Writer: Ananth Padmanabhan, Padmarajan
DOP: Prasanth Raveendran
Cast: Murali Gopy, Asif Ali, Shebin Benson
Language: Malayalam
Film revolves around a few people who are in the business of making fireworks and is set in late 70s and early 80s period. The only way we get a sense of the time is through the various films that they mention during the film and it is indeed the Jayan era. The settings look much older but that was a time when villages did exist in Kerala. Murali Gopi plays the role of Chellappan who is sort of a village playboy. Asif Ali is a naive and shy simpleton who is taken under his wings by Chellappan. Film is a depiction of their life and rivalries.
Arun Kumar Aravind was someone who made a very solid debut with 'Eee Adutha Kalathu', which was a very well done multiple storyline film on a meagre budget. He went on to produce the excellent adult comedy with brains 'Vedivazhipadu' and got his biggest hit as a director with the political film 'Left, Right, Left', which I think everyone overrates. That was later followed up by a Fahadh Faasil- Murali Gopy starrer film which was a disaster commercially as well as critically. Murali Gopy is a constant in all these films. Kattu is based on a short story from Padmarajan (Name is related to Queen Bee) and is penned by his son. When the trailer of the film came out everyone pointed out similarity between Thakara and the character played by Asif Ali. After watching the film I don't think the comparison holds.
Unlike the very cheap looking Eee Adutha Kalathu, Kattu is technically great and sumptuous to look at. Malayalam films are getting better and better on these things. With a running time of more than 150 minutes, one wishes they put as much care in storytelling and get a tight cut without much flab. God knows why the directors still feel the need to have one or two songs which don't move the story forward. Caste is the center of topic during the opening scene which is set in a Tamil Nadu village. But that is not explored further. Murali Gopy has finally confirmed which side of the fence he sits with Tiyaan and it is the 'Sophisticated Hindutva' side. That doesn't get much play in this film but if you do a subtle reading of it, it is basically a Christian character playing divide and rule over the Hindu and Muslim characters. How British of them!
The first half of the film is the shorter of the two and goes along quite smoothly. Second half is a bit dragged out and it becomes quite predictable. Still several characters are etched out pretty well even though all of them are male. It is paced deliberately in a leisurely manner. It is basically a character and lifestyle study and one of the better ones from Malayalam among the ones that are set in period. It is a genre which is very hard to get right within the budgetary constraints of Malayalam cinema and Kattu, despite its flaws, is a worthy effort.
Rating: 2.75/5
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