'Karnan' review: Relentless rage against oppression

Karnan

Tamil

Director: Mari Selvaraj

Cast: Dhanush, Lal, Rajisha Vijayan

Rating: 3.5/5

In a helpless outrage, the hero (Kathir) in 'Pariyerum Perumal' tells an upper-caste man, "My hands held the plough, but it also wielded swords. How am I inferior to you? Do what you want, I will live here."

In Mari Selvaraj's debut, the hero fought the deep-seated caste-based discrimination with grit.

For those who felt he should have fought tooth and nail, watch 'Karnan', Selvaraj's sophomore flick. Here, you see the hero (Dhanush) seething in anger at the sight of injustice. Sometimes, relentless rage is the only way out.

In a village called Podiyankulam, people are conditioned to adjust to oppression. Their request for a bus stop falls on deaf ears. Powerful men from neighbouring village Melur dominate them. To end the atrocity, you need a brave voice. Enter, Karnan.

Tamil cinema is familiar with such stories. But Selvaraj, like his mentor Pa Ranjith, makes a strong statement. He is helped by a clear vision and the technical brilliance of his team.

The extreme nature of violence is intentional. Many scenes make you squirm. That's the director reminding us of the glaring imbalance in social privilege.

You just don't focus on the subject but appreciate the art as well. Selvaraj's visual storytelling is irresistibly good.

Take the sword for example. It gets introduced as an object integral to the village's tradition. The passive family members of Karnan fear it would put him on the wrong path. They dream of him getting a government job. In the end, the sword becomes a symbol of retaliation. There is a donkey, whose tied legs are a metaphor for lack of freedom. There are such plenty of brilliant touches.

Santhosh Narayanan's typically stylish score is rooted as well. Theni Eswar's cinematography is riveting. He keeps you gripped in the long yet epic climax sequence. The sheer ambition in the execution of the portion and the emotional impact it makes are exceptional.

Unless you understand the long-lasting issue, get disturbed and become one among them, it's tough for a protagonist to appear convincing in such a challenging role. Dhanush has been there and done that.

His pain-filled expressions and the powerful dialogue delivery are not new to us. Directors keep putting him in complex characters and he continues to embrace them.

'Pariyerum Perumal' ended with the hero concluding that 'everything will be the same and nothing will change'. 'Karnan' is the antithesis of that film. What matters is that both are gems.