First things first. 'Kavan' is the kind of movie that the urban crowd generally passes for 'an entertainer' these days. The screenplay is racy, the narration is lightning-fast (predominantly in the first half) and the performances delightfully over-the-top. KV Anand sticks to his typical screenplay-template..an enjoyable fusion of masala moments coupled with the usual must-haves..well- shot songs, a villain (or two) who's painted completely in dark strokes, a syrupy romance that really doesn't speak volumes about either of the lovers, and also, a decent number of twists.
The initial half of 'Kavan' mostly deals with the rat race between channels and their tendencies to stoop to any level just to boost TRP ratings and take viewers for a toss. Sethupathi (playing Thilak – a newbie journalist) is again at his relaxed best, who at several occasions, gets to unfurl his mass-movie persona. The dialogues written for him also happen to be some of the most astute in the entire film. T Rajendherr (who plays Mayilvaganan, a struggling channel director) does exactly what's required of him..to be himself in the most in-your- face, unapologetic (grizzly) way. Madonna's Malar is more or less a foil to Sethupathi's character and barely gets to record an eventful inning. Akashdeep Saigal (from Anand's earlier venture 'Ayan') gets quite a meaty villain role and he plays it to the galleries when required.
Some of the digs taken at the media industry are packaged interestingly well whereas some are painfully pretentious. Writers Su-Ba add the right measure of sensation and pulpy feel to the screenplay that takes its own sweet time (hundred and sixty minutes) to reach conclusion. T Rajendherr holds much greater screen-time in the second half compared to the first and those who are familiar with his rhyming lines and wacky responses will obviously have a ball watching him bring the house down.
Cinematography by Abhinandan Ramanujam is certainly a major plus (the frames look grandiose almost throughout). Music by Hip Hop Thamizha impresses (especially 'Oxygen' and 'Theeratha Vilayattu Pilla') and thankfully, their ideal placement ensures that they just don't appear to be horrible speed-breakers. The comedy is at times flawed (with chauvinistic overtones) but mostly chuckle-worthy. The viewer is likely to be reminded of Anand's earlier films 'Ko' and 'Anegan' for the similarities in style of presentation (along with Shankar's 'Mudhalvan' mostly during the interview sequences). Cameos from Nasser and Powerstar are executed skilfully. The screenplay does lose some steam at the start of the second half but overall, 'Kavan' is definitely going to please the average viewer who purely expects to be entertained (leaving logic at the door, as and when urged to!).
P.S – That innovative interval block was a bit of pure genius!
