Kanakam Kaamini Kalaham (2021)

Language : Malayalam

Director : Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval

Writers : Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval

Cast : Nivin Pauly, Grace Antony, Vinay Forrt, Jaffer Idukki, Joy Mathew.

Genre : Comedy.

Imdb: Kanakam Kaamini Kalaham (2021)

Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.

Kanakam Kaamini Kalaham, the first direct to digital Malayalam release on Hotstar, is a fun ride laced with laugh out loud moments throughout its runtime.

Directed by Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval, the film is a genuine attempt at providing a comic entertainer, a genre that seemed to have been forgotten by Malayalam filmmakers.

The trailers and promos of KaKaKa made it evident that the film aims at tapping the rarely explored ‘loud comedy’ genre and initially, I was sceptical about it working for me. But to my delight, the jokes worked brilliantly, primarily due to the wacky characterizations and the situations they get embroiled in. Except for a few reaction shots in the second half, the loudness in comedy doesn’t seem force-fitted. Also, KaKaKa is not just a mindless comedy. It subtly addresses pertinent issues like equality within family, and many recent social media ‘hashtag campaigns’ through some well placed situational humour which makes it all the more effective.

That said, the film isn’t devoid of a few bumps in its journey. The climax is abrupt and looked more like a quick fix to the madness we witnessed till then. The interference of Sura played by Jafer Idukki becomes annoying at times in the second half as they only contribute towards pushing the runtime to 2 hours.

While I thoroughly enjoyed KaKaKa, it needs to be pointed out that this film may not work for those who fail to digest the ‘no logic, only laughs’ style of the genre.

Now for any comedy film to click, you need the actors to bring out their A-game. In KaKaKa all of them are in terrific form. Every actor seems to have understood the pitch of the film and puts in engaging performances. Nivin Pauly as ‘Kallan’ Pavithran (pun intended) is delightful to watch. He is possibly the best when it comes to handling comedy among young actors and this performance is the latest testament to it. Grace Anthony is gracefully funny as Haripriya. The character goes through a series of emotions across the film and the talented actress effortlessly makes you root for her. Vinay Fort, my personal favourite among the actors, hits it out of the park. His helplessness as Joby in itself was a treat to watch and livens up all the sequences he is a part of. Sudheesh, Vincy Aloshius, Rajesh Madhavan, Joy Mathew, Jaffer Idukki and others also put up quirky performances.

While Ratheesh’s previous film Android Kunjappan was a satire told in a unique fashion, his latest is an absurd take on the comedy formula. Right from the title credits, the film becomes an embodiment of wackiness and some inspiring creativity. Huge shout out to the man for infusing some thought-provoking one-liners amidst the crazy dialogues. 

Overall Kanakam Kaamini Kalaham aka KaKaKa is that much-needed fun-filled entertainer that Malayalam was longing for. Yes, it may or may not work for you but the makers have put their best foot forward in delivering a film within a genre that’s new to Malayalam Cinema.

Verdict – 4/7 stars