Sasikumar rarely strays from his comfort zone taking up roles that suit his persona. And this has worked to his advantage. In Kidaari, he essays the role of a trusted handyman of a village patriarch, a role that fits him like a glove, the performance nuanced than any of his earlier films.
The plot is familiar. An orphan nurtured by the village bigwig, his unquestioned loyalty to his mentor and the final face off when skeletons come tumbling out of the cupboard.
But what makes the film watchable is the detailing which debutant director Prasath brings to the script. The characters are well fleshed out, the action sequences are ably choreographed and the cast of lesser known actors fit suitably in their roles.
Sasikumar as Kidaari is hot-blooded and extremely protective of his mentor Kombaiya. This earns him many enemies, including some in the latter’s family, who resent Kidaari’s closeness to the patriarch. It’s an interesting build-up to the character of Kidaari through a voice over. The opening scene has Komabaiya almost fatally assaulted and in hospital. The narration takes a cut to the past and to the various enemies who could have been behind the assault. The interesting of these episodes is that of Puli and his sibling who try to upstage Komabaiya in land deals and is taught a lesson by Kidaari. The scenes at Puli’s den where Kidaari builds the tension and takes on the unsuspecting siblings has a fine touch. Appreciable is the actor’s agility in the fight-chase sequences.
The romantic track is naughty, the chemistry between Sasikumar and Nikhila making it a pleasant watch.
Delightful are Nikhila’s expressions as she teases Kidaari and unabashedly expresses her love for him. A finely tuned performance is by Vela Ramamurthy as Kombaiya. The actor gets almost equal space as the hero and makes the most of it. Amusing is Kaalai as Kombaiya’s aged handyman with a false bravado. The action sequences are impressively choreographed and adds strength to the film. Among Sasikumar’s films, Kidaari is one of the better scripted ones and keeps one entertained for the most part.