Kishkindha Kaandam: Tale of mysterious, unwanted truths told intriguingly (2024)

[00:00:12] Onmanorama, movie podcast, Start, Action, Cut

[00:00:12] Hello and welcome to Onmanorama movie podcast, Start, Action, Cut.

[00:00:16] Today we are decoding the Malayalam thriller drama,

[00:00:19] Kishkindha Kaandam, written by Bahul Ramesh and directed by Dinjit Ayyathan.

[00:00:25] And the film stars Asif Ali, Vijay Raghavan and Abhanna Balamurlinali, it rolls.

[00:00:33] Today we have Meenu to discuss the movie.

[00:00:37] The industry title of the movie is drawn from the epic Ramayana.

[00:00:41] As the story is based in a place inhabited by monkeys,

[00:00:46] the story revolves around an ex-military, personal, a pupilla and his son, Ajay Chantran and a lost pistol.

[00:00:55] So, first the movie is very interesting and captivating

[00:00:59] and what is so special, what I found so special about this film is the plot structure and the narrative style.

[00:01:07] So it flows in a non-linear pattern and apart from the way the suspense and revelations have been crafted,

[00:01:16] it creates a magical intrigue.

[00:01:19] Meenu, how do you analyze the plot structure and the narrative style in this film?

[00:01:25] Yes, Padma Kumar. For me also the most interesting part of Kishkindha Kaandam is the plot itself.

[00:01:31] From the title itself, Kishkindha, the Kingdom of the Vainaras or Mungies from the epic Ramayana,

[00:01:37] the movie brings the audience to a mysterious as well as an emotional journey,

[00:01:42] slowly unraveling the major plot where the storyteller wants to communicate with us.

[00:01:47] There is no hurry burry in unraveling this plot.

[00:01:51] Even the flashbacks that determines the growth of the plot are unraveled in a very smooth manner,

[00:01:56] perfectly blended with what's happening in the present.

[00:02:00] In a way the audience won't feel that this is the past or this is the present.

[00:02:04] It's not like that and there is something unique about the plot is that how a great epic is moved to this particular story.

[00:02:13] That's what I feel and we feel like we are also part of the story, not like an omniscient third person or something else,

[00:02:19] but as another character in the edit along with Aasi for Abbar Naaru Vijay Rahman.

[00:02:24] Yes, I liked how the revelations are placed in a surprising manner.

[00:02:29] Each and every episode comes out before us with a great punch.

[00:02:34] So that's what's interesting in the film.

[00:02:38] The setting of the movie is the mesmerizing terrain of Kallipati Reserve Forest.

[00:02:45] That itself is a story line and the treacherous topography, the lush greenery,

[00:02:53] they all serve a very intriguing purpose for the whole film.

[00:03:00] You watch, you are just, you are drop, airdrop right in the middle of that forest.

[00:03:06] So how that story begins and in that we are inside the business of a household where they have got so many issues.

[00:03:18] I mean, here Vijay Rahman who is the father of the protagonist Appu Pillai

[00:03:25] and how his issues are being shown to us one by one.

[00:03:32] So how would you explain the settings, the ambience of the movie?

[00:03:38] Yes, the setting plays a pivotal role in the storytelling here as you said.

[00:03:44] And it's a serene village very close to a reserve forest area Kallipati

[00:03:48] and it's Tiruneliyas I read from the signboards mentioned in that movie.

[00:03:53] And it's all about mountain roads, gut roads, dense forest, basically calm and cool atmosphere right?

[00:04:00] And it's a direct contrast to what the story of the movie is.

[00:04:05] Again, that is perfectly blended also.

[00:04:08] It's a reen atmosphere to thrilling emotional roller coaster that what I felt

[00:04:13] and the major advantage of this setting here is that it's very limited in itself.

[00:04:19] I felt so like limited places, limited characters, I mean the number of characters

[00:04:25] a place that is not that kind of accessible to everyone.

[00:04:30] And that helps the audience to be in the story.

[00:04:33] Like the audience became severely immersed in the plot and be one with the characters all the time.

[00:04:41] And the forest, high-range and a nuclear family, a perfect combo for the Malayalam mystery thrillers right?

[00:04:47] Yeah. And talking about the setting, I mean the place where we are in,

[00:04:53] we are right before the tall trees, the fine canopy of foliage and we are right inside that.

[00:05:03] So we have no escape until we finish the film

[00:05:07] and the makers have very perfectly blended all the ingredients of mystery, suspense

[00:05:14] and the storyline, emotions and everything for our sake.

[00:05:18] So we enjoy the whole thing from the beginning till the end.

[00:05:21] That's how the film is made.

[00:05:23] And talking about the making, beginning from the cinematography,

[00:05:28] actually the story itself is written by Bahul Ramesh who is the cinematographer of this film

[00:05:36] and he has the clear picture of what he had already seen in his mind before capturing those in the camera.

[00:05:45] So what he has captured is exactly what he had seen in his mind.

[00:05:51] So that's how we feel.

[00:05:53] We see the forest, we see the suspense, we see the emotions, everything in sync with the ambience.

[00:06:01] That's how it's made.

[00:06:03] And the BGM, as regards the BGM I think it differs from theatre to theatre.

[00:06:09] So where we were watching the film, the BGM sort of was jarring.

[00:06:15] So we know that it's good but we couldn't exactly enjoy it to the fullest.

[00:06:21] And then again there is no songs in this movie as we see in common Malayalam films or even in any other Indian films.

[00:06:32] We have got some northeastern folk songs or poems in the background.

[00:06:40] But I think the background music could have been cut down or slowed down a bit because it's too much there.

[00:06:48] Though they are good, they generate the suspense and the intrigue feeling that it requires.

[00:06:56] The whole movie exudes.

[00:06:58] But that's how the BGM has been made.

[00:07:03] And as regards the cinematography, we can see the effort behind it because in those terrains it's not that easy to show the drama, the way we see it.

[00:07:18] So what do you say about the making?

[00:07:21] I support most of your views Padma Kumar and for me it's how to describe the making of the movie.

[00:07:28] It's brilliant making. That's enough I think to describe.

[00:07:31] And for me, as I said earlier that two hours of watching this movie, I was travelling with the characters.

[00:07:39] I was sitting beside Svijay Dhaka and when he drove the vehicle and I was helping out Abarna to search her father-in-law's room.

[00:07:47] I was travelling with the seven men sent to find each other.

[00:07:50] I was with them. I became one among them.

[00:07:53] And for that director, Dinhjit Bissar is a hug I think.

[00:07:57] His first movie, Kaxi Amunipila in which as if I played the lead role is always close to my heart and a unique attempt in Malayalam cinema that movie was well crafted.

[00:08:10] And again after five years that movie released in 2019 and after five years with Kishkindha Khandam.

[00:08:17] Dinhjit proclaimed that he is here to stay right and entirely different with an entirely different treatment comparing to his previous craft.

[00:08:25] And he knows how to keep the audience engaged, how to craft a completely new thing and that's great that the effort is really great.

[00:08:36] He gave a movie that respects the audience I think so because a movie that values the audience time and effort.

[00:08:44] The movie's worth watching in terms of that and I feel like there is nothing lagging in that.

[00:08:50] Nothing to omit, not even a single dialogue, not even a single short everything fit for the movie.

[00:08:56] And here we have to add the efforts of the cinematography, editing and music also and all these together after Kishkindha Khandam made super much.

[00:09:06] And as I mentioned earlier the story is happening instead of very small perimeter but so beautiful to capture.

[00:09:13] You mentioned it already.

[00:09:15] This I'm sure Bahul Dhammesh who did the cinematography was really careful to repeat the region through different and unique shots but the audience won't feel there is a repetition in it.

[00:09:28] And almost 80% of the scenes are green.

[00:09:31] Yes, of course.

[00:09:32] But all these scenes and shots were captured in different shades from like Asafeli's house, their family and the forest.

[00:09:41] He carefully avoided any repetitions in capturing those scenes which included this house family and all things like that.

[00:09:51] And adding to cinematography editing was another thing to mention here.

[00:09:55] Again, all the shots were placed very carefully and I never felt any jump or anything like that between the shots.

[00:10:02] There is nothing more or more and nothing less.

[00:10:06] And the color grading was also done in a very good manner suits ambience of the movie which added to the ambience of the movie.

[00:10:14] And again, the music and BGM also played a crucial role.

[00:10:17] But for me at some parts, and I think it's because of the theater I chose, the sound felt a bit uncomfortable.

[00:10:24] But only a few places, right?

[00:10:27] But trust it was fine. Again, brilliantly blended with ambience and the story, the music.

[00:10:33] And helped a lot to create the mood, especially those scenes of suspense and emotions and BGM was a perfect fit for me.

[00:10:40] Thanks for mentioning Katchiang Amnipula menu because it shows how it differed from how this movie,

[00:10:49] Kishkandagandam, differed from the movie he made five years ago in every aspect.

[00:10:55] Because in Katchiang Amnipula it has a good musical treatment.

[00:11:01] So that's not here. That's a noticeable change or transformation or a growth of Diljit as a director,

[00:11:10] even though he has made only two films in these five years but that effort is what noticing.

[00:11:16] And as regards the performance, the movie depends on two pillars of these two characters.

[00:11:27] With regards to the success of this movie, I think it depended solely on the immaculate portrayal of the two characters,

[00:11:35] that is ex-military personal Apu Pula and his son Ajay Chandra.

[00:11:39] So Vijay Raghavan and Asif Pali was brilliant in their portrayal of the characters.

[00:11:47] So Vijay Raghavan, we have seen him playing so many different persons in different movies but here it's most intense portrayal.

[00:11:57] So even Asif Pali, he is very much adept in portraying the emotional side of a person.

[00:12:04] So even though I am slightly doubtful about how he performs with comedy, here he was pitch-perfect.

[00:12:13] So that's why we are immersed in the whole drama throughout.

[00:12:19] And also all the other supportive characters, supporting actors like Nishan who we remember him most in the film, Lutu.

[00:12:28] Now he is a more matured, very able officer in this film.

[00:12:35] So it was good to see him in that role and again all the other supporting actors did well.

[00:12:41] So what do you say about the performance of the actors?

[00:12:43] Yes, Patmakumar. I was actually waiting to discuss this aspect, the performance in the film.

[00:12:48] And I always feel Vijay Raghavan is one of the most underrated actors in Malayalam cinema.

[00:12:53] I don't know whether you support this but I feel so.

[00:12:57] And again here in Kishkindha Kanandam, he done a great job.

[00:13:02] It's he who actually shouldered the film and Apapula is a single piece like the emotions, the trauma which he had gone through.

[00:13:11] And Vijay Raghavan presented it on the screen really well I think.

[00:13:15] Almost three or four phases of his life were shown in the film and from 16 years earlier to present.

[00:13:22] Yes, there is almost three or four phases and each phase we can clearly witness a character growth of Apapula.

[00:13:29] How the character evolves.

[00:13:31] And fortunately the movies also about this particular characters evolvement right?

[00:13:36] And he did it in a brilliant way and about Asif Ali, yes he again proved it is one of the best with emotional scenes right?

[00:13:45] And here in those emotional scenes he was given with.

[00:13:50] We can see his growth as an actor like how mature he is handling those scenes now.

[00:13:57] We do feel the pain, his helplessness, we do feel his helplessness, his anxieties, fear, sometimes his laws, his sadness and everything he goes through.

[00:14:08] Like what he did in movies like Viras or Oyeray.

[00:14:12] It feels like he already lived that life.

[00:14:16] He is a JN and he is Apapula's son.

[00:14:18] It is not Asif Ali.

[00:14:20] And about Abarna Balamurli, she is also a proven actor.

[00:14:25] And here in Kishkindha Gandham her importance is that her character's importance is that through her reactions we get the impact of the acts of the characters, other characters I mean.

[00:14:37] From a sound she hears to a major twist she came to know.

[00:14:40] It's from her reaction we get the impact and she did it in a very good way I think.

[00:14:47] And yes but at a crucial point I felt that she could have done better, like more expressive.

[00:14:53] But still it's okay because Asif and Vijay Rakhman brilliantly complimented those instances or those scenes where she liked and thanks to the co-ipers.

[00:15:02] And about her role and such a subtle character in the plot, her role actually.

[00:15:08] But still has a crucial role to take the film from one piece to another like one development after another.

[00:15:15] And it's she who reveals a mystery and so that the audience can better identify themselves with Abarna's character the most.

[00:15:23] Like because we are also curious to reveal the mystery of the story right from the beginning.

[00:15:28] And he's the one who runs after this mystery, who is searching it on behalf of us.

[00:15:34] I think we can better identify ourselves with Abarna's character the most.

[00:15:39] And then speaking about Ashok and or Jagdish all played well the space they caught.

[00:15:44] And the detailing of these characters was also done in a good manner especially with Jagdish hand things like that.

[00:15:51] And then he's associated with the next late activities and about his past.

[00:15:56] Those things were brilliantly detailed using with his costumes and all things like that.

[00:16:04] And all the characters again I feel all these characters are layered like multiple levels of emotion and life.

[00:16:12] And that's conveyed in a very good manner here.

[00:16:15] Yes, Patma Kumar as you mentioned I'm also happy to see Nishant who started with Asif Ali in Ritu directed by Shama Prasad in 2009.

[00:16:24] And he also did a great job in Kishkindha Ganta.

[00:16:28] Yeah.

[00:16:29] When you talk about Vijay Raghavan playing the four phases of our popular character right from his early years in the military.

[00:16:38] And we see a kaleidoscopic view of a character who sets forth in his life with his practical realism.

[00:16:47] And what we see is even though we see different up a play we see that the basic trade is intact throughout.

[00:16:56] So even in his mannerism even the way he walks we have never seen him walking like that.

[00:17:02] You see you can identify this character as a popular in this film only we never see.

[00:17:07] We will never see any other movies.

[00:17:10] So that's a great thing about how I mean the makers and even the actor they both contributed to this character.

[00:17:18] So that was a marvelous watch when you talk about Abharmna Balamugali of course she is a proven actress.

[00:17:24] We have seen her doing magical things in other movies but here she had nothing much to express than just the one single emotion.

[00:17:37] That's her surprise and her desperate longing to know the truth.

[00:17:42] At one point she had the opportunity to make it very crucially intense so that scene demanded that punch.

[00:17:51] But I am not sure whether she could do that.

[00:17:56] So if she had done that this would have been a great performance by Abharmna Balamugali.

[00:18:01] So that single scene needed that spontaneous outburst but I think she underplayed that emotional expression.

[00:18:11] So I would count that as a flaw in this movie and also I would add to this some of the dramatic scenes

[00:18:19] were involving two characters talking to each other that looked kind of too dramatic.

[00:18:26] I mean there was no action so when they were talking about some crucial aspects about their business

[00:18:31] there were two persons involved so there was no much action cinematic action in the film.

[00:18:38] So that kind of I felt that would have been avoided and again one question cropped into my mind.

[00:18:44] I don't know if it's true when he sees a loss first loss in his life.

[00:18:52] He actually doesn't act. He's numb and down there.

[00:18:58] So I think naturally since the story was actually being narrated in a realistic manner

[00:19:05] I think the natural instinct natural reaction of that character would have been swinging into action.

[00:19:11] But in the second time he does that so I don't know why he did so in the first time.

[00:19:17] So maybe for the drama or for the sake of the story it was necessary for him to do that.

[00:19:23] So that kind of produced some doubt in me regarding the story.

[00:19:28] So those were a few minor glitches that I found. Otherwise I think it's a very thoroughly captivating movie.

[00:19:35] What do you say? Do you find any flaws or do you agree or disagree? What's it?

[00:19:39] Yes but Mughubar I think you have mentioned that particular scene that's close to the climax right?

[00:19:45] Where as if to get crucial role right?

[00:19:48] But I object to your viewpoint actually but I think his situation is such like he's confused, traumatized

[00:19:57] and ultimately he knows what happened and how that's going to affect the future.

[00:20:03] And I think he doesn't want to lose another person in his life.

[00:20:06] He was struck. He might be confused and yes it's a bit dramatic but I think he acted in a logical manner.

[00:20:15] That's what I feel and about other flaws or something nothing else flaws I spotted.

[00:20:21] Kishkindha Gangam for me was a decent actant and leaving some flaws in detailing like very few actually there is nothing else as negative for me.

[00:20:30] But somewhere I felt a resemblance with the movie R Karyam maybe the setting is step-on father, his son or daughter and their second marriage divorce

[00:20:38] like things like that a bold independent heroine.

[00:20:42] There I felt a resemblance with this R Karyam but that has nothing to do with Kishkindha Gangam.

[00:20:47] Kishkindha Gangam is an entirely new film fresh in all terms and a must theater watch actually.

[00:20:54] And I think after the movie going all those intense emotional scenes we won't get sad out of it

[00:21:01] but the movie will stand in as a revelation that this is life. It's all about living a life

[00:21:06] and what I love about the movie is that the way of respecting the people who are with us

[00:21:13] like the movie is showing us how to respect the people who are with us

[00:21:17] like while in their emotions, their space helping them to sort things etc.

[00:21:23] And so for me it's a good watch actually nothing much as flaws

[00:21:27] and if you love movies this is a must watch I think.

[00:21:31] Yes.

[00:21:33] Definitely this is an awesome watch and I think it's one of the most

[00:21:37] intriguingly crafted suspense thriller in these times.

[00:21:40] So that brings us to the end of this episode.

[00:21:43] Thanks for listening to Start Action Cut Produced and hosted by me Patmukhmar.

[00:21:48] Follow www.honemanurama.com for more podcasts on movies

[00:21:52] and be sure to come back for the next episode of Start Action Cut out on Mondays.

[00:21:57] Thank you.