Kaduva Movie Review

Movie Plot

A murder attempt was made against Kaduvakunnel Kurian Koruthu, a successful businessman also known as "Kaduva," in the late 1990s by three goons dispatched by I.G. Joseph Chandy on the orders of his mother, Cheddathi. Kaduva, who was taken to the Kottayam district jail, was successful in stopping the assailants. Kaduva lived a contented life before his incarceration with his wife Elsa and their kids Tessa, Eva, and Chacko. However, a disagreement erupted between Kaduva and Joseph Chandy over donating a piano to the church, resulting in insults being traded. Joseph Chandy promised to take revenge on Kaduva as a result.

Joseph Chandy relocated all the police officers in Pala, including S.I. Dominic Benjamin, who had a personal hatred towards Kaduva, in an effort to exact revenge after the murder attempt occurred. Kaduva's pub was troubled when Chandy bought the land that he had previously sold to him. Additionally, he acquired a search warrant for Kaduva's residence. S.I. Rajeevan attempted to arrest Kaduva as he was on his way home for violating the terms of his arms license, but Kaduva resisted and was ultimately taken into custody.

Because of his involvement in spirit smuggling, his bar license was suspended. After spending two weeks in jail, Kaduva was released and learned that Benjamin had seized his father's automobile and that Tessa, his daughter, had a leg fracture. Tessa confessed that Robin was the one who attacked her and Elsa and caused the mishap. Tessa begged Kaduva to stay out of trouble. Victor, who wanted to protest the police to CM Ananthanathan and the DGP, told Kaduva that Dominic had beaten him.

Ananthanathan, a dishonest politician, is dismissed from his ministerial position in the middle of the action. Kaduva hears via his jail friend Maalam Sunny that Francis Paul and Kunjithomman are in possession of information revealing the politician's illicit acts. Francis and Thomman accept Kaduva's offer to give them access to the incriminating video evidence in exchange for cash and a change in the party's leadership. To complete the deal, Kaduva sells a portion of his estate. Kaduva seeks retribution against Robin for attacking his wife and children, severely beating him, and then disposing of his body in the church well after Thomman is elected Chief Minister and Sunny is released from jail.

Due to several allegations, Kaduva also suspends Joseph Chandy's elevation to ADGP and confronts Dominic, who sought a bribe while claiming his father's Ambassador automobile. Ananthanathan instructs Joseph Chandy to relocate the evidence to a secure location after learning that the central vigilance department will search his home.

Joseph Chandy is stopped by Kaduva while attempting to transfer illegal items, and after the commodities are found, Chandy is suspended. Chandy hires a psychotic goon to kill Kaduva during a church festival out of rage, but Kaduva beats him and his crew, including Chandy. Chandy is later taken into custody. By showing a film of their meeting, Kaduva exerts pressure on Thomman and Paul to make a lifelong commitment. Before being sent to prison, Chandy informs Kaduva that their dispute is far from over and makes a commitment to see him again. Kaduva accepts this.

Review

Kaduva received a score of 3.5 out of 5 from Sajin Shrijith of The New Indian Express. He noted that the film effectively stokes our resentment towards the villains so that we can completely appreciate the hero's retaliation. The movie-going experience for the reviewer was positive.

With a rating of 3.5 out of 5, Pinkvilla's Arjun Menon emphasized Kaduva's suitability for a theatrical experience. Jakes Bejoy's powerful background score and the film's breathtaking visuals lift the straightforward plot to remarkable levels of commercial filmmaking. The reviewer asserts that by fusing grandiose themes with cutting-edge storytelling techniques, Kaduva has the ability to revitalize Malayalam films or create a novel way of storytelling.

Kaduva received a score of 3.5 out of 5 stars from critics at The News Minute, who said that the movie portrays a particular time in Kuriachan's life and evokes nostalgia with references to Doordarshan and land phones. Nevertheless, despite its well-edited appearance, the rest of the movie is criticized as having a drawn-out and dull narrative. According to Anna Mathews of The Times of India, who gave the movie three out of five stars, people looking for a thriller could enjoy it, but it might not have much of an impact in the long term.

Kaduva received a 2.5 out of 5-star rating from India Today, which recognized its entertainment value despite being formulaic. In the reviewer's opinion, a little more creativity could have further improved the movie. The Deccan Herald's Jayadeep Jayesh gave Kaduva a 2.5 out of 5-star rating and praised it for showing a lost filmmaking technique in Malayalam cinema. The general quality of the movie is deemed to be ordinary, despite Prithviraj's engaging performance and certain nostalgic scenes.

S. R. Praveen of The Hindu argues that Shaji's film Kaduva is predictable yet enjoyable. The movie can fall short of spectators' expectations if they are looking for uniqueness, though. While Kaduva is an upgrade over Shaji's most recent work, the reviewer notes that it may still fall short in terms of providing something truly novel or distinctive.

Kaduva received a 1.75 out of 5-star rating from Anna M. M. Vetticad of Firstpost. She said that while the movie features a lot of physical action and movement, Shaji Kailas' narration feels stale and antiquated, harking back to the 1990s. The film is uninteresting, according to Manoj Kumar R from The Indian Express, who questions the entertainment value of slow-motion strolls and numerous mustache twirls that he perceives as glorifying vanity.