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Kottukkaali Movie Review: Soori, Anna Ben starrer is an entertaining road trip highlighting social injustices
Soori and Anna Ben starrer Kottukkaali has just hit the silver screens. If you’re confused whether to watch it in theaters, read Pinkvilla’s review of the PS Vinothraj directorial to help you decide!
Name: Kottukkaali
Writer, Director: PS Vinothraj
Cast: Anna Ben, Soori, Jawahar Sakthi
Rating: 3.5/5
PS Vinothraj has been one of the most talked about directors in Tamil cinema, especially since his debut film Koozhangal was chosen as India’s official entry for the Oscars in 2022. Now, his latest film, Kottukkaali, also known as The Adamant Girl has hit the silver screens on August 23rd.
The film features Soori and Anna Ben in the lead roles, and has been produced by Sivakarthikeyan under the banner SK Productions. Kottukkaali, having been to several film festivals around the world, had a lot of hype surrounding it. But does the film live up to the hype? Let’s discuss.
Plot of Kottukkaali
Kottukkaali or The Adamant Girl falls under the category of a road drama film. The film revolves around Anna Ben’s character Meena, whose family believe she is possessed, and are taking her to a Seer to cast the spell out of her.
However, throughout their journey the group come across various issues, driven by their personal wants, beliefs and superstitions. How they overcome the issues that arise to finally reach the Seer, and what happens next forms the crux of the story.
What works in Kottukkaali
First and foremost, Kottukkaali works with highly relevant social issues, which however, have been talked about in various artforms over the years. Nonetheless, PS Vinothraj captures and holds the audience’s attention with the way he treats the story. In fact, several deliberate choices have been made that elevate one’s enjoyment of the film.
One such deliberate choice is the lack of music throughout the film. Right from the first second the screen turns on, there is no background music in the film. Rather, PS Vinothraj has used the sounds in nature, those of leaves rustling, crows cawing, etc. as the prominent background sounds in the film. Although initially one hopes to hear some music, as the story progresses, it becomes evident that the lack of music helps add to the raw and gritty nature of the film.
Another aspect that deserves much praise is the camerawork by Sakthivel. The use of single shots, the rough camera movements all of it add to the rustic feel of the film. Furthermore, along with the camerawork, another major department that deserves a special mention is the lighting. The cinematography team has beautifully used the natural light in a way to capture and communicate the story in an effective manner.
The film’s sound department deserves a special mention as well. The capturing of natural sounds, the creation of foley sounds, all of it blended and mixed in an organic manner adds a unique touch to Kottukkaali, making it a unique experience for the audience.
As mentioned earlier, Kottukkaali delves into several social stigmas, including superstitions, patriarchy, misogyny, domestic abuse and many others. However, rather than just mentioning them, the film has juxtaposed them with modernity. For example, there is a scene where Soori’s character, Pandi, encourages Anna Ben’s character Meena to pursue higher studies in college. However, the same character is enraged beyond limits when Meena falls in love with a boy belonging to a lower caste.
There is yet another scene where two people from the entourage discuss amongst themselves that Meena has to be taken to a doctor, and not a seer for the doubts that they have. PS Vinothraj cleverly writes his characters to be a mixture of conventions and modernity. The filmmaker has the innate ability to showcase a satirical take on the social stigmas.
Additionally, Vinothraj has also used different animals as a metaphor for the characters in the film. The film is quite literally a road trip through various stigmas and social issues still prevalent, not just in rural, but also urban parts of our country.
Check out Kottukkaali’s trailer below:
What does not work in Kottukkaali
Possibly the biggest drawback in Kottukkaali comes with its writing. While it is true that PS Vinothraj has added several layers to the story, with the use of metaphors, and has cleverly written several portions of the film, the film does fall short towards the end. The film seems to come to an abrupt end, leaving the audience desperately wanting for more.
Furthermore, several scenes within the film have been intentionally repeated and dragged out, where the static frames are held that way for a tad bit too long. That being said, while the negatives in Kottukkaali might irk the audience a bit, they do, in no way, take away the brilliance with which PS Vinothraj has made this social satire.
Performances in Kottukkaali
Anna Ben’s performance as Meena is definitely one of the best performances by the Kumbalangi Nights actress in her career so far. Although there are minimal dialogues, Meena says a lot with her silences and her actions, the credit for which goes to Anna Ben. It is also important to mention that Kottukkaali marks the actress’ Tamil debut as well.
Soori’s character, Pandi, is undoubtedly the powerhouse in Kottukkaali. Pandi is a gray shaded character who attempts to change, adapt to modernity, but is still held back by the superstitions, customs and norms in which he was raised. His maturity in situations comes out of him suppressing the things he is accustomed to. Soori portrays the character beautifully on screen, bringing him to life.
The performances by the supporting cast should not go unnoticed as well. The characters together successfully communicate the rustic feel of the film to the audience, bringing the world PS Vinothraj has created to life.
Verdict of Kottukkaali
Everything said and done, Kottukkaali is a one of a kind experiment in Indian cinema, and an excellent one for that matter. However, the film has an inclination towards arthouse cinema, and might not come off as everyone’s cup of tea. That being said, if you’re willing to catch an experimental and truly beautiful social commentary masquerading as a road-drama film, Kottukkaali is a must-watch in the theaters.
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