Kaantha Movie Review | Vishal Menon | THR India

Vishal Menon reviews Kaantha, calling it a beautifully-shot meta drama that excels as a captivating character study. He praises Dulquer Salmaan's incredible performance as TK Mahadevan, a superstar trapped by his own images, becoming unrecognizable to himself. Vishal highlights director Selvamani Selvaraj's masterful use of mirrors as narrative devices that serve as the film's conscience, reflecting truths the complex characters cannot admit. The review explores how Mahadevan exists as multiple personas - a god to his fans, a creation of his director Ayya (played by Samuthirakani), and a man caught between who he was and who he's become.

Vishal delves into the film's exploration of a narcissist simultaneously in love with and disgusted by himself, noting how Mahadevan's habit of playing to the gallery stems from a childhood where applause meant survival. He commends Selvamani for creating a truly special film that transcends both meta drama and investigative thriller genres, seamlessly juggling multiple narrators, timelines, and aspect ratios. Vishal particularly praises cinematographer Dani Sanchez-Lopez for effortlessly switching between film noir sophistication and classic Indian cinema staging. He concludes that Dulquer delivers the best performance of his career, with Kaantha evolving from a love letter to cinema into an epic tragedy about a man destroyed by his own reflection.