Classical dance veterans Vineeth and Lakshmi Gopalaswami play inter-caste lovers in a haunting tale of a man who is destroyed by a wicked lie. Vinod Mankara's Kambhoji is a tragedy of sorts where he tries to highlight the caste issues of a past Kerala and how jealousy can wreak havoc of lives of not one but multiple people. Kunjunni (Vineeth) is an artist from a low caste, who travels to a land where Uma's (Gopalaswami) kingly family reign control. A master of his art, Uma soon falls for Kunjunni, who showcases his talent to both his peers and elders of this new land, helping him ignore the caste-based discrimination. However, his handsomeness and talent have made the women of his same caste vie for him, which ultimately leads to a murky situation. Watching the slow-burning Kamhoji is like an exercise in patience. While the slow movement is justifiable, director Mankara uses apt score and clear dialogues to keep the narrative going. For a lover of fast-paced movies, this is going to be a challenge, but if you appreciate slow cinema about classical art forms of Kerala and the messages they try to convey, Kambhoji will impress you. I was astounded by to see Vineeth outperform Gopalaswami in both expressions and dancing, as he carries the whole weight of the movie till the end. Kambhoji may not have the best production setup or appeal, but it definitely makes a mark through its adequate low-cost filming. The art direction, costumes, and coloring is fantastic, which all reinforces my love for all things Malayalam. It's a treat if you go in with patience and acceptance. TN.
