‘Kannagi’ movie review: A middling emotional tale about four women

A still from ‘Kannagi’

Who is Kannagi? She is a legend in Tamil folklore – and the central character in the Tamil epic ‘Silappatikaram’ – who is celebrated as the epitome of chastity and someone who was extremely devoted to her husband.

Director Yashwanth Kishore’s latest film is titled Kannagi, for more than one reason. His lead protagonists are four women from different backgrounds who face different issues. Also, their names Kalai, Nethra, Nadhi and Gita abbreviate to Kannagi.

So, what are those issues?

If Kalai is ready to get married and is finalising her Mr Right, Nethra wants to decline her husband’s request for a divorce. Elsewhere, we have Nadhi, who, much like her name, goes with the flow and hates commitment and marriage. Gita, on the other hand, suddenly discovers she is pregnant and does not know what to do.

Their seemingly stark personalities make for interesting character analysis, and director Yaswant Kishore jumps into it from the word go. We first get a peek into Kalai’s (Ammu Abhirami) world – she is planting a sapling, just before a prospective groom comes to meet her. The meeting goes off fine, but her mother (a well-cast Mounika) does not approve. And thus begins her trials.

Nethra’s (Vidya Pradeep) trials literally begin at court. Her husband wants a divorce but she – and her enterprising young lawyer – will have none of it. And then there is Nethra (Shaalin Zoya) and of course, Gita (Keerthi Pandian) facing their set of issues.

A still from ‘Kannagi’

Kannagi’s screenplay does not divide these stories into separate chunks, but rather, flows it from one life to another. This can be a little confusing for the casual viewer but once you delve into each of these characters, you get invested.

The film might revolve around women but also showcases the men who play crucial roles in the protagonists’ lives. So, we get not only love interests but also impactful fathers – Kalai’s relationship with her father, Mayilsamy, for instance. It feels heavy to watch the late comedian on the big screen yet again – and in a short-yet-strong role.

While Ammu Abhirami dishes out a neat performance and Keerthi Pandian delivers in a couple of crucial scenes, one felt that Vidya Pradeep and Shaalin Zoya could have added more layers to their acts. The cinematography by Ramji too could have been spruced up; while there are many great visuals, especially in the Kalai and Gita portions, there are some raw, not-so-aesthetic shots, especially in the Nethra’s and montage sequences. Shaan Rahman’s music score aids the on-screen proceedings; his usage of a solo nadaswaram and veena during a vital scene deserves credit.

Both the interval and the climax leave you with somewhat of a high, but that does not excuse some of the cliched dialogues about women empowerment. It is also a tad long, making it hard for the viewer to sift through the entire proceedings. At 158 minutes, Kannagi islong but it is probably a result of the director wanting to give equal footage to all four stories. Also, the climax does remind you a bit of Telugu film C/O Kancharapalem.