Kallappadam

3/23/2015

After last week's Rajathandhiram, here's another heist movie. But this time, the setting is Kollywood, and the protagonists are aspirants in the film industry — a director, a cinematographer, a music director and an editor — who are waiting for their big break. Interestingly, these characters are played by the film's actual technicians themselves — Vadivel, Sreeram Santhosh, K and Gaughin. While this lends some amount of authenticity, the performances are strictly functional. Also, Kallappadam is not as slick as Rajathandhiram; it is earthier and somewhat melodramatic. Vadivel wants to make his first film on a koothu artist, in memory of his father, a koothu artist himself, who had committed suicide when the art form loses in popularity to light music and dance. His three friends want