Movie Review: Kabali (Tamil)

Rajinikanth is a superstar. A larger-than-life phenomenon unto himself. And it's fast becoming a problem for makers, both established and promising, who are unable to figure out a way to write stories keeping an actor like him in mind. It's as if they don't know what to do with Rajini, the megastar, whose persona transcends everything. Despite these misgivings I was really looking forward to seeing Pa. Ranjith's Kabali. But what a colossal letdown! The film is mostly set in Malaysia, a country where Tamilians have migrated to for centuries, toiling even as indentured labour in rubber plantations back during the colonial times. But they are mere afterthoughts in what's otherwise a predictable revenge drama, a story of inter-gang rivalry between Kabali (Rajinikanth) and Tommy Lee (Taiwanese actor Winston Chao) so simplistic it doesn't offer too many surprises to begin with. Even then it's good to see Rajini in a different avatar that's devoid of his usual style and yet manage to pack a punch. But is that enough? Sadly, no.

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