Kayamkulam Kochunni

Worth watching, and a throughout entertainer film. Great work done by Rosshan Andrrews and team! Nivin Pauly and Laletan, awesome!

Kayamkulam Kochunni is undeniably one of the most captivating period drama among Malayalam movies. Nivin Pauly has more than done justice to the titular character. The cinematographers and art directors have indeed presented us with what is a masterfully crafted epic. The music and bgm has only enhanced the essence of the movie. Babu Antony is nothing but a marvel as the austere mentor, Thangal. In short, this half fictional- half historical movie is totally worth the money spent!

What to expect from the movie: A lauded tale of the regional Robinhood (with some clear variations to accommodate the audience) -- a then-typical love; a visual treat that takes you to the 1800's all through the two and a half hours and much of phenomenal swashbuckling. What could've been avoided: The hype for Ithikkara Pakki. There has been too much of a hype for a character other than the main protagonist. IMO, the role of Ithikkara Pakki could be justified even if anyone other than the Big M had played it. (Completely a personal opinion)

One thing that I like to do while watching a period film like this is to detect any anachronistic elements that the makers might have committed. It's not about finding faults per se, but to see how committed the research team was in recreating the period, which has a direct impact on the quality of the film. After watching it on the big screen, I can attest that Rosshan Andrrews's historical drama, Kayamkulam Kochunni, based on the eponymous real-life person, is a true and well-written homage to both the person as well as the original comic. The talented Nivin Pauly, although slightly out of place here, plays the character with so much effort that sometimes he did drift into a 'strained' territory (especially during stunt sequences). Both Kayamkulam Kochunni and his film are entertaining, thanks to Andrrews formulaic approach to storytelling where one thing leads to another, pure cinematic style. Mohanlal's cameo is probably the most exciting one in the history of Malayalam cinema, but I would blame the makers for glorifying it to an extent that I detected the film deviating from its main agenda. It is suspenseful, has enough doses of romance and adventure for the audience at large, and has been made with the right use of its mega-budget. If only the climax was realistic and they did away with the only sore element in the film - the item song featuring Nora Fatehi - then Kayamkulam Kochunni the film would have been a perfect entertainer of modern times. The themes of caste discrimination and the non-parity between the rich and the poor that reflects the current times upset me, but the film comes around with a ray of hope that there's people who go against the grain for the greater good. And that's what matters. It's a good watch and one that goes for essential viewing. TN.

Good Storyline and Excellent narration! Casting is superb! Priya Anand is so beautiful in yesteryears look! Nivin, Babu Antony and Mohanlal acting is superior.

This review is going to be long, untidy and absolutely rigorous. Because an effort massive as this should not be degraded without a well written explanation as to why it's bad/good. And partially because this film had such a wide release, an unbelievably humongous budget and a need to satisfy all types of viewers. I understand all this. I almost sympathize with the crew because they wanted the film to be like this, even though they could've done a lot better. Deep within, even Roshan Andrews might have felt a little guilty.

Kayamkulam Kochunni begins on a note of despair. The lead is getting his verdict of his life, there is much commotion to the life of Kochunni and there is a ample yet a good build up to what i expected to be a decade defining film. Expected. I was wrong to do that. I shouldn't have. I really shouldn't have had that much expectation within the film's start. Bear that in mind while i go in depth to the film.

The film thrives on something that normally no film normally would. That is, folklore. Kochunni is so a memorable character that has touched us through the years, in TV, in movies and of course through stories. To market on that is a very, very simple task. Gokulam Gopalan deserves a high five for that alone. The film as so many things wrong and so little things right. The film has a very good quality of making, something that is very common around malayalam films these days. A distinguishable sense of ambition, an excellent DOP and a skilled cast. Where it goes wrong, is the rest. Nivin did a decent job. Mohanlal stole his thunder and kept that until he left. Ithikkara Pakki might be a great character and Mohanlal did do justice in that regard, but as the film goes, Nivin Pauly's Kochunni is still the limelight of the film.

The film has a song so misplaced that you would wonder how the heck it got there in the first place. Forgettable character include all of Kochunni's romantic tales (avoided, it could've have been), the songs could have been toned down to suit the theme of the situation and the wish that Kochunni could have been a massive cult hit but instead a messy and lackluster piece of BO hungry film.

Kayamkulam Kochunni could have been so, so much more. It really could've been. Under Roshan, it should've been better. But hey, it doesn't bore you to death and it doesn't compromise on the audience factor either.

Kudos on the crew for making yet another successful BO venture, meh for making such a memorable character a forgettable one.