One of the toughest challenges in crafting a mystery thriller is keeping the audience constantly guessing about what happens next without underestimating their intelligence. This task becomes even more difficult when the story also requires powerful performances and a poignant drama to unfold alongside a gripping mystery.
Dinjith Ayyathan’s sophomore directorial Kishkindha Kaandam achieves this brilliantly. Combined with the sublime and inventive screenwriting debut of the film’s cinematographer Bahul Ramesh, we get an emotional rollercoaster with excellent mood-building.
What immediately impresses us in Kishkindha Kaandam is how it provides information on a need-to-know basis, avoiding forced exposition. Right from the first act, when the characters are introduced amidst a dense forest inhabited by numerous monkeys, Dinjith's staging creates a sense of intrigue around their predicaments and what drives them in life, gradually revealing each aspect.
Appu Pillai (Vijayaraghavan) is a retired military officer and a septuagenarian with an unyielding grumpiness. The director recently revealed that the film's writer had the late NN Pillai in mind while writing this character, a fact made evident through a clever pop-culture reference seamlessly integrated into the story.
When Ajayachandran aka Ajayan (Asif) arrives home with his newly-married wife Aparna (Aparna Balamurali) after a low-key registered wedding, we see his father Appu Pillai expressing his annoyance at police officers who want him to surrender his licensed gun, which has gone missing ahead of an election. Not even the potential threat to public safety shakes Appu Pillai's irreverence.
In a recent interview, Asif Ali and one of his notable co-stars in the film Jagadish, perhaps jokingly, mentioned that the film's initial title was The Curious Case of Appu Pillai. This title seems fitting, given that the entire film revolves around him and his missing gun, setting off a chain of events that leads to the unravelling of secrets buried deep within memories.
Vijayaraghavan delivers one of his finest performances to date in Kishkindha Kaandam, portraying a character with a complex blend of idiosyncrasies. The veteran actor masterfully captures the subtle switches in behaviour that come with the character’s unforeseen trajectory.
His portrayal of Appu Pillai, whose eccentricities are both intriguing and unnerving, is rendered with meticulous attention to both physicality and the internal dynamics of a man grappling with his past. The nuanced modulation in his voice and the sharpness of his expressions surpass even his State Award-winning performance in Pookkaalam (2023).
Ajayan in Kishkindha Kaandam is among Asif's most accomplished performances, marked by a masterful display of vulnerability and restraint. The actor embodies a character accustomed to the unpredictable ways of his demanding father, who is adept at getting on anyone's nerves. Asif conveys this dynamic with a subtle, nonchalant demeanour that speaks volumes. It is in the film’s third act that his acting truly shines. Here, Ajayan must delicately balance his own concealed secrets while still fulfilling his role as a dutiful son, and Asif delivers this complexity with remarkable nuance.
As the third lead, Aparna delivers a compelling performance as a character who is both doggedly inquisitive and assertive. As a new member of the household, her character’s relentless pursuit of understanding her father-in-law’s secretive behaviour fuels significant conflicts with both Ajayan and Appu Pillai. The way her character is written ensures that she is far from a passive figure. She possesses a strong sense of agency that is effectively conveyed through Aparna's performance as well. One might question her character's reaction to the film's final resolution, but this is a minor gripe in an otherwise well-constructed narrative.
At its core, Kishkindha Kaandam is a powerful drama about the secrets we choose to forget - reminiscent of films like Ullozhukku and Aarkkariyam (2021). What makes Dinjith's film unique as a beast of its own is its ability to blend this poignant drama with a carefully crafted mystery that does not follow the typical conventions of a whodunit, while still keeping us on the edge with a steady stream of surprises.
Kishkindha Kaandam also features a backdrop that becomes an integral character in itself. Just as a dense forest can be a maze of unpredictability, where every step has the potential to reveal a new shadowy layer, the secrets surrounding Appu Pillai run deep, waiting to be unearthed. The characters are not what they initially seem as we gradually get to know them.
Bahul's work behind the camera is fabulous in conveying the shifting inner psyche of the characters. The visuals are not only pleasing to the eye, thanks to the captivating landscape, but they also create a sense of foreboding with Bahul's screenplay consistently exceeding expectations.
Mujeeb Majeed's intense background score adds another layer of intrigue to the narrative, although it sometimes becomes louder than necessary, particularly in the film's latter hour.
As the film ultimately delivers a payoff that is profoundly worth the wait, it is reasonable to affirm that Kishkindha Kaandam is a commendable addition to the ranks of the finest mystery thrillers produced in Malayalam cinema, alongside classics such as Utharam (1989) and Kariyilakkattu Pole (1986).
Film: Kishkindha Kaandam
Director: Dinjith Ayyathan
Cast: Asif Ali, Vijayaraghavan, Aparna Balamurali, Jagadish, Ashokan
Rating : 4/5