Kanguva Review

The movie Kanguva, starring Suriya in a dual role, combines historical drama and modern elements, though it struggles with character depth and emotional connection. Suriya’s performances as both Francis and Kanguva are distinct but let down by the writing. Director Siva’s ambitious vision is visually stunning, especially in the period setting, but the lack of character arcs and a disconnected plot hamper engagement. Disha Patani’s role adds minimal impact, and while the film has high production values, it misses key emotional highs.

BOTTOM LINE Siva… Siva! RATING 3/5 CENSOR U/A, 2h 34m

What Is the Film About?

The plot of Kanguva features a child and is set in two timelines. Suriya writes about Francis and Kanguva, two characters who, in different situations, become attached to a child and develop a bond with him.

The fundamental plot is around who is responsible for the child's death and whether Kanguva and Francis (in their timeline) were able to protect him from the evil forces.

Performances

In the film, Suriya has two roles. Francis is a contemporary character, while Kanguva, the title character, is situated in the past. 

There is no more obvious physical difference between the two personalities. Francis is a vibrant, extravagant figure. In every other scene, Suriya dons a new color costume.

 In a similar vein, Kanguva, a warrior, has tattoos and other features on his chiseled body. They create distinctive and wildly disparate looks. 

The writing is the issue, not the attire or appearance. It irritates Francis, the first character. He makes an effort to be amusing and entertaining, but when the humor fails, it all comes across negatively. Similarly, the second character has no emotional or elevational high and seems empty.

Analysis

Siva's ambitious film Kanguva has a distinctive setting. The first forty minutes of Kanguva felt surprisingly out of place. After a few minutes, a song called "Yolo" is played, and then Francis (Suriya) and Disha Patani's extravagant comedy follows, which neither amuses nor validates Kanguva's audacious plan. K. S. Ravikumar and Yogi Babu contribute to the embarrassing padding. Luckily, the fascination starts right away once the flashback starts. Although not particularly noteworthy, the first hundred-hands cutting sequence is effective, and the visuals are wonderfully done.


It's odd that Kanguva doesn't get much character development from director Siva; Kanga just gets going. 

Because Kanguva's character doesn't have a clear arc or distinguishing characteristics throughout the movie, it's hard for viewers to identify with or care about him, which affects the movie. Confusion is further increased by the fact that multiple names are used. 

But you don't have to commit the complicated names to memory. Even though the intermission twist isn't very great, the historical setting is visually stunning and makes the first half acceptable despite these significant problems. Kanguva needs to have a great second half to leave the theater feeling elated after a hardly bearable first half.

Performances by Others Actors

In terms of appearance, Bobby Deol is comparable to Suriya. He looks great in the outfit and the warrior role. But he was disappointed by the writing and the lackluster character development. With no impact, he does the typical stock villain thing. Aside from Bobby Deol and the major actors, many well-known faces may be seen playing supporting parts. Among them, Yogi Babu, KS Ravikumar, Redin Kingsley, and others are noteworthy. Every one of them performs the predicted actions. Even for a brief sequence, none of them contain anything particularly noteworthy.

Music and Other Departments?

Kanguva's background score and soundtrack are composed by Devi Sri Prasad. There are many songs throughout the film, but none of them are particularly memorable. A pair is useless since they are incorporated into the plot as a storytelling device, even though they feel fine.

 Partially functional, the BGM is also disappointing. It lacks originality and becomes louder and louder (considering the context). Additionally, none of the characters have any noteworthy parts. Both the current and historical sections of Kanguva are visually stunning. The main factor that makes at least some of the film palatable is Vetri Palanisamy's outstanding performance. There was room for improvement in the editing. The entire situation seems hurried and without any significant action.

Highlights? 

• Visually Appealing 
• Himakona Action Episode 
• Suriya (For Looks And Efforts) 

Drawbacks? 

• Poor Character Development 
• No High Moments 
• No Emotional Connection 
• Overly loud, with a formulaic mass feel