Right from his impressive debut in Angamaly Diaries (2017), Antony Varghese has been consistently hitting it out of the park when it comes to action. He doesn’t have the toned physique of an Unni Mukundan or Tovino Thomas, but his sheer agility and raw energy make him an ideal choice for films heavy on naadan thallu.
It was the blockbuster success of last year’s Onam release RDX (2023) that cemented Antony’s image as an ‘action hero’, and this Onam, the actor is back again with another actioner. What makes Kondal different from his other films is its coastal setting, with almost 90% of the events occurring mid-sea within a fishing boat. But apart from this new backdrop, Kondal is nothing but a rehash of generic revenge-drama templates.
The film begins promisingly with an episode on the lives of common fisherfolk. It shows how a certain section’s greed paints a damaging picture of the local fishing community, and here, actor Usha, seen after a long gap, delivers an impressive performance in a negative role. But it’s not too long before we realise it’s just a standard plot point to introduce Antony’s Manuel as a forthright young man fighting for what’s right.
Parallelly, there are suggestions that Manuel is a wounded soul seeking closure for a bitter past. The major problem with Kondal is its flat writing that remains predictable till the very end and the lack of urgency in proceedings. With the interval block, it’s made loud and clear what the hero is here for, yet the film takes too long to get to the resolution part. Everything preceding that is just tasteless mood-building.
Kondal gets interesting when we are introduced to hitherto unseen life in a fishing boat, from how the men carry out their everyday activities to the different techniques employed to catch fish. The boat’s inhabitants have different priorities and naturally, their interpersonal dynamics keep changing.
This is a solid base for multiple interesting equations, but the writing fails to get deep. Even when most characters are given some sort of an identity, it is strange how some of them are kept in the dark when a major conflict is brewing between Manuel and the villain gang. It is such questionable writing choices that drag this film forward without any high points.
Kondal had all the potential to be a riveting action film, but despite having 4-5 extended fight sequences, none of them register properly. The writing is ambitious enough to envision a tempest sequence and a giant shark hunt, but the execution is far from perfect. Sam CS gets the one signature score right and employs different variations of it to turn the ‘dull highs’ rousing, but other than that, the music is too jarring.
On the performance side, Antony, yet again, has toiled hard for the fights. But except for an emotional monologue, there aren’t enough moments to test his acting potential. Shabeer Kallarakkal, as the prime antagonist, also tries his best to inject life into a one-note villain role, but there just isn’t enough meat in the writing.
While most other characters are similarly one-dimensional, Sarath Saba gets an interesting grey-shaded role, which he plays effectively. Raj B Shetty also appears in an extended cameo, reminiscent of numerous do-gooder roles from the past. It’s still an interesting casting choice as the Kannada actor is also known for his raw energy. If only the writers had shown more interest in fleshing out the character better.
Kondal is produced by Weekend Blockbusters, the same banner that backed RDX. The biggest takeaway from RDX should have been how a film can be enhanced with its treatment, even if the writing is basic. It was the superbly staged action set pieces that did wonders for RDX, but despite having the same potential, Kondal fails to elicit any high whatsoever. Eventually. what should have been a raging storm instead settles as a soft breeze.
Film: Kondal
Director: Ajit Mampally
Cast: Antony Varghese, Raj B Shetty, Shabeer Kallarakkal, Nandu
Rating : 2/5