Another rags-to-riches story that misses the plot
The story is about a rag picker who had to come up in life the hard way. Living a simple life despite his affluence, it’s about the turn his life takes when an educated wealthy girl enters, and streamlines his personal life and his expanding business. The director has made an effort to strike away from the routine scenario. But more punch and fizz in the screenplay and a little more style in its narration could have helped translate his ideas better on to the screen.
Appukutty plays the lead role of Chellappa, an illiterate, whose rags to riches story was an inspiring one. A bachelor, who is very attached to his mother, he had arranged a comfortable stay for her at an old age home, where the visually challenged woman could be better looked after.
Director: S Sivaraman
Appukutty has a new make-over, different from the unkempt shabby look of his earlier films, cuts a far more presentable picture here. The actor suits the role. But with not much depth in the characterisation, the national award winner hardly gets to contribute much to it. A little more detailing would have helped.
Appukutty’s adulation of actor Ajith is well known. And Appukutty gets his fan-moment as he and a group dance to a song, a tribute to ‘Thala’.
When we are first introduced to the heroine Padmaja (Dillija), she fails to register as the lead. You could easily mistake her for an actor in some peripheral role! But as the narration progresses and Padmaja enters Chellappa’s life, it’s a confident sincere portrayal we get to see from the debutante.
It’s when Padmaja playfully reveals her childhood dream of becoming an actress to Chellappa, and the latter taking it seriously tries to fulfil it for her, that their lives take an unexpected turn.The momentum slackens a little here. But the entry of seasoned actor Bhaskar as a film director, who seeks finance for his new film, peps up the scenario to an extent. As the maker who has to cut corners and compromise while making a small budget film, Bhaskar plays his role with understanding. He is particularly watchable in the moments where he expresses distress at his lead actor’s failure to bring the much-needed emotion to his character.
In the climax scene where she gets to express strong emotions, Dillija handles the moment with fair competence. The title song is melodious and has some meaningful lyrics. Kagidha Kappal is a sincere effort to strike away from the formula-routine, but it falls short of being interesting and appealing to the audience.