'Kabali' review: A one-man show, and Rajini still has his swag

Rating: ***1/2

Cast: Rajinikanth, Radhika Apte, Winston Chao, Dhansika, Kishore, Dinesh Ravi

Director: Pa Ranjith

Catcalls, wolf whistles and plenty of hooting. That's how fans in a south Delhi theatre - miles away from Rajinikanth's bastion - welcomed ' Kabali'. Even before the Padma Vibhushan winner - as the opening credits mentioned - himself showed up on screen, the script was in motion.

Rajinikanth returns to the big screen after two years with 'Kabali'. An ageing gangster who is released from prison after having served term for killing his aide, he is now a much-reformed man. Lonesome and pensive, he still has some unanswered questions bothering him, including the supposed death of his wife played poignantly by Radhika Apte.



In the 20 years that he has been away, a new power centre, dealing in drugs, debauchery and death has taken over in the Tamil-Malay community settled in Malaysia. The new Kabali doesn't like what he sees, which borders on evil and ruthlessness, and vows to avenge all wrongdoings. And in his quest for justice, he must get Tony Lee (Winston Chao) and fellow-Tamil, Nambiar (played by Kishore), out of the way.

Using memory as a crutch, Kabali, goes back in time to heal his wounds. And in the process, Providence acts, and there is hope rekindled for him as he learns of the existence of a daughter, Yogi (played by Dhansika). Life comes full circle, almost, between Malaysia, Thailand and the pristine beaches of Puducherry, life and romance come alive on the big screen.



For director Pa. Ranjith, casting the Thalaivar has been a coup of sorts. Frankly, he couldn't have asked for a better person to play the role. Right from the first scene where he steps out of his cell and then retraces his steps to flex his shoulders against the prison bar, it's an out-and-out Rajinikanth film, with some solid support from Apte and Dhansika. The flick of the hair, the shrug of the shoulder in linen suits, the stealth with which a gun does a Peeping Tom from inside his shirt and the measured smile with which he slays his preys, it's a scream. While fans went up in a rapture at every-move-he-made, Shivaji Rao Gaekwad himself was in his element through the two-and-a-half hour outing.

'Kabali' gives us a mature Rajinikanth, and for that the credit goes to the director Ranjith. The bling that is usually a part of Rajini-scape is understated, the body language is effortless and the music by Santhosh Narayanan flows well and does not sound forced at all. And while there is some suspension of disbelief - the number of people who die and come back to life - that holds the plot together, the film delivers some punch.



Love, friendship, values and social messaging - in strife-hit times of today, there comes along a hero who rises to the occasion and lets good triumph over evil. And sometimes, that thought itself can be comforting.

Go, watch it, this weekend. You will end up experiencing some heroism!

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