Kanguva movie review: Suriya becomes pan-India star, shines as tribal leader, Bobby Deol is new face of evil

Director: Siva

Cast: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani

Where to watch: In cinemas

Rating: 3.5 stars 

Francis Theodore (Suriya), a bounty hunter finds a mysterious boy Zeta during one of his assignments. Little did Francis know, that he and the boy have a connection that spans more than a lifetime. Zeta is hunted by an advanced weaponry company that wants to use his Telekinesis power for destruction. However, they have to fight Francis, the reincarnation of a fearless tribal leader Kanguva. What connection does Zeta have with Francis? Will Francis protect Zeta from baddies, and remember his true identity? This forms the rest of the plot. 

In the past few years, ambitious projects, coined as pan-India films have taken the Indian cinema to a different level. While few films have taken the level of movies to new heights, many were dud, predictable snooze-fest, cash-grabbing on the trend. Thankfully, Suriya's latest film falls in the first category. 

Kanguva is Suriya's biggest release, and the film justifies the scale, thanks to the intelligent screenplay that was not limited to cliche twists and an unwanted cliffhanger ending. While watching Kanguva, I had mixed feelings about the movie. Somewhere I was predicting how the story would unfold, and where it would end. However, Siva and his team made sure to give a complete narrative and didn't kill the story by ending it midway. 

The movie narrates the story of two eras, 1901 and the present 2024. The first half is pretty average, Suriya's dance moves and subtle humour does entertain you. However, the narrative takes a jump when the story shifts to 1901. In this era, we are introduced to Kanguva, a valiant warrior who kills a traitor, but adopts his son. Kanguva is from the Perumachi tribe and four more tribes in Mandyaru, protecting the place from enemies. However, the Aarthi tribe led by Udhiran (Bobby Deol) is against Kanguva. With the help of the Roman empire, he wages war against Perumachi. What happens next is something you should watch on the big screen. 

Kanguva works because of the strong second half. There are a few emotional moments when you actually connect with Kanguva. The last 30 minutes of the film is the biggest highlight. The whole transition happening between past and present amid a big fight in the plane will keep you on the edge of your seat. 

Speaking about the performances, Suriya owns Kanguva. He is the soul of the film and carries it well throughout. This is his best work in recent times. Bobby Deol, though looked menacing, but his limited performance was hampered due to the screenplay, which was mainly focused on Kanguva and Poduva's (Zeta in past life) relationship. Disha Patani looks good on the screen, but she should be more careful in choosing pan-Indian films where her roles are limited to add more glamour to the movie.

One of the biggest drawbacks of the film is the jarring, irritating, hyper-loud BGM. You might have to carry an Asprin or Crocin before heading to watch Kanguva. Every character is shouting their lungs out, and it is supported by equally loud BGM. Kanguva suffers big time due to these loud noises (yes, at times they were noise). However, Kanguva ends on a high note, pitching a new narrative for Part II. I'm glad they didn't went for the Kattapa-killing-Baahubali cliffhanger. Overall, Kanguva is Suriya's best film in action, it puts him on the list of pan-India stars, and takes Tamil film industry to new heights.  

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