Kathal Review: Netflix’s latest Hindi film stars Sanya Malhotra, Rajpal Yadav, Anant Joshi, Vijay Raaz, Vikram Pratap, Neha Saraf, Gurpal Singh and others. Directed by Yashowardhan Mishra, the story is co-written by Ashok Mishra and Yashowardhan. Ram Sampath composed the music, and the cinematography is by Harsher Oberai.
The runtime is of 115 minutes. The Hindi movie has subtitles in English.
Kathal Movie Review Contains No Spoilers
Netflix’s Kathal Review: Plot Summary
Kathal – A Jackfruit Mystery is set in Moba town of Madhya Pradesh. Two huge kathals aka jackfruits go missing from a local politician’s garden one day. The police are asked to investigate the bizarre case of the missing fruits. Sub-inspector Mahima Basor and her team have to investigate and catch the thief.
Who stole the jackfruits? How will the cops find the culprit? We get our answers in the end.
Kathal Review: Discussion and Performances
When the Kathal trailer dropped, I was both intrigued and concerned about what writers Yashowardhan and his father Ashok Mishra had in store for us. The concept of cops working day and night to find a fruit thief sounds hilarious. But after one point, it can also appear absurd. The trailer gave away the basic idea of the plot. When I started watching the movie, I hoped the makers would offer us more than what was out there.
The first hour is spent looking for the jackfruit stealer. The humour is clever and subtle as the writer-director calls out the casual caste discrimination and sexism seen almost everywhere in the country. Just like cop Mahima Basor, as a viewer, I was baffled why the jackfruit mystery was getting so much weight. I was desperately hoping for some answers.
The second hour of Netflix’s Kathal takes an unexpected turn. The police force realises there are many serious crimes to investigate rather than hunting down a jackfruit stealer because a man-child politician has pressured them. The twist in the story reminded me of the recently released Dahaad. Unlike the Prime Video series, director Yashowardhan Mishra keeps the narrative toned down and light until the end.
So did I enjoy watching Kathal on Netflix? Not really. Despite highlighting some crucial and relevant issues, the film falls short of keeping one hooked till the end. The unravelling of the real mystery takes too much time to provide answers. The first hour already tests our patience, as it’s nothing but an overly extended version of the trailer. So waiting for more to find some meaning in the story is a bit frustrating.
The makers have aptly captured the lives of people in small towns or villages, the casual racial and sexist remarks, and the manipulation of the police force. The sensationalism of the media towards such a ridiculous investigation is also on point. Ram Sampath has composed some catchy songs, and my favourite from the album is Radhe Radhe, which is also used in the background often. But they missed the mark in delivering a gripping story. The premise becomes steady only in the last 20 minutes.
Sanya Malhotra has been making some amazing choices in her acting career. Her latest release might have a weak story, but her performance is incredible. She is remarkable as Mahima Basor, a cop who is dedicated and has a witty personality. The accent did bother me a bit in the beginning. But her no-nonsense, self-assured, and authoritative qualities won me over.
But Mahima isn’t perfect either. Even though she often calls out the backward thinking of others, she submits to the unfair remarks about her senior position and caste made by her boyfriend’s parents.
Rajpal Yadav plays a TV reporter, and owning the screen with his comic timing and performance comes naturally to him. Actors Anant Joshi and Neha Saraf play their parts well. However, the half-hearted story robs everyone of doing something exceptional, especially Vijay Raaz.
Kathal Review: Final Thoughts
Overall, Netflix’s latest Hindi film lacks a solid screenplay to keep you engrossed. It cautiously raises several pertinent issues in our society. Even though Sanya Malhotra shines throughout, the inconsistent story and the initial laughable jackfruit mystery make you impatient.
The film is now streaming on Netflix.