabited by so many other species too. This is made vivid through Akhil George’s brilliant visuals when Shaji finds himself limping through the forest like a wounded animal, aware that the hunter is stalking him.

The action scenes in the film are brutal but also visceral in a way. Even the weapons used by the duo – from tapioca and branches to cactus and crackers - drive home a much bigger idea. The viewer is made aware of the strengths of both characters and also the weaknesses – smack in the middle of the raging battle. The film’s writers Yadhu Krishnan and Rohith has kept dialogues to a minimum, and let the visuals, music, expressions and even grafitti on the walls do the talking. This makes for a brilliant viewing experience.

Moor shines in his role that lets him untether his wild side and brings his A-game. He owns the last half hour of the movie, with Tovino admirably taking a back seat. The latter with his body language, which is a stark contrast to how the film started, shows Shaji’s fractured ego. What makes these scenes even more powerful is how Tovino, through a mix of subtle and crude mannerisms, builds an image of an alpha male in the first half. Throughout the dogfight and its interruptions, Shaji goes through a whirlwind of emotions. After initially locking Moor's character in a storehouse in a show of machoism, Shaji nonchalantly comes back and asks for forgiveness, and even offers to replace Moor what he has lost. His mood again fluctuates in a heartbeat and Tovino takes the audience with him in that see-saw ride till every layer of Shaji's spiky ego is peeled off, along with revealing his one true self to his son, wife, father and even his dog. 

While Kala’s second half is engaging with the last 15 minutes literally being a blast, the first half does suffer from being repetitive. Rohith’s films have always had an experimental flavour to it – be it Adventures of Omanakuttan or Iblis. He continues that streak with Kala, which was designed to be shot during the pandemic. This time, however, he has used the constraints to conjure up a hard-hitting tale.