Kalamkaval review: Mammootty’s menace meets Vinayakan’s mastery

As Kalamkaval explores 'the venom beneath', the film thrives on its twin forces despite being a serial-killer story you've seen before, thanks to Mammotty and Vinayakan.

As an audience, we are not new to serial killer stories. But as people who still go out looking for stories that give us a character that is motivated by anything but the pure joy of killing, Jithu Joseph’s latest, and one of the most anticipated movies, Kalamkaval, delivers just that. You are not excited by the story which is quite simple and predictable, but by the infectious aura that two actors decide to fill the screen with. It’s another reason reminding us why Mammooty will always be celebrated and Vinayakan should be. There is no surprise who we are watching. We know from the start that the film is a journey where the serial killer Stanley Das (Mammootty) is chased by Inspector Jayakrishnan/Nath (Vinayakan), while we come across and meet 21 women, his victims.

Our first introduction to Stanley Das is at his home, where he is enjoying a pleasant evening with his family, as if that is his entire world. Cut to a yellow cassette playing Tamil songs that transports you to the era of Illayaraja and M.S. Viswanathan (MSV), we see Das in his plaids, well-oiled and sleek back hair, with a thick moustache, engaging in a romance-laced conversation with a woman, his next victim. The smile that was a response to his 'lovers' quarrel soon turns into a smirk, an ominous warning of what is to come and we see our beloved star transform into the infamous serial killer. As a seasoned actor who has portrayed virtually every role imaginable, watching him transform into a sinister serial killer who only finds people, especially women, disposable, is the kind of performance any cinema lover could appreciate. It was a delight to see him back on- screen, especially as a character that is plainly bad as it gets, since he stayed away from the media during his recovery. A psychopath who enjoys the act of killing and finds solace in knowing he caused someone's death, then documenting it in his diary as a keepsake, sends chills down the spine. And while many actors go method to prepare for such roles, Mammootty accomplishes it with nothing more than a cigarette to make Stanley his own. 

Also Read - Dhurandhar movie review: Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna anchor an exhaustingly long yet intense espionage thriller

While Stanley is a true nihilist who only believes in his impulse to destroy without understanding the gravity of his consequences, you witness him come face-to-face with Jayakrishnan aka Nath, who, by definition, is a subjective nihilist. Both of them embody the title quote of the film, ‘The venom beneath can't be suppressed forever,' showing how one decides to do it for fun and the other finds poetic justice in the killing. Nath is the true star, and you realise that right off the bat when he walks onto the screen. My first memory of seeing Vinayakan on screen was in the 2004 movie Chathikkatha Chanthu, a comedy where he played the assistant to the main choreographer. A character with limited presence, but one that you notice for how funny he is. Despite being a comedy, the character was all about physical comedy and reacting to others, with little to no dialogue for most of the scenes. Either way, he managed to stand out.

Moving ahead to 2016, when Kammatti Paadam was released, and we saw the same Vinayakan who played Romeo from Chathikkatha Chanthu become Ganga, the centre of attention, with a performance that still gives you chills, forcing praise for him every time you revisit the movie. That was enough for us to recognise his potential to portray a character that is not just full of energy but also deeply rooted in the story’s core. Cut to Kalamkaval, and you see him successfully go head-to-head with one of the legendary actors, emerging as the star, both theoretically and emotionally. Inspector Nath isn’t about shoo-shaa, grand entrances, or even lengthy dialogues that have always been the hallmark of what we imagine police officers to be in movies. He is as calm, persistent, and focused on reaching his goal, which is mainly about giving the victims something we often forget in such cases, a resolution for their families and justice for their silent suffering. 

It’s no surprise that the aura is unmatched when Mammootty and Vinayakan cross paths in this film. One is carrying the weight of his own legacy, while the other wrestles with the chaos of his offscreen persona. Together, they deliver performances that are not loud or over the top, but rather subtle, calm, and intensely menacing. You feel uneasy as Stanley effortlessly shifts from being romantic to casting a baleful glance while choking his victims as he chews on his cigarette. At the same time, you are captivated by how controlled Nath remains until he removes his glasses, unleashing his inner demon and responding to violence with violence. As you leave the theatre, you realise that Kalamkaval stands out less for its story and more for the electric tension between Mammootty and Vinayakan. Their performances serve as a reminder of why some actors command the screen, while others quietly take it over.

Kalamkaval is now playing in a theatre near you!

For more reviews, follow us on @socialketchupbinge.