Movie Review: Karnan (Tamil)

A metaphorical reinterpretation of the unsung hero in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, Mari Selvaraj channels his righteous rage in what's a profound, slow-burn uprising drama — a struggle between the powerful and powerless — that delves into caste discrimination and exploitation, while offering a deeper insight into understand the culture of naming (the characters are named after Hindu mythological figures in the epic), inverting the lens of hierarchy. By turns gut-wrenching, bold, and packed with indelible visuals (Theni Eswar's cinematography is a standout), the movie explores themes of caste violence, privilege, police brutality, and power, even as the plot turns the spotlight on the struggles and sufferings of the oppressed and their unrelenting fight for dignity. And of their attempts to retaliate and break free from the shackles of casteism that has tied them and denied them of their rights. It's as much a story of a community that resists, rises, and revolts as it's a story of a reluctant hero who turns a saviour by the end of it all, who becomes the face of the people living in the margins and resolves to put an end to the history of humiliation that his village has been subjected to. In doing so, he becomes the catalyst for change. Karnan is assertive, deeply affecting, and an introspective socio-political commentary all at once.