‘Kaantha’ Movie Review: Dulquer Salmaan’s Incredible Performance Elevates This Noir Drama That Fumbles Half-Way Mark Over (LatestLY Exclusive)

Kaantha Movie Review: One of the most frustrating feelings as a cinephile is when a film promises greatness - sets it up beautifully, even - and then slips through your fingers just when it should soar. You’re handed a treat, teased with its aroma, given a taste so good you lean in… only for the full course to fall apart. That’s exactly how I felt watching Selvamani Selvaraj’s Kaantha - a period noir mystery starring Dulquer Salmaan, Rana Daggubati (both also co-producers), P Samuthirakani and Bhagyasri Borse in her Tamil debut. ‘Kaantha’: Bhagyashri Borse Expresses Gratitude to Team, Calls Dulquer Salmaan a ‘True Nadippu Chakravarthy’.

Co-written by Selvaraj and Tamizh Prabha, the screenplay is loosely inspired by the life and downfall of yesteryear Tamil superstar Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, who saw his career crumble after becoming embroiled in a murder case. Kaantha is not a biopic; instead, it uses the scaffolding - a superstar, a murder, and the rot beneath the glamour - to tell a fictional story set in the '50s about the volatile ego clash between a star and his mentor, and the young woman caught in the crossfire.

'Kaantha' Movie Review - The Plot

Dulquer plays TK Mahadeva, once the beloved protégé of visionary filmmaker Ayya (Samuthirakani). After a creative fallout that led to their ambitious horror film Saantha being shelved, Ayya revives it, only for the studio head Martin (Ravindra Vijay) to force Mahadeva back as the lead. Mahadeva returns, but not quietly; he practically hijacks the film, pushes Ayya to the sidelines, and even retitles Saantha as Kaantha, taking on the reins with an ego-fuelled authority.

Watch the Trailer of 'Kaantha':

The only person who refuses to bend is Kumari (Bhagyasri Borse), Ayya’s new protégée and the heroine of the film. Mahadeva, intrigued by her talent, warms up to her, and she discovers he isn’t the monster Ayya painted him to be. Love blooms between the two, though Mahadeva is already married. Their affair deepens the fractures on set, and a murder finally tears everything open.

Enter Phoenix (Rana Daggubati), an irreverent cop determined to sniff out the truth.

'Kaantha' Movie Review - Simmering Tension, Rich Performances

The first half of Kaantha is terrific, focusing entirely on the fraught filmmaking process and the psychological warfare between Mahadeva and Ayya. Dulquer and Samuthirakani fire off each other beautifully, creating charged moments - like the now-talked-about mirror scene (though they should have made sure DQ's dupe was in coordination with him), or the sequence where Mahadeva uses an accidental slap from Kumari to improvise a scene just to one-up Ayya.

Dulquer is outstanding here. He embodies the charm of a classic superstar, the fragility of a conflicted man, and the tempestuous ego of a fallen disciple. It’s one of his most layered, lived-in performances.

Samuthirakani matches him with a quietly seething act, and the film refuses to cleanly choose sides - it’s never clear who’s right, because neither man truly is.

But the revelation is Bhagyasri Borse, who is luminous as Kumari. She brings a mix of innocence, defiance and emotional intelligence, and the camera uses her expressive eyes wonderfully. Her presence becomes the pivot that pushes Mahadeva and Ayya into deeper conflict.

The romance between Mahadeva and Kumari is sweet but occasionally drags, especially when placed next to the far more compelling creative and psychological chaos around them. Still, the film regains steam during a tense climax sequence on the film set that pushes the three characters to a breaking point - one that leads to a fatal turn. ‘Kaantha’: Netflix Acquires OTT Rights to Dulquer Salmaan and Rana Daggubati’s Film – See First Look Poster.

'Kaantha' Movie Review - A Stretched-Out Second Half Undermines the Impact

Once Phoenix and his assistant (Bagavathi Perumal) begin investigating the murder, Kaantha loses momentum. The suspense is too thin to stretch, the suspects too few, one of them being Mahadeva's betrayed wife Nisha (Gayathrie Shankar, who deserves more scope), and the emotional stakes weaken with each detour. Rana Daggubati tries to inject energy with his eccentric turn, but the investigation track overstays its welcome.

As the story meanders through a series of red herrings before reaching its inevitable conclusion, the emotional impact the film aims for feels diluted. Kaantha finds some footing in the climax, as the characters finally confront the consequences of their thoughtless actions (thanks to a conveniently played Macguffin), but the expected emotional punch never quite lands - a major missed opportunity. This stretch could have benefited from tighter editing.

Talking about other aspects of Kaantha, Dani Sanchez-Lopez’s cinematography beautifully captures the period hues of the setting without overindulging, smartly contrasting the timelines - the present-day segments are in colour, while the flashbacks unfold in black and white. Jhanu Chanthar’s songs are okay at best, though I particularly liked the choreography of "Panimalare", with both DQ and Borse looking terrific. Jakes Bejoy’s background score, too, stands out in several moments.

'Kaantha' Movie Review - Final Thoughts

Kaantha begins like a knockout - a gripping, visually rich, psychologically loaded film with three superb performances at its centre. But the second half, weighed down by a stretched investigation and a diluted payoff, stops it from becoming the haunting noir it could have been. A compelling watch for its performances and first-half brilliance, but a frustrating one for what it ultimately leaves on the table.

Rating:2.5

(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 14, 2025 07:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).