Chidambaram's latest one is an intense survival thriller based on a true story about a group of friends visit to the famous Guna Caves (Devils Kitchen) and a tragedy associated with that. The start felt bit shaky to me as it just brush strokes a bunch of guys and their daily routines. Their trip to Kodai will bring back nostalgic memories for most of us. OOTY and KODAI were the two chosen place for most of the school/college tours in Kerala. A typical Boys being Boys chaos follows. The focus and narration in the second half becomes bit more gripping and it becomes a very human story of resilience. He succeeded big time in showcasing the important aspects of bonding and friendship. I felt bit of unevenness in the first half for sure.
Technically its a top notch setup and a bench mark being set in that aspect. Shyju Khalids magnificnet camera work deposits us in the midst of chaos. Ajayan's set pieces are so brilliant and unless told otherwise we wouldn't know the difference from original cave.
Now comes the terrific part of the movie, the pulsating second half and its dramatization. Oh boy its a goose bump on how the director used the iconic song of Guna movie to make a terrific impact. This is how use the situation to its best. There are some surprising blur the line scenes and how he mixed the past and present story is really commendable. In the end two games of hide and seek plus the tug-of-war is stitched to perfection. The film succeeded in bringing out the heart-thumping emotions and deep fear that everyone felt in such a horrible scenario.
The prime reason its a big smashing hit is purely for its sincere and stirring brotherhood story. The boys did what they had do. We all came together and we will all go together.
Verdict - 3.5/5(A Moving Tale)
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