Kabali (2016) User Reviews

An exhausting journey

[sujanfaster · 6/10 · 24 July 2016]

I am a sucker for mass films and typical heroism, I admit it. Even I am one of those who eagerly wait for a Rajni film and watch the trailer over and over to get that feel before the release. I did the same for Kabali and I also avoided listening to naysayers despite the bad feeling I had from my previous outing with Linga. So I went to the theatre with minimum expectations on the story and logic, but I did expect it to be an out and out Rajni film.

Watching Kabali for me was an inner struggle between the fan in me and the critic. Just as much this movie struggles to find the balance between the actor and superstar Rajni. As the 'SUPER STAR' flashes on screen with the Kabali theme music, excitement runs through the movie hall. It is followed by 'Sivajiesque' introduction scene in the jail. It feels good to see him doing push ups even at this age. The fan inside me buckles up for a Rajni ride. Whistles follow as the Rajni dances a few steps in the introduction song. As the movie plot begins to shape up the cinema lover inside me wonders as if it is picking up somewhere from the middle. The so called gangster cum social worker Kabali looks for some answers and payback as he is out of jail. There is always a herd of people around him as he walks, eats, drives and give speeches at his Free Life Foundation (please don't ask what it's about). Random scenes follow with some flashback thrown in. The critic in me starts to think why all this is happening, but the fan in me asks the critic to wait for some more time. I sit there hoping for a typical South Indian movie flashback which cooks up a good and a brutal revenge story. I see random villains trying to kill Kabali but with not much of a zeal or a structured plan. As the movie runtime comes close to an hour, the audience have seemed to lost the enthusiasm as well. They no more shout, whistle or clap when they see Rajni uttering some punchlines. We all see Rajni on screen, but we only see bits and pieces of Rajniism but not too convincing. As the flashback part of the movie begins, it takes a political turn and yet once again it isn't convincing enough. At this point of the time the critic and the fan in me both start wondering what is happening. As more and more characters get introduced it only adds to the confusion and I wait for the break which is something I wouldn't have hoped watching a Rajni movie. The scene leading to the interval doesn't make any impact to make the audience curious and eagerly wait for the second half.

With minimum expectations I start watching the second half not bothering a bit about the story. The fan in me begs for some punchlines and some typical Rajni fights. But the film takes a diversion as Kabali sets to find his wife (very neatly played by Radhika Apte) along with his daughter (a tomboy character played by Dhansika through which director wants to show that he is all in for equal opportunities). This part is an episode in itself. So I feel that earlier the movie ends, the better. Judging by how other audiences react I feel they too have the same opinion. Once again the antagonists surface to hurry an action packed climax. This is the part where probably director Ranjith wants something to give to the Rajni fans. Out of nowhere Rajni gathers an army and comes up with a strategy to face the antagonists played by Kannada actor Kishore and the international actor Winston Chao. Both wasted in poorly written negative roles. An invincible Rajni taking on the villains is all a fan like me need, but Kabali fails to portray that in a typical Rajni way as well. Although there are some punchlines and typical Rajni laughs, they aren't backed up with powerful scenes. I get the slightest of goosebumps as Rajni appears majestically in between the Kaula Lampur's twin towers over a hotel rooftop. However movie doesn't end there as Kabali manages to wipe out his enemies. It is further dragged on for about five minutes, which leads to a very very weird ending.

Kabali is another desperate attempt by the makers to cash in on the Rajni image. Director Ranjith fails to bring the balance between a class and mass movie. Although Rajni's Linga was a dud it at least had its typical Rajni moments and some good bit of sentiment and comedy. Whereas Kabali feels like a collection of different episodes which are hardly connected. The production value is rich and the music is decent. But they can hardly save this movie. The only thing positive about this movie is that there aren't any unnecessary songs put in. Rajni looks good with his white beard and suits, but the way character is written fails to bring out the Super Star in him. As a fan walking out of the theatre all I want to do is to go watch Sivaji again to forget this. Like some others I don't want him to stop making films but I feel he really needs to choose only the best of scripts. I try my best not to write a harsh review on Kabali, but this is the best I can do. I do not want to recommend or not recommend anyone to watch this movie. As a Rajni fan, I only want this movie to be a hit and so does others. But deep inside everyone knows this is nowhere close to a milestone for the Super Star.

Kabali - Rajini all the way but lost the path somewhere

[gurunathankrishnan · 6/10 · 22 July 2016]

The most awaited movie of the year. I want to make 2 things clear before the review:

1. I am a hardcore Rajini fan for his on screen persona. Not fanatic. So the expectation is to see his style and charm 2. The teaser gave an impression of ageing don coming back to take revenge

The movie starts off with a great tone with Rajini walking out of prison with style immediately following with his punch dialogue and fights. Then who vows to conquer back what he lost. Then the movie also loses this plot and goes in search of his wife and daughter. The new dons ruling Malaysia tries to kill him and he kills them in climax. Of course I am not expecting logical and brilliant screenplay. I in fact don't mind predictability but it should be pursued through style if you have actor like Rajini

Plus 1. Out and out Rajini. He carries the burden of the whole film 2. Initial few scenes giving a different impression of the movie 3. Background score. I am sure that this title music is the best after Annamalai

Negative 1. Movie going into emotional tone losing the plot. Bit dragging 2. Songs - forgettable except Neruppuda 3. Lack of Rajini scenes 4. Failed to capitalise the flash back scenes with Rajini's character

Overall, if you are non Rajini fan, you may like the movie. If you are a Rajni mass lover, you will definitely miss something in the movie

In short, if you want the same impact as that of the teaser of the film, watch the first 15 minutes and last 15 minutes of the movie

Magizhchi

Its rajnikant

[ravi-mudgil1996 · 7/10 · 21 July 2016]

When a Rajinikanth movie releases, we all go thronging up with more fascinations and exhilarations to see Thalaivar performing the mass acts. But before watching Kabali, there were clear assumptions that it is going to be a class movie more than mass. This was my expectation while going to the theatres and the result is that I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Till the interval, though long, it's very fast paced with a great story or anything. But after interval, we are in for a serious and emotional drama, where Pa. Ranjith comes to the fore. The drama gets emotionally gripping and, at times, heart-churning. Heroine Radhika Apte and Riythvika deliver excellent performance. Sai Dhansikaa is seen in a suave and stylish role, which caters to action lovers. Sai Dhansikaa performed action sequences. Women may even begin to style themselves like Dhansikaa. The female roles are hugely powerful like male characters.

Rajinikanth strikes awe in every frame with his majestic screen presence. Santhosh Narayanan's equally fiery and blazing instrument- wielding prowess gives Neruppuda Rajinikanth the perfect pedestal for us to admire what he is!

The climax is positive, though thankfully not linear, and predictability has been avoided. It feels that the pre-climax scene suffices but Pa Ranjith is a director, who aspires to be a director of class. So, he has that ambiguous climax, which can give rise to a sequel, if Kabali is well-received. Kabali story treatment is extraordinary. Kabali is sure to be a all time blockbuster but we should wait and see how well it is received, especially to see if the ambiguous climax will be well-received!

Kabali – show on more emotional side of a don

[suhassuriya · 7/10 · 25 July 2016]

Kabali – show on more emotional side of a don

When we come to hear rajini movie is going to release, we start imagining a stereotyped rajinism in his movie!Its true.. which is been happening from last 3 decades! In kabali PA.Ranjith has tried hard to change this stereotyped rajini movie into a non-rajini movie.In this journey has he succeeded? Coming to the story of kabali..it does have a water thin story line with lots of depth . Rajini sir acting is one of the major plus point of the movie, his simplicity, mannerism and stand back in few scenes n giving opportunity to other actors r worthwhile to mention. Radhika apte ,kalaiyarasan,john vijay,dhansika,dinesh,rithvika are apt to their respective roles.

Antagonists Winston chao,Kishore are perfect n need to mention here Kishore acting was appreciable throughout the movie. Coming to music Santhosh Narayan has marvellous talent n is proved with his songs and BGM in the whole movie which indeed takes this movie to another level! PA.Ranjith should have made little more concentration on the screenplay and a bit on rajinism to satisfy rajini fans.Though movie may not offer rajinism at the whole,one can keep a little less expectation and enjoy this wonderful emotional life of kabaleeshwaran AKA kabali.

Drab, exaggerated, predictable, lifeless

[supreme-leader · 1/10 · 23 July 2016]

Let's be honest here, if this movie didn't have Rajinikanth, nobody would've given two f*cks about it because it's that awful and cringeworthy. It has to be one of the most lacklustre movies I've ever watched and comes as a huge disappointment after all the hype and media coverage it got. It's got an extremely banal plot of a Malaysian Tamil gangster Kabali, portrayed by Rajini, involved in a gang war with a local don. There's another storyline that runs parallel, that of his personal life which is even more insipid and overplayed. Radhika Apte as Kabali's wife has done a decent job but one cannot expect her to save a plot so weak that even the great superstar Rajini couldn't infuse life into. There's no humour, no punch lines, no message to take from the movie. In fact, the only time I laughed during the entire movie was when my friend walked into the door during the interval. The film went on in a monotonous manner until the end and the best moment was when the end credits rolled on, bringing an end to the viewer's suffering. Of course, a lot of Rajini fans loved the movie and said it was the best movie in the history of mankind but 5 minutes into the movie, any guy with a functional brain will know that it's all rubbish. Overall, I'd recommend not wasting your time on this lousy excuse of a movie made with the sole intention of cashing in on Rajini's reputation and raking up money.

Neither there nor here !!

[akshay-ak-kumar · 6/10 · 20 November 2016]

Kabali is not a usual Rajni film to begin with. It doesn't have any of Rajni's tricks which have made him famous. Nor it shows Rajni as a young ageless man romancing some heroine one third his age.

Rajni finally plays his age, a 60 year old gangster, out of jail in search of his missing wife and seeking revenge for those who destroyed his life. And this is good part of the film because it great to see Rajni the actor and not Rajni the star.

However, the issue I found with Kabali is writer director is not clear whether he should make a gangster or a serious drama film. There are times where Ranjith is telling us about the underworld in Malaysia run by Chinese and Indians. He also highlights the racial tension between the Indians and Malaysians. But on the other hand, he is also depicting a husband having visions about his wife and searching for her.

One of the main reasons Godfather II is considered one of the best gangster films is because it tells both the stories which such ease without losing its core - the life of Michael Corelone and the revenge story of Vito Corelone.

But unlike the Godfather series, Ranjith adds too much of emotions leaving us confused. So there are two beautiful scenes where Kabali meets his daughter for the 1st time and when he meets his wife after 25 years. Both scenes are very high on emotional quotient. Plus there is a long and meaningless climax and a twist in the end which I felt was not required.

Another problem with Kabali is the villain. Rajni's movies have strong villains. But Kabali lacks strong villains. Winston Chao and Kishore are neither menacing nor convincing and end up as any normal cartoonish villains thanks to the poor writing. Chao especially looks funny wear purple suits with funny expressions.

Apart from Rajani, the saving grace is his women co-stars. Radhika Apte is mind blowing as his long lost wife. Apte who is 30 years old gets into the skin and with ease plays the role of 50 plus year old. She and Rajani share a nice sweet old world charm and chemistry.

Other hand, Dhansika plays Kabali's long lost daughter who is also a contract killer. She also put up a nice performance.

Finally, Kabali is not the usual Rajani film. Its different. However, it had the potential to be a great Rajani film.

Disappointing very boring and bland

[prashanthlee1989 · 2/10 · 26 July 2016]

I was one of the millions of Rajini fans who was eagerly awaiting the release of the movie, and unfortunately like the millions, came out really disappointed.

I have a lot of issues with the movie. Lets start with not-so-bad parts : The story is very straight forward - you have an aging gangster who comes out of prison after 25 years and sees that things are still worse or have gotten even worse for his community, midst the backdrop of a never ending conflict between Tamils and local Malays. Seems like a good setting to setup some epic hair rising moments right ? Wrong.

The screenplay is at its absolute worst. You have a lot of details which could have been avoided - again, I am not sure if this is a case of bad editing, but let me give you a few examples. Right after Kabali gets out of prison, he inquires about the well being of every person in excruciating detail and most theater goers were like "Yaawn yawn". The whole Free life foundation school sequence was the what did it for me though - it laid the movie to rest. Overly unnecessary details regarding jokes, poems by side characters, long driven flashbacks which does not fully make you get behind Rajini's cause - and this is not the even worst part ! A lot of exposition scenes and unnecessary details like Free life clap is just sleep inducing. Editing falls flat never to recover. There is this 2 second sequence of the character Yogi just floating in a swimming pool which made the viewers roll their eyes and say "Uhmm, OK. What was that !?"

I completely disagree with most of the other reviewers' argument saying that it is a movie showcasing Rajini's acting and it is not supposed to be a commercial movie and what-not. What do you say about the action sequences in which Rajini kills just about everyone effortlessly ? No real motivation to chase down the villains too. Basically no one can touch Rajini and the one scene which he gets shot, he calls the villain 2 minutes later to a 'Neruppu da' bgm - which has been overly used and abused every time Rajini walks and does some action.

There are so many, I mean SO MANY movies which bring out the best in Rajini's acting but unfortunately this is not one of them. If you are going for a completely different kind of 'acting showcase' kind of movie, don't F**IN market the movie like a Baasha-2 or a Padayappa-2 kind of movie ! The trailer for this movie had everyone hyped up so much they were expecting a suave gangster Rajini movie with epic moments. (The last gangster movie was Baasha 20 years ago and so you understand now how sky high expectations were ! Esp after that trailer !)

The only saving grace of this movie is Santhosh's music and Radhika Apte's acting - that one reunion sequence where she breaks down in tears is top notch. Apart from that I did not really feel any hate towards Tony Lee ( there is a sequence which shows Tony lee's stock falling right next to a company named Stark :D), because I really felt his character was not given enough time to build up. OK, so he is the bad guy, but I still couldn't get behind Rajini's motivation to kill him and his gang, esp after Rajini's wife is still alive.

On an ending note, this movie tries real hard to be that one movie which balances that line between a commercial action flick and a good emotional story of a gangster, but falls flat on its face and is lost between both worlds. If you think you can spend a lot of cash and see how a Rajini movie can make you fall asleep, you should go for this movie. Otherwise, I would give this movie a pass.

KABALI - See the movie!

[mrcowsigan · 9/10 · 22 July 2016]

Kabali, a real-life script with real emotions, believable scenes, and a plot that can be categorized only as an action-drama.

If you go into the movie with this expectation, you will be more then content and will have definitely got your monies worth. I am a die hard Rajni fan, since the 80's. I've watched the actor evolve, mature and take on challenging roles.

It is no surprise, to his fans, the build up and hype surrounding the movie, was unparalleled to its predecessor's, i.e., Baasha, Padayaapa, Thalapathy, Muthu, Annamalai etc. I feel this movie could have offered more, if some of super star's signature elements were added, but PA Ranjith, has made it clear -he would not fall into that trap. The risk is, doing it too much and I'd rather have less of his superior mannerisms then over-doing it.

The movie has a slow pace, with smooth transitioning between scenes. You will find Rajni acting with real emotions, in better words, its the real-live Rajni. A Rajni that I've been craving to meet. You get to see a Rajni, that expresses emotions with facial expressions rather then sly-hand movements, strategic body movements instead of fast-paced unnecessary sequences that loose credibility. The director, although relatively young to directing, focuses on the overall picture, not just a single actor. Equal spotlight is given to each actor. The supporting cast have done a phenomenal job, however, some scenes lack depth and proper connections. Still, the movie delivers a lot more then the last few Rajni movies.

A gangster script is tough to pull off, for many reasons, you name it -its been done. To do something new in a genre that has been overdone, with an actor that has done many such roles, the weight on Ranjith's shoulders were heavy to begin with. This movie easily achieves a 7 out of 10, but why it gets a 8 out of 10 in my books, is easy to explain, Ranjith pulled it off! He made me believe Kabali exists, a Rajni that was used in a new way, like he said in an interview "Rajni...is like clay, you can mold and shape him to your liking". Every scene with Rajni -I loved. Not a single scene did I feel skirmish about, felt bad for Rajni, or made me think twice about the movie's worth.

The script is a gangster movie, but more about a single man's struggle through his life. I only wish that they would have kept the movie at its original 3hr length and I'll tell you why. The only downfall I noticed, was that the movie overall felt rushed, hence the director made the wrong call on the length of the movie. If he had the extra 30 min, he could have pulled of a Godfather. Any gangster movie has a past, present and future, and to pull off perfection, equal time must be given to each time period. They spent too much time in the present and squished the past and future together, making it at times incomplete, the audience end-up filling in the blanks, some relationships between the characters on screen -were not established well enough, causing the script to have some gaps. Its almost if they cut out some scenes that were crucial to the audience regardless of the script. This is where you can see the downfall to having a younger-new director. He lacked, perhaps the courage, to say no -keep it at 3hr's.

Rajni's actions are there, his feelings shine through in scenes, glimpses of Baasha can be seen, but in words. Every line has a purpose.

Overall, its a movie I will see again.

You'll need to see the movie twice to see the beauty behind his acting.

Cowsi

Rajini's smart move

[docraj77 · 7/10 · 23 July 2016]

I used to be a hardcore Rajini during my teenage days. But after sometime the craze went off because actors are not real life heroes. I still like Rajini and his movies. After seeing this movie all I understood that Rajini wanted to do something different from his usual way of stereotype movies and this movie is definitely reality based and gangster movie which is the real smartest move Rajini has done after a very long time. Though the movie has more of emotion than the regular type but this is what is happening in the real world and that's what the director has told us through this movie. A Tamil man in another land working for his livelihood and fighting with the authorities to get equality for him and his people and gets it done and from there he becomes a revolutionary turning to become a gangster (and does social service) who loses his family because of the enmity and jealousy of his rival gang and then he is caught by the law and is judged falsely and sent to prison and then comes back to avenge his family's death only to find out that his family is still alive. He then gets released and with the help of his old gang members not only gets back his family but he avenges by finishing off all his rivals (typical 'Godfather'style movie ending). It is a very good movie and Rajini has shown good acting in this movie. Though there are certain scenes which could have been improvised by the director but still looks good for the audience. The action is really class apart with a solid blood shed violence for which the movie should have been given PG15 (but has been given Ú' certificate). On the whole in my opinion it is not an really excellent movie (but it could have been if the scenes were improvised) but a really very good movie on the whole and it will surely be a blockbuster as Rajini has come back with a bang in this movie. Magizhchi (Cheers!).......

Poorly written script and uninteresting

[suhansivanesan · 2/10 · 26 July 2016]

OK, before I get started with the review, let me begin by saying that I love and adore Rajinikanth as both a phenomenal actor and a great human being! In fact, he is my second most favourite celebrity in the world after A. R. Rahman :). I felt the need to put my views in writing simply because this movie has garnered so much publicity, attention and expectation all over the world.

Warning-there is a spoiler in this review.

Firstly, I would say this movie has failed to impress me in any way possible mainly because the script of the movie is so weak. The Director Pa Ranjit mentioned that this movie is about the Tamil community in Malaysia who have been oppressed and therefore he would like to get the message out there as he is supposedly socially concerned. However, what you get from the movie is nothing close to a well thought out social message. The first half of the movie shows superficially in the flashback on how Rajini fights for the rights of the Tamil community and rising to be a Don. However, this is not convincing at all. There is not much substance to show the real suffering of the Tamil community. For the second half of the movie, it just focused on Rajini finding his wife and fighting against other random gangsters. At the end of the day, it is just a typical gangster movie that we have seen numerous times in the Indian cinema. Nothing novel. So my question is, what message is the director trying to show to the world about Malaysia Tamil? Absolutely unclear! I feel the Director is not clear in his thoughts on what message he intends to deliver. He became out of focus all the way and simply put a very messy gangster movie without any impact on the audience. When I walked out of cinema, I cant help but felt utterly disappointed with the story of Kabali which is very weak, uninteresting and poorly directed! Only Rajinikanth and Radika Apte were the saving grace of Kabali!

Its a very nice family movie. I suggest people to watch the movie and come to a conclusion.

[lokeshdayal-90308 · 10/10 · 23 July 2016]

It is a very nice movie with limited songs and almost zero dance, Which is something special about this movie.

Rajini lovers please watch the movie and please notice his dressing style. Its Awesome!!!

Makeup Artist has done a great job.

Dunno why people said its draggy, which I totally dint feel.

Watch the movie and come to a conclusion, don't listen to what people say( Includes my opinion too).

Please do not read reviews and go with the same expectation because people have different tastes.

I personally liked every bit of it.

Overall a nice move. Will not disappoint fans.

Kabali is entirely misunderstood movie which is totally different from what it showed in teasers.Its an emotional gangster flick which can be watched once.

[shobanchittuprolu · 6/10 · 22 July 2016]

Kabali (2016): Few movies strive a lot to get hype for their movie with lot of publicity which incurs lot of money.But Kabali is one of the rare movies which got its own publicity without spending single penny.Just first looks and teasers made whole country go crazy.That is Rajini,the one and only superstar of India.His new movie, Kabali is one of the most talked movie in this year.At last the wait is over and released today with sky-high expectations.So how is it???

Plot: Kabali (Rajinikanth) is sentenced for 25 years in a case in Malaysia. Story begins as he is coming out from the jail. Kabali launches a school for his young gang members so that they can come out from the mafia. When the young gangsters ask how he landed in jail, he reveals his story. He gets married to Kundanavalli (Radhika Apte) and rises as a gangster in a short time.

One gang member (Kishore) who is jealous of Kabali's rise hatches a plan to kill him and his pregnant wife. In the attack, Kundanavalli gets killed and infuriated Kabali kills them. Kabali lands in prison.

In the present day, in a sudden twist he meets his daughter (Dhansika) and also comes to know that his wife is alive and is living in India. Kabali flies down from Malaysia to India but his path to find his wife is riddled with many problems.

Plus Points: 1)Rajinikanth: Rajni is the major plus point for this movie.His style,his charisma,his looks everything is marvelous.No one can match his level.He gave brilliant performance as aged gangster.His laugh is enough for whistles allover the theater.

2)Music: Santhosh Narayan gave some truly world class music.Song Neruppu daa is extraordinary and even his BGM is different and perfectly sets the mood of movie.

3)Interval and Climax: Both the Interval and Climax are the only scenes in Kabali which really satisfies audience.Especially climax fight brings out the Rajini we are missing the whole time.

Minus Points: 1)Screenplay: Kabali is surprisingly disappointing with boring narration and dragging screenplay.All the audience who expected Rajni mark mass movie will be surely disappointed with Kabali.This movie is more of a emotional gangster flick than mass one.

2)Duration: Kabali has duration of 2hr 30 min which is makes audience bored for sure.

3)Missing Rajni style: Except his looks ,Kabali has no punch dialogues,no mass scenes,no stylish scenes which are expected from Rajini.

So,Kabali is entirely misunderstood movie which is totally different from what it showed in teasers.Its an emotional gangster flick which can be watched once.

Kabali also ends on a shocking note which came as an entirely unexpected moment.

My rating 5.5/10

A great movie Thamizh people

[muruganand010 · 2/10 · 22 July 2016]

I don't agree with any other language people talking bad about the movie, it's not just a movie for Thamizh people. Ranjith has shown the true struggle of Thamizh people which happened way back in Malaysia. Santosh Narayanan has produced some new talents through this movie and with great BGM. Dinesh's acting is the most appreciated in the theaters. Other actors in the movie has shown their skills in every scene. Climax in the movie is the most controversial and some fans are not satisfied with.

When the movie is based on a real life Don you cannot demand much change and look at varadarajan don(many movies were made based on his life) Nayagan, Agneepath,Thalaiva,..etc

Rajani Punch Missing

[mrjasmir · 7/10 · 23 July 2016]

Movie was good in terms of Rajani and all actors performance and Story but frankly speaking Director could have done it better to satisfy all type of crowds. I have went with my friend to watch the movie who doesn't know much of Tamil and he had a tough time to understand the story just because of that.

Most of the time director is used to tell the stories and speeches. Rajani Action and Dialogues were very less and which people expects from his movies. Director missed a good story where he could utilize and show the real Rajani impacts. Some places we felt it like he is dragging the movie with lot of conversations and flash backs.

He could make a lot of action sequences but didn't use and theater was screaming for some actions as literally every one was waiting for that and expected it.

Good thing is that director didn't show any extra natural Rajani powers like other movies. Anyway it was worth watching for one time!!!

Expected more but

[jnayakar · 4/10 · 22 July 2016]

Lot more expected from Kabali however it didn't meet my expectation. Please do not show this movie to your young kids. Too much violence. Interesting fact that NOBODY in the theater clapped or praised Rajni or any scenes after starting the movie till end. Everybody kind of so desperate. I don't know why Rajnikant decided to accept this character and story. There are few good messages in it, though overall it promotes violence. First half is completely boring. Sorry dear Rajni fans, its my honest opinion. I love Rajni movies and Tamil movies. Rajnikant did his role pretty well in this movie as usual. No doubt on it, however the director trying to impress all kind of viewers by adding unnecessary scenes.

kabali is a Drag

[kumarvarun1989 · 10 September 2016]

I'm afraid there's no other way to say it: Kabali is a drag. And that's because the man, oops, the Superstar of Superstars, a phrase used for Rajinikanth minus any irony, comes off same-old. Everything that Rajini does to spark untold hysteria amongst his die- hard fans is in here: the dress code ( three piece suits ), the dark glasses, the lines only Rajini can say, the kicks and punches only he can deliver. But the formula is now frayed and tired: there's neither swag nor swagger. There comes a time when even Rajini has to reinvent, and this is it. He has been playing In and As to such adulation for so long that his directors have long stopped bothering about such things as plot and characterisation. When Rajini is on and at it, who cares? Actually, let me amend that. Kabali does make an attempt at a plot. Kabaliswaran aka Kabali is the firebrand leader of a group of Tamil indentured labour in the Malaysian rubber plantations. A skirmish between the owners and the labour turns into a tragedy, and Kabali transforms from regular guy into an grizzled gang-boss. There could have been something there, given the history. But the treatment is both half-baked and half-hearted. Despite it being shot in Malaysia (new locations), the arch-villain being a local (new face), and the superstar given not one but two pretty young women (Apte as wife, Dhansika as daughter) as adoring satellites, this bloated, overlong enterprise cannot hide the fact that the superstar is distinctly slower, less nimble on his feet, making the holes in the film much more visible.

A gangster flick with a deep script and emotions

[shyamvenkateswar · 7/10 · 22 July 2016]

Kabali, a pukka gangster movie with emotions and a building screenplay, beautifully acted by Thalaivar. Pa Ranjith kudos to you sir, the semiotics used in the film along with the emotions are priceless, the semiotics are conveyed on a denotation level its communism and on a connotation its the caste system with the dialogues hit the spot.The usage of metaphors through relating why Mahatma Gandhi shed his clothes and why Ambedkar wore a suit, and the bad situation of the laborer's treated as dogs shows how deep the script is. Few scenes reminds us of the gangster flick 'The Godfather'. Santhosh Narayans Bgm and OST's gives the audience the shivers. A non commercial film and definitely a bold choice by Rajini sir.The audience may call it a slow narration technique or a slow paced screenplay but the flow of the script has a meaning at each step with Rajini Sir's screen presence adds a beautiful flavor.Perhaps the audience expected an action packed film after watching the teaser. To conclude we can expect to see a real life Rajinikanth not the reel life SuperStar, it is a very well written Script with deep emotions a must watch to see a different Rajini with top notch performance.

Kabali might not work for everyone

[Yuvi77 · 1/10 · 22 July 2016]

The film that was anticipated with bated breath by millions of fans and movie buffs all around the world is finally out. The regular movie-goers would have seen Rajinikanth in different kinds of films, but what is special about Kabali is his collaboration with a two- film-old young director Ranjith which has played a big part in the curiosity levels of the audience. This combo is something new and fresh. And hence what is it going to offer to the viewer, is the standard thought in many minds.

Kabali is about an aged, reformed gangster Kabaleeswaran who had fought for the oppressed in Malaysia and returns from his jail stay after twenty-five years. What life has in store for him after this, is the turf in which Ranjith has played his shots, the scene of action being predominantly Malaysia.

The director gets into action without wasting any time starting with a small build-up scene for the lead and the very next frame he takes you to the highly anticipated hero intro scene. This happens with a lot of measured calculation, slowly building the tempo and reaching the crescendo powerfully, making Rajini fans come to their seat's end with a thumping heartbeat which becomes a collective loud one eventually. Ranjith has used Rajini's swagger to his advantage, albeit at a different pace.

There are hardly any scenes that pass which do not involve Rajinikanth in it but Ranjith has made sure that he has put all his acting resources to good effect. All the characters have been established having Rajinikanth alongside them.

Kabali shows another side of a gangster. Apart from the fancy costumes, guns and other style elements you find in gangster films, this film shows an emotional side of a gangster. His thought process, how he handles betrayal, tackles his enemies are all showcased neatly. A gangster cannot be powerful always. Likewise, Kabali's graph has a lot of ups and downs. He is strong and normal with friends and family but could be feeble when he is betrayed or when he lets emotions rule over him. Ranjith has played very well with such emotions.

It is easily Rajinikanth's show and the style samrat delivers it all with vigor. Rajini has quite a few sentimental scenes which have come out well. When it comes to Kabali, more than his mass mannerisms, it is the sentimental scenes of him that will be the talking point.

The hard work that has gone into the flashback segments in terms of physical appearance is praiseworthy. But there are times when the younger Rajinikanth looks a little out of place.

Radhika Apte as Rajini's wife Kumudavalli, is apt. The actress known for her subtle nuances holds her fort in this Rajini film too. Dhansika is effective in her action avatar. Kishore, Kalaiayarasan, John Vijay, Rhythvika, Dinesh and all the other supporting characters have managed to provide the right kind of foil for this superstar film.

On the technical side, Santhosh Narayanan's score is a major plus to the film with the songs not being an unwanted protraction. Maya Nadhi is melodious and brings out a matured affection. Veera Thurandhara and Neruppu Da up the mutineering mood as montages. Murali's camera captures the Superstar in his stylish best and Malaysia in its right feel. Editor Praveen has ensured that the product is at its cohesive best. Anu Vardhan's costumes for Rajini are suave and classy, especially his suits. Ramalingam's set designs and Anbariv's action sequences reveal that the team has worked in unison with the director's vision. However in the climax scene, the art department could have worked a little better.

The pace of the film is a little slow. It is not a film for people who are used to clichéd mass hero films. Ranjith is known for his pro oppressed class ideologies, and he does not fail to showcase them in his films. There are some interesting tropes in Kabali too and a few sharp dialogues.

That said, the teaser of the film gave a super massy expectation for the film but when the film's core is not that, it might give room for a little disappointment. And in a gangster film such as this, the antagonists should have been more powerful which would have made the protagonist much stronger. Sadly, despite having many villains, this did not come through.

Kabali is more of a Ranjith film than Rajini's. Some of the scenes and characterizations do remind you of the director's previous film Madras. One should say the screenplay could have been tighter. Usually, when a new director works with a big star like Rajinikanth, they tend to adjust the flow of the film for the hero's stardom but Ranjith has extracted what he wanted for his script without compromising much.

Verdict: Rajinikanth in a different dimension, but Kabali might not work for everyone. Theatres which are known to reverberate for Rajinikanth, seem a lot more silent for Kabali.

Watch it only for Rajinikanth without any expectation.

[dheeraj_contacts · 8/10 · 23 July 2016]

Yes, Rajinikanth is back with his unique style n mannerism if you are a Rajini fan you'll love his screen presence. There are a few goosebumps moments in the movie other than that do not expect too much you'll be definitely disappointed. Story feels going kinda off track many times. Screenplay ????? this comes in mind coz its very slow and drags a lot. Whole movie stands one one pillar that's Rajini he reminds you of the charm of Superstar what we all know him as. Radhika Apte has done complete justice to her role and her presence is remembered even after the movie. All other cast has done their best Kishore, Dhansika exceptionally good. Other than Rajini the track Neruppu Da gives some feel good moments throughout the movie, 2 songs are highlight and bgm is pretty good Santosh Narayan has executed the job well. Some scenes you'll feel were not necessary, Pa.Ranjith is talented but less experienced and you can clearly feel it, a lot lot more could have been done. After all you have a powerhouse called Rajinikanth and could have utilized a lot lot more.

Final word do watch it once without expecting you'll love Rajini Sir his screen presence his epic style dialogues. Thalaivar is Back in style.

Film for Rajani fans only

[saileshaluri · 6/10 · 21 July 2016]

OK, watched the movie amidst theater full of fans. The first fifteen minutes makes you grip to the seat and watch with utter attention. First song, Euphoria subsides and the story starts to drag.It drags so much after interval that even the fans who danced in the beginning are waiting eagerly for some scene or dialogue where they can outlet their energy. But neither the story nor Rajini gives the chance after all how long can one dance for "Kabali da". There is no comedy from Rajini; which was not expected as his role is serious but there is no comic relief from the serious drama from any of the characters.The climax left many viewers guessing. The songs mostly are run in the background which left lot of room to develop the story but the screenplay and direction failed to do so.

Highlight - Rajini comes out of jail and there is a big celebration and youngsters are dancing on his return which shows he is a well known personality, but 20 mins into the movie same Rajini is seen telling his life story to same youngsters who doesn't know anything about him.

Rajini as a super don - was he able to protect his people at least his gang, was he able to fight for them,Was he able to protect himself, did he had secret plans to vanquish his enemies.what happened in jail for 25 years and how could he be remembered by people even after 25 years. All these questions are unanswered or answered as no.

Overall Fans will watch whatever you show them.Others who are in dilemma need not watch. I will rate this as 6 only with respect to Rajini.

• MAGIZHCHI

Another Linga

[neosupreeth · 1/10 · 23 July 2016]

I am obviously a fan of Rajni. Did you expect a baasha or annamalai or padayappa or arunachalam. Then you are going to be heavily disappointed. Did you expect a college going kid post videos on YouTube about some random clips put together. This is it! This is the unpaid, group of novices who think they are good director, musician, editor etc. come together on the big screen. What a waste of Rajni.

Screenplay was the worst with no continuity. No relation from scene to scene. And to top it, the unwanted drag of the free life foundation scenes. There was no need for that entire organization, the people etc.

No background score except for a few places, and in places where there are - the neruppu da starts abruptly and ends before it can make an impact. What a terrible drag. Movie is only the teaser. 90 seconds. That is it.

I so happened to get super frustrated seeing the teaser, the marketing ploy which was clearly not the movie. The producer probably knew that he would not get the money if he had shown the movie for what it was. Ended up writing a fan fiction on my supreeth writes wordpress blog.

I spent 45$ for two tickets. Please trust this review and save your money. Not even worth your time on pirated leak. Please take care of your health, avoid the movie.

A one time watch??? Hell No for a Rajini fan, for others a big YES !

[visharl · 10/10 · 23 July 2016]

Am Back! I am back as the same youth I left 25 years ! This is a famous dialogue from kabali by Rajinikanth. Perhaps it holds the best for the movie as director Pa Ranjith has loaded it with enough elements that every Rajinikanth fan would lve and make it a movie to cherish. Produced by kalaipuli S Thanu in a grand budget, Kabali is a entertaining and mass engaging stuff with enough in it to give goosebumps of you are an ardent follower of Rajinikanth. Knowing what fans of Rajinikanth would want, Ranjith has spread the commercial elements in his style. One we saw in his earlier films including Attakaththi and Madras. A social message is buried deep in the script. And with Rajinikanth at the scheme of things, it eventually gets bigger and better. All credit to the director. He holds a string grip over the movie and never compromises at places wherever essential. And Rajinikanth seems to have performed what his filmmaker wanted. At regular intervals, there are mass elements that fans will go berserk in theaters. Besides Rajinikanth, there is Radhika Apte playing the female lead, while Dhanshikaa, Rithyvika, Kalaiarasan, John Vijay, Kishore and Chinese actor Winston Chao are in the cast.G Murali is behind the leans and Santosh Narayanan scoring music. Set predominantly in Malaysia, the movie is adrenaline pumping action scenes with enough emotional elements, quite like in any Ranjith film. Every character has been carefully etched by Ranjith and they all have a part to play in the film. And as man of the masses, rajinikanth had always enthused the fan by setting the screen on fire. Here too, he does the same but in style and with a difference. Murali's camera captures Malaysian lifestyle in colorful way and Santosh Narayanan's music compliments the story well. His Neruppu Da and Maya Nadhi are huge hits among music-lovers. Praveen with his crisp editing makes it a short and sweet affair. Coming to the story, Kabali is about a gangster. An international don. Kabaleeswaran also called Kabali (Rajinikanth) is simple man but with a lot of principles. And his better half Kumdhavalli (Radhika Apte) is his life. Kabali has a purpose to serve in his life. It is about his travails for Tamils plantation workers who are unfairly treated by a section.There he encounters problems. After coming out of prison, he treads a path that strikingly teaches the baddies a lesson.. There are flashback scenes where he looks youth that is sure to make his fans feel nostalgic. His costumes and body language helps him in a great manner. The stunt sequences are enthralling. And in one word, kabali marvels you. The vintage Rajinikanth is back. He has replied all those who wrote him off after Lingaa debacle in style with Kabali. Kabali is a movie that deserves a engaging watch. With a super screen presence of Rajinikanth and effective handling of the theme by Ranjith, Kabali ends up as one of the best films from superstar's hut. A good movie is one which should sync the story line with the actors, ‪#‎kabali‬ is one such which makes you feel there are no overtones and displays brilliantly, the maturity of the legend-‪ #‎rajinikanth‬. Simple and straight forward story, no exaggerations. Those initial reviews which spoke about certain over tones, trust me you have Ur views clouded. Not a typical rajini film with blockbuster action sequences and hard hitting punch dialogues. But the story is subtle, with the right proportion of aggression. The movie had much stronger resemblances to the god father story specially the way story and action runs. Final Verdict: A one time watch??? Hell No for a Rajini fan, for others a big YES !

Watch it for Super Star

[damuvt · 7/10 · 23 July 2016]

Movie story is not that great and goes in a slow pace. However, this movie is all about his style and dialogue delivery. Fights scenes are pretty good, done in a classic manner. Overall, it's worth a watch to see him after a long time. Fights scenes could have been more as he is a renowned Don, his power should have been used frequently in the movie. His entrance scene is just awesome. Malaysia was shown in a bad manner, not sure if this was true and could have hurt Malaysians. His death was unnecessary at the end. Major scenes are shown in trailers itself and there isn't too many when you go to watch on screen. After saying all these points, am I disappointed? Answer is just no, it is just too good to watch him on screen with Whistles, Claps etc., I just loved it till the end.

Kabali just falls flat.

[binducherungath · 4/10 · 24 July 2016]

Kabali is the much awaited film of the superstar of our country Rajnikanth, directed by PA. Ranjith. It is even a futile attempt on my part to review films of living legend like Rajnikanth. Every time, when Rajnikanth aka Talaivaar's film releases, it is a celebration time for the viewers. And this time, Rajnikanth-Kabali-mania went up to the extent of states declaring holiday on its 1st day of release, scheduling early morning shows like 4.30AM also in the list. As per a joke circulating in the social media, it is true that when Rajnikanth's film is released, holiday is declared. I really don't want to review this film which is going to be recorded in the history of Indian Cinema for the kind of hype and hysteria it created much before its release.

Having said all these, I would like to convey through this piece of writing that Kabali is a very mediocre film. Many of you might feel that I am not doing justice to a film of Rajnikanth by calling it a mediocre film. How a film with an artist of such caliber can be a mediocre film? But as I have always maintained, my film reviews are absolutely my personal opinion about how a particular film came across to me. The plot had the potential, but it actually didn't work at all. It is also said that Rajnikanth's character Kabali is inspired from a real time don of Chennai. I strongly feel that Kabali lacks Rajnikanth elements.

The film begins with high profile police officers of Malaysia discussing the pros and cons of releasing Kabali. Ultimately, decision is taken to release Kabali. After 25 years of imprisonment in Malaysian jail, Kabali (Rajnikanth) is released who was convicted for being an initiator of a massacre that killed many including his pregnant wife Rupa (Radhika Apte). Ameer (John Vijay) is the right hand of Kabali, who arranges a grand welcome for Kabali. Once released from the jail, Kabali goes to visit his charitable school Free Life foundation, which is basically a rehabilitation center for kids, teens, youth who got involved in some criminal activities. Kabali has no qualms in accepting that he is a Gunda, although an educated one. Jeeva (Dinesh Ravi) joins Kabali as his aide. Tony Lee (Winston Chao) and Veera (Kishore) are constantly in look out for Kabali, and they do damage lot of business of Kabali. Tony Lee, a Chinese person, runs lot of rackets that of drug trafficking, prostitution, gambling etc.

When the story move to the flashback, one gets to understand that how Kabali, grandson of a poor migrant labourer, grows to be the leader of a gang by fighting for the rights of Indian workers working in Malaysia. The demand was to get equal rights for the marginalized Indian workers with the locals and Chinese people working there. Kabali was always well-dressed in suits, he took pride of the same, and it was all about creating an impact. He even conveys a dialogue that there was a reason Babasaheb Ambedkar always wore a suit and Mahatma Gandhi never did.

As he grew to the leadership position, he developed many enemies also in and around him and became victim to one such conspiracy, where mass killings happened and he was jailed for being accountable for the same. And now, released after a period of 25 years, he does intend to take revenge. But his enemies Tony Lee and Kishore plant Yogi (Dhansika) to kill Kabali.

Film moves ahead with a very much predictable and clichéd plot. Rather the film is in fragments, and does not generate any pathos at all. What happens to the revenge saga of Kabali? What all challenges Tony Lee and Kishore throw in front of Kabali? What shape does the inter-gang rivalry take? Does the film is dominated with just the gun shots? Does Yogi become successful in killing Kabali?

Kabali film as such has lot of challenges, it never picks up, be it its story, screenplay, dialogues, music, logical sequencing of events, editing etc. I watched Hindi version, so, I have no idea, whether the dialogues lost its essence while translating from Tamil to Hindi. Very poorly written dialogues. Somehow, Kabali is not a Rajanikanth film at all. Radhika Apte's presence is indeed noticeable. Rest of the cast are loud, weird at times.

Kabali just falls flat. As a fan of Rajnikanth, I never wanted Kabali to fail, but with great pain and disappointment, I have to ignore the incredible screen presence of Rajnikanth and the beautiful frame of Radhika Apte. I choose to rate Kabali as an average film.

I Liked...

[RosanaBotafogo · 7/10 · 7 June 2020]

I liked, by far, not the best of the Indians, but the joint production with Malaysia yielded a good film, some uncomfortable and artificial situations, almost vexatious, but it involves and captivates us ...