Kishkindha Kaandam Review: A Gripping Thriller with Extraordinary Performances and a Poignant Mystery

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Memories are fragments of emotions that people are fond of. But what if some of them are cursed and to be forgotten at times? Dinjith Ayyathan's directorial executes this narrative with memory being the core element of the film. With Bahul Ramesh's excellent screenwriting and cinematography, this film is surely one of the best thriller movies released this year. 

When Ajaychandran aka Ajayan(Asif Ali) returns home after his registered marriage with his newlywed wife Aparna(Aparna Balamurli) we see police officers at his home questioning Appu Pillai(Vijayraghavan) his father about the gun that needs to be surrendered during the election time. On more interrogation officers understand that the revolver is missing. As days go by she tries to fit in the family and understands the father-son relationship. She discovers the photos of Ajayan with his first wife and child. Even though she has never met them she feels like she is part of them.

In search of the revolver, the search begins in the forest area and you see lots of monkeys on all the trees. One by one all the old belongings start to fall from the trees. A certain mystery starts to engulf the minds of the people watching the scene. In search of his missing child Ajayan along with Aparna and Prashobh(Shebin Benson), his first wife's brother left for Belgaon. On finding Ajayan at the door of the train Aparna asks him the reason for his silence. He says that he was thinking about Chachu's favourite game but then says that owing to his wife's treatment there was no time for him so how would he remember the game. He feels guilty about not being a good father even though he was a good husband. 

Slowly as she starts to observe Appu she finds a certain amount of enigma around him. On acting upon her curiosity she finds herself in trouble with both father and son. On understanding that he keeps forgetting things, Aparna does discuss it with Ajayan. She comes to know that he has a neuro disease which makes him forget things. But as a military officer, his ego does not allow him to accept his condition. The missing revolver case takes a turn when a photo of a monkey holding a similar type of revolver is found. The inquisitive mind of Aparna finds fishy about the subtlety involving Chachu's missing case. It is through her eyes the real story starts to unravel and when the story unfolds you start to fall deep into the plot.

Vijayraghavan delivers one of his finest performances to date in Kishkindha Kaandam portraying Appu Pillai the retired military officer with a complex blend of all his little peculiarities. The veteran actor masterly captures the subtlety of switching in his behaviour. With his ability to juggle his quirkiness along with the gripping past, he performs every nuance of a dynamic man. The sharpness and the modulation in his voice even exceed his previous State Award-winning performance in Pookalam(2023).

Ajayan in Kishkindha Kaandam is one of the exceptional performances of Asif Ali. At first, you find him as nonchalant but guilty as a father. But as the story follows you find layers of his characters entangling part by part. The vulnerability and restraint he portrays as Ajayan tell us his authority over the character. His way of supporting his father even when there are faults in his character speaks volumes. In the film's final act, you truly understand his helplessness as a father who is burdened by his own share of secrets. Here Ajayan must conceal the pain as a father but has to fulfil his duties as a son.

As the third lead in this movie, Aparna plays an enthralling character, who is both curious and confident at the same time. Being a new number, she tries to accept the idiosyncrasy of her father-in-law and the subtle behaviour of her husband Ajayan. There are times when you feel like she is disturbing the flow of the plot. Her actions lead to complete mayhem and cause friction between father and son. But it is because of her inquisitive nature that certain turn of events does come to light. So, she is one of the major causes that the narrative to shine. Ashokan, Jagdish and the comeback of Nishant have been given equal importance in the plot. Their actions do lead to a chain of events that help to unravel the truth.

The foundation of this film is memories the ones that we choose to forget according to our convenience. What makes Dinjith film's unique is his ability to keep people guessing till the end without revealing too many details at once. This is one of the most difficult tasks as after a certain point you seem to guess the end or sometimes it questions your intelligence. It does not focus on who is the culprit rather the story starts gripping on revealing the events. 

Bahul's camera work gives this film a sense of eerie with a pinch of thriller at every point. He successfully captures the dense forest along with the monkeys. Every small movement of the characters is confined smoothly into the lens. Also, Mujeeb Majeed's background score plays a crucial role in adding another layer of intrigue to the plot making it more loud and intense at times. 

Kishkindha Kaandam feels like a slow burner at first but when you actually watch the film you know the pace was extremely right. From the moment I saw the trailer I was eagerly waiting for the moment I get to watch this film. Even though it was released in Onam during a festive time it still is a masterpiece worth every wait. So what are you guys waiting for go grab your tickets and watch it at the theatres near you.