Kabali-a one time watch

Kabali is a story of an emotional, romantic, fearless gangster named Kabali.

Performances : Performance wise this is Thalaivar's best. This doesn't mean that he didn't deliver great performance in the past. Radhika Apte was the perfect pair of Rajini sir in recent times, her performance is laudable, especially in the scene where she meets her husband after 25 years.

Dhansika as Yogi has delivered her best after Peranmai & Paradesi. She has done very well in the action scenes especially. Her looks, body language, her powerful eyes make her a perfect fit for the role. I thought her comic scenes with Thalaivar was bit artificial.

Dinesh is a character who stays in mind even after we leave the theatre. His different kind of hyperactive body language brings some lighter moments in this film. Rythvika had a substantial role called Meena, where she shines in scenes like her introduction scene, the scene where she is responsible for the scene in the interval block & also where she scolds Thalaivar for not taking care of his wife when she was pregnant. Nasser was a pleasant surprise. He delivers a neat performance. John Vijay has done what was given to him, but I felt his role could have been better & he disappears from the movie after his accident. Jhonny Hari makes a mark with his performance. The last scene needed some explanation before credits rolled. Kalaiyarasan is another surprise package. He has given a good performance as a vengeful son.

Winston Chao has done well, but the villain role needed some depth.He has done what is said to him in the best way possible.No one can stand in front of Thalaivar, so his character should have been strong.

Kishore shines in his role but it looked like he was a more powerful villain than the main villain. Others actors like Mime Gopi,Lingesh,etc have done their part well.

Technical Department : Cinematography in this film is on par with Hollywood Films.The beauty & rawness of Malaysia has been captured well.

The Background music seemed like it was done by some legend like Ilaiyaraja.The biggest plus is the sound effects (sound design) & the silence at many places.

Vfx though minimal added value to the film as some parts of Malaysia was re-created in Chennai & the Gunshot in climax fight where Kabali shoots villain's hand.

The costumes were well researched & suited well.

The editing though crisp with a runtime of 2hrs 32mins, is not supported with a tight screenplay.

Script : The biggest plus point of the fim is its realistic nature,though it's not maintained throughout.The dialogues are a plus,especially in romantic & emotional scenes.
The film juggles between realism & commercial,which acts as a downer. Though Ranjith said it's not a typical Rajini fim,still it has its MASSSS moments for Fans to cherish, which comes as a saver to the film.But Ranjith needs to be lauded heavily for writing & making such a Film

Positives : Performances, BGM, Dialogues & few scenes which stay in our hearts forever.
Negatives : Dragging Screenplay, no strong villain character & a confusion of commercial film or realistic film & a non-acceptable climax (no reason shown).

Overall Verdict : Overall a onetime watchable film for great performance,Bgm & seeing Thalaivar in his realistic Form.