Kaashmora Review - An ambitious supernatural comedy that is fun at places

Bharath Vijayakumar

Plot: A conman gets sucked into the world of black magic.

Cast:

Karthi has a blast as Kaashmora, the conman who drives spirits for a living. The actor's flair for comedy has been one of his strengths and it is to the fore here once again.He goes absolutely bonkers in the stretch leading to the intermission which is the highest point of the film. As the menacing Raj Nayak he adepts himself quite well. The other actors have relatively lesser to do in Kaashmora. Vivek's performance these days is like that of a well settled batsman who knows exactly what he is doing. Playing the hero's father, he scores only when he needs to and he evokes laughter whenever he intends to. Nayanthara leaves quite an impression with her presence in what is almost a cameo.

Gokul:

Gokul's intention to not repeat genres is very evident in his short filmography so far. Kaashmora is quite an ambitious film from him. The film is essentially a horror comedy that seems the safest bet in Tamil cinema these days. But Gokul does not merely try to capitalize on this craze. He has a story to tell. But what really works is the humour. The fantasy portions are not a damp squib.In fact,they are nicely done and the VFX is never tacky. But there is a sense of deja vu in these portions and we pretty much go through the motions, as the end is quite visible from the time the flashback begins. Karthi and Nayanthara hold these portions together with their presence. The director definitely needs to be lauded for keeping romance out of the window despite having two heroines on board.

The technical team has done a superb job.The bright colour tones used are in sync with the mood of the film. The VFX is easy on the eye and neatly done. The "Dhikku Dhikku Sir" opening number is typical Santosh Narayanan stuff with a definite zany streak. Portion of the visuals of this song seem to be inspired from Mad Max: Fury Road.

Bottomline:

Kaashmora is wildly entertaining in parts. There are no real lows but the high-points are interspersed among watchable portions that are only mildly engaging.

Rating: 2.75/5

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