‘Kathal’ Review: Sanya Malhotra Shines As A Cop In This Juicy Satirical Comedy!
Kathal is an entertaining watch!
People often lodge complaints with the police if their phones, wallets or other essential items are stolen. But have you heard of someone filing a complaint with the police about their jackfruits getting stolen? That is exactly what the newly released film Kathal is all about. Starring Sanya Malhotra, Neha Saraf, Vijay Raaz, Rajpal Yadav, Anant Joshi and others in prominent roles, Kathal is directed by Yashowardhan Mishra. The film is produced by Guneet Monga, Shobha Kapoor, Ekta Kapoor and Achin Jain. Kathal was a fruitful juicy watch but the plot did itch me a little.
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Plot Of Kathal
The story of this film starts with a missing case of jackfruits. Sanya Malhotra AKA Mahima Basor is the inspector who is assigned to this case. Mahima, with the help of Constable Kunti AKA Neha Saraf and Saurabh Dwivedi AKA Anant Joshi reluctantly launches the investigation of the missing jackfruits because she believes entertaining such cases will lead other people to file missing complaints for their bitter guard and parwar too!
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So, turns out the missing jackfruit case is much deeper and more serious than it originally sounds. The case led Mahima and her team to learn that a girl has gone missing which further led them to find out that there is an entire file of missing girls’ reports which has not yet been investigated thoroughly. Now, how these two parallel storylines will connect is something I am going to leave you to watch for yourself.
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But this segue of the plot from finding missing jackfruits to a missing girl took an abrupt turn. The emphasis on the missing fruit was so much since the start that I went to watch the movie thinking it is going to be a light-hearted comedy through and through. But the twist threw me off-guard!
In the midst of this all, Vijay Raaz who plays the MLA whose jackfruits were stolen has a whole different chaos going on at home. The scenes where he constantly taunts his son-in-law about how he suspects him to be the thief were hilarious to watch!
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Interestingly, the makers also wove together sub-plots on sexism and caste discrimination, and these bits added a serious undertone to the otherwise comedic plot. Since the plot is set in a small town, people there are not very used to having a female inspector from a lower caste (yes, Sanya’s character is from an oppressed class), and there are scenes where Mahima becomes the bigger person and shows these upper-class people that she is one the keep them safe!
Kathal hangs on tight on the comedy rope! From start to finish, the movie made me burst out laughing as the actors were spot-on with their comic timing! There is an entire vegetable fight toward the end that bright tears to my eyes because I was laughing so hard!
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Cast of Kathal
Sanya Malhotra shines as Mahima Basor! What I loved about her character is that she is not the roaring inspector who throws around her weight and shows off her rank. She is polite, humble and sweet to all, and gets work done without screaming at anyone. Her portrayal of a female police inspector comes as a refreshing change from the currently portrayed female cops in movies and shows!
Mahima is funny, sarcastic and sweetly snarky! She does not hurt anyone with her taunts but the opposite person will surely come to know that they have been taunted. Also, her relationship with Saurabh who is a constable, is so adorable! She is seen pulling his cheeks and being playful with him while on duty and discussing what he made for lunch. How cute!
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Vijay Raaz as the MLA also has done a brilliant job with his character! He is a castist and arrogant man who scolded Mahima for stepping on the carpet with her shoes on, and also gets his wife to sprinkle gangajal where she was standing.
I enjoyed watching Neha Saraf as Kunti as well. She works so hard despite not having an enthusiastically supportive husband to fulfil her role as a dutiful wife and a hardworking constable. When Kunti said that she does not want a promotion because she will have more responsibilities on her plate with the rising rank, it really hit me hard how women from such restrictive backgrounds are willing to compromise on their careers so that they can dedicate time for their families.
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The flow of Kathal’s plot gradually begins to be chaotic. It starts with a simple case of missing jackfruits and then transcends into madness and Sanya has to navigate through it all with a half-prepared team but she pulls off the task. There are three songs in the film which are well-placed and thankfully do not hamper the flow of the film.
Also read: Exclusive: Sanya Malhotra Spills The Tea On How To Keep Your Curls Luscious And Hydrated
Verdict
Kathal is an entertaining watch that makes you laugh but also questions society’s orthodox beliefs. It makes you think about what would you have done had you been in that situation. You must give it a watch if you are in the mood to watch something light and fun over the weekend!
Kathal is available for streaming on Netflix!
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