Karthavyam: A well-made and hard-hitting political drama

Karthavyam is a well-intended and well-made suspense drama that revolves around a rescue attempt. Director Gopi Nainar may have been in the news in the past claiming that A. R. Murgadoss’ Kaththi (Tamil) is actually his story and he wasn’t recognized for the same. However, he challenged his contemporaries by announcing that he would bounce again to make a good film. And he his promises haven’t failed with Karthavyam. The dubbed version of the Tamil film Aramm, Karthavyam is a hitting drama that focuses on the socio-political state of our nation. One may assume it to be a docudrama, because of its realism and that’s perhaps one of the strengths of the film.

The film begins interestingly establishing the characters – particularly a family which consists of a couple and two kids. The film’s suspense point begins when one of the two kids falls inside a deep bore well, and is trapped inside. That’s where the film’s star and lead actor Nayanthara comes in. She plays the role of IAS Madhu Varshini, who seeks ways and methods to bring the child out. The film engages to the viewer as it constantly keeps us guessing as to how the child would escape from this narrow well.

Nayanthara does a fabulous job as the officer. Constantly being pressured by her higher officials, as well as the local MLA and media, she emerges fierce and tries to keep calm given the volatility of the situation. Adding to the pressure are the parents of the girl and the rest of the villagers who threaten to take the law into their own hands if the girl isn’t brought out alive safely. Devoid of any glamour that heroines sign up for in their roles in films, Nayanthara stands out in this film that relies heavily on content.

The film’s downside may be the extreme serious tone which the film employs. It also seems lengthy and at times a little preachy. However, that’s the intention of the story, to sell it as a serious film. The music sometimes feels like it’s been composed for a horror film, this could’ve been toned down a bit.

Releasing the film in Telugu is a commendable decision since the issue dealt in the film can happen anywhere in India.