Kaanekkaane review: A must-watch thriller

Kaanekkaane

Malayalam (Sony Liv)

Director: Manu Ashokan

Cast: Tovino Thomas, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Aishwarya Lekshmi

Rating: 3.5/5

Losing our loved ones in an accident is one of our worst nightmares. The suddenness of the tragic event is hard to digest. Even as we respond to the trauma, hindsight keeps haunting us.

Suraj Venjaramoodu plays Paul, a deputy tahasildar, still struggling to overcome the grief of his daughter Sherin’s death in a hit-and-run case. He shares a strong bond with his son-in-law Allen (Tovino Thomas), who is now married to Sneha (Aishwarya Lekshmi).

There is tension in the air right from the opening scene of ‘Kaanekkaane’, directed by Manu Ashokan, the man who made the impressive ‘Uyare’ in 2019.

Paul visits the couple, mainly to spend some quality time with his grandchild Kuttu. Trouble begins when he realises Allen was having an affair with Sneha even when he was married to Sherin. He senses a foul play and wonders if his daughter died in an accident or was it a murder?

All the characters are put in situations that we dread not to be in. Even as Paul is coming to terms with his loss, he learns ugly truths about his daughter’s death. Allen, drowning in guilt, is unable to avoid self destruction. Sneha, caught between two men with many secrets, breaks down mentally.

Director Ashokan, reuniting with the celebrated screenwriter duo Bobby-Sanjay, delivers an engaging family thriller. Like ‘Uyare’, solid emotional drama is the backbone of ‘Kaanekkaane’. The deft writing and controlled performances ensure there is no melodrama on screen.

The in-form Tovino Thomas opts for method acting. With an unshaven look, dull eyes and dropped shoulders, he communicates his sadness and depressed state more with his appearance than dialogues.

Aishwarya Lekshmi superbly underplays her character Sneha. It is a relationship that gave her hopes of ending her loneliness. But marriage pushes her to being lonely again. Aishwarya expresses a range of emotions without being jarringly dramatic.

Suraj is best of the lot. Paul is old and shattered from inside. He dreams of a happy retired life before life demands him to fight a tough battle. Suraj says a lot through his eyes and his performance is shockingly close to life.

The actor, who rose to fame with a gifted comic timing, got boxed in the slapstick comedy zone. It was intolerable to see him essay mediocre comic characters. His career’s resurrection is a huge welcome sign. Suraj’s hunger for versatility has seen him revel as a character artiste.

The film’s ending can leave people divided. But that shouldn’t stop us from missing ‘Kaanekkaane’ as Malayalam cinema continues to rule the OTT space.

The film is streaming on Sony Liv