Karnan review: Dhanush stars in this fiery tale of the rise of the downtrodden

4/5

In the first half of director Mari Selvaraj’s Karnan, he uses animals, birds and even worms to showcase the state of mind of its characters. He continuously shows a donkey struggling to move forward as its forelimbs are shackled by its master to prevent the load-bearing animal from running away. Dhanush’s character Karnan, who at various points is troubled by this, finally decides to tear the cloth tying its legs and lets it free and progress unhindered.

In another scene at the start of the film, the villagers stand around at the foot of a tree and helplessly beg an eagle to let go off the chicken that it has snatched. A woman even curses that one day somebody would clip its wings, unaware that they are the victims of the same fate. Those from dominant castes aided by the government officials want to keep them oppressed, for them to never fully realise their potential.

Most of the scenes in the first half of the movie are also shot from low angles, with feet getting considerable screen time. This is intended as Karnan is after all the tale of the downtrodden, of those whose every attempt is trampled and those who have been conditioned to fall at other people’s feet at the slightest hint of mercy.

Selvaraj’s Karnan is a seething commentary on how an entire village is kept in the dark for the benefit or even spite of others. For them, a CRPF job or a college education is a literal race that is often impeded due to the lack of a bus stop. And it’s this concern that finally after a decade of falling on deaf ears, causes the villagers to rise up and take a stand with Karnan being the catalyst by breaking that glass and tearing down the barriers that separate them from others that look down upon them. This very act puts them at loggerheads with the cops, who too are concerned with how they are treated by the villagers rather than addressing their plight.

Dhanush’s raw energy fuels the fiery, volatile Karnan; the embers glow with every act of his character. Dhanush, much like his role in Asuran that earned him the National Award for Best Actor, lends an earthy charm to the character that becomes the champion for the oppressed. Lal as his elder confidante Yama Raja, complements him to the hilt and their dynamic is fresh and moving. Yogi Babu too get a character that proves he is so much more than the funny sidekick roles he usually plays. While Rajisha Vijayan as Draupadi makes a mark in her debut Tamil movie despite the limited role, Lakshmi Priyaa Chandramouli shines as Karnan’s sister.

What makes Karnan such a grand feat for Selvaraj is that he has told the story of an entire village, not just through its main characters. While it does slow down the pace, he succeeds in making the audience sense the pervading arid hopelessness and brewing frustration, enough to make anyone’s blood boil. The character Karnan is used as a tool to channel that these into fury.

Santosh Narayanan’s music stokes these emotions that Selvaraj wants his audience to feel and the composer also injects energy by smartly using the upbeat Uttradheenge Yeppov as the village rises to break their shackles. Theni Easwar’s cinematography is a delight, interspersed between the low angle shots are the bird’s-eye view every time Karnan decides to rise.

Selvaraj’s Karnan is a must-watch precisely for these reasons; the filmmaker packs in so many details that with every watch a deeper layer unravels that show the colossal burden on the marginalised. This is also what makes their fiery dance spread like wildfire.