Kanguva review: Sincere Suriya tries to salvage forgettable fantasy drama

Suriya’s Kanguva, which hit the screens on Thursday (November 14), had the potential to be a riveting and engaging tale about forgiveness and reincarnation. It, however, ends up being a missed opportunity.?

What’s Kanguva about?

Kanguva centres on the events that unfold when Francis (Suriya), a shadow cop,? meets a young child with a mysterious past. It soon becomes clear that the two aren’t exactly ‘strangers’ and this sets the stage for a shocking revelation. On paper, the Siva-helmed film has pretty much everything— right from action scenes to larger-than-life visuals– that one expects from a star-driven fantasy drama. It, however, fails to reach its potential as the screenplay isn’t compelling enough.

Middling screenplay spoils the fun

Kanguva begins with a haunting sequence, set ‘centuries ago’, in which a woman talks about the mysteries surrounding the human race. The focus then shifts to the ‘present’ and we are soon introduced to Francis and his ex-girlfriend Angelina (Disha Patani). Ideally, their scenes should have laid the foundation from the portions set in the past but this never happens as there isn’t much of a chemistry between them.?

Siva tries to elevate the opening 20 odd minutes of the film with his loud and over the top brand of comedy but the decision backfires. Most of the comic punches, unlike the ones seen in Siruthai and Vedalam, fall flat and fail to add much to Kanguva. As a result, the audience isn’t able to take an interest in Francis’ reel journey.

To make matters worse, the period portions too don’t quite live up to the hype. Siva takes his time to build the film's world? and tries? to introduce the main characters through a series of ambitious sequences. However, most of these sequences feel rushed and work only in parts. As a result, Kanguva lacks the depth and intensity that helped Prashanth’s Neel’s Salaar and SS Rajamouli’s RRR mesmerise the audience.?

Siva tries to redeem the film in the second half by focusing on Kanguva’s complex yet tender equation with his ‘son’ but finds limited success. There are a couple of moving scenes between them, particularly towards the climax. However, the subplot doesn’t have enough depth to act as the film’s emotional fulcrum.?

Kanguva has some redeeming qualities

That said, Kanguva has its merits as well. The grand action scenes are a treat to watch on the big screen and give the audience to cheer for. Moreover, Suriya’s brilliantly-crafted entry sequence in the period portions does complete justice to his reel image. There’s a surprise cameo towards the end, which ticks the right boxes and sets the stage for Kanguva 2.?

Suriya shines in a one-dimensional character

Coming to the performances, Suriya is the heart and soul of Kanguva. He carries off the action scenes with ease. That said, Kanguva isn’t his best by any stretch of the imagination. Suriya has a remarkable range, which helps him add depth to even out-and-out commercial toles. The effortless way in which he went from shy to furious in Ghajini (2005) is a prime example of the same. Siva sadly fails to utilise this properly. Suriya is at his intense best in Kanguva. However, the loud and hyper aggressive dialogue-delivery /dubbing makes the role feel one-dimensional.?

Bobby Deol is burdened with a poorly-written character that pales in comparison to the one he played in Animal. Despite this, the Bollywood star shines in a sequence where he learns about a death.?

Disha Patani ups the glam quotient but gets virtually no scope? to shine. Yogi Babu too deserved better as most of his one-liners simply don’t land.?Karthi impresses with his menacing body language but isn’t really the focus of the film.

Technical aspects and final thoughts

Devi Sri Prasad’s music and terrific background score make Kanguva a bit bearable. The funky YOLO and the massy Fire are the pick of the lot. The other technical aspects, such as cinematography and editing, are up to the mark.?

To sum up, Kanguva is a mediocre film that serves as a reminder of how a grand idea may not always translate into a compelling narrative.

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