Kalathil Santhipom -  An extremely familiar "kalam" (field)

Meera Chithirappaavai

Kalathil Santhipom starring Jiiva, Arulnithi, Manjima Mohan & Priya Bhavani Shankar in the lead is a familiar 'kalam' (field). This familiarity could either trigger redundancy or relatability & the director N Rajasekhar seems to play around this fine line well.

The film has been bankrolled by the popular production house Super Good Films which has always stood synonymous with family entertainers & Kalathil Santhipom is no exception. This rural drama portrays the story of two men who are #BFF but have many hurdles to face with their romantic life (I did warn you about it being familiar).

The tale comfortably rides on a non-risky plot & adds itself to a template of films we’ve watched in the past. The film could have been tagged “tacky” if the filmmaker had chosen to have a lot more of the unnecessary punch dialogs & heroic stunts. Fortunately, the levels here make the film bearable. Special appreciation for having avoided a glamorous dance number even though the film advances as a formula entertainer.

Actors Robo Shankar, Bala Saravanan, Radha Ravi, Renuka, Ilavarasu & Sri Ranjani leave a mark with their performance in their respective roles. The multi starrer offers a good screen & character space to actress Manjima Mohan who shines in the second half a bit more than in the first half. Priya Bhavani Shankar almost gives only a guest appearance but portrays her character in a controlled & neat manner.

While the story lacks finesse, the performance of the lead actors Jiiva & Arulnithi drives the film forward engagingly. The amicable share of screen space between the two stars makes this tale of two best friends real & believable. The cinematography by Abhinanthan Ramanujam & Dinesh Ponraj’s edits aid the film’s narrative to a large extent. Though the film is a Yuvan Shankar Raja musical it might not be an album for the hashtag #YuvanIsBack.

Overall the film is a harmless one time watch & sure gives the confidence to be a one for the family audience. However, some dialogues on body & color shaming could have been easily avoided to keep the clean certificate cleaner!

Rating: 2.5/5