Kadaram Kondan

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Kadaram Kondan
File:Kadaram Kondan.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRajesh M. Selva
Produced byKamal Haasan
R. Ravindran
Written byRajesh M. Selva
StarringVikram
Music byGhibran
CinematographySrinivas R. Gutha
Edited byPraveen K. L.
Production
company
Distributed byTrident Arts
Release date
  • 19 July 2019 (2019-07-19)
Running time
114 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Kadaram Kondan (transl. Conqueror of Kadaram) is a 2019 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by Rajesh M. Selva and produced by Kamal Haasan. The film stars Vikram in the lead role and Akshara Haasan and Abi Hassan in supporting roles. It was shot between September 2018 and January 2019, and released on 19 July 2019, along with its Telugu-dubbed version Mr. KK. It is an official remake of the 2010 French film Point Blank.[1]

Plot[edit]

A middle-aged man breaks out of an office at the Petronas Towers after a botched robbery, while being chased by two assassins. When they corner him, the man is hit by a bike and sustains severe injuries, leaving him in a coma.

Meanwhile, Vasu Rajagopalan, a doctor who has recently moved to Kuala Lumpur along with his pregnant wife Aatirah, is assigned to the hospital where the comatose robber has been admitted to. After botching a murder attempt on the robber's life, he contacts the police, which assigns Inspector Kalpana Rangaswamy to the case. She gives Vasu her contact number, advising him to call her if he finds anything suspicious. Upon returning home, a man attacks Vasu and knocks him out, before kidnapping Aatirah. When Vasu comes to his senses, he gets a call from the assailant, who orders him to release the robber from the hospital in exchange for Aatirah. Meanwhile, Kalpana discovers the identity of the robber - KK, a notorious criminal and ex-police commando wanted for burglary and contraband dealing. She rushes to the hospital with her associates - Navin and Catherine, narrowly missing Vasu, who had managed to exfiltrate KK from the hospital.

Kalpana's rival team, headed by Assistant Commissioner Vincent Rajadurai, notorious for their brutal way of solving criminal cases, is also on the heels of KK's case. He explains to Kalpana that KK is connected to the recent murder of a wealthy industrialist and warns her to step aside, to which she refuses. Meanwhile, Vasu demands KK to release Aatirah at KL Sentral, in exchange for him to be delivered safely, to which he agrees. At the exchange point, Aatirah and KK are almost on the verge of being exchanged, but the two assassins who had pursued KK earlier arrive, forcing the duos to escape. The assailant brings Aatirah back to his hideout, but is killed by the two assassins, who forcefully abduct Aatirah.

Vasu and KK take refuge at KK's safehouse. While KK is distracted, Vasu manages to contact Kalpana, alerting her of his dire situation. Kalpana arrives at the safehouse, but not before Vincent's team does. She is then shot dead by Vincent, who is revealed to be a dirty cop. After Vincent leaves, KK manages to subdue his captors and injures one of Vincent's men - Umar, demanding the truth behind his botched burglary attempt. Umar reveals to KK that he was merely a pawn in Vincent's criminal deeds; Vincent had been hired by a businessman to kill his father - the industrialist, in order for the latter to inherit his father's wealth. Vincent had recorded the event on a spy camera and had arranged for his colleague, Anand Makaio - KK's boss, to cover their tracks. Makaio had sent KK to the industrialist's office at the Petronas Towers in the name of retrieving the files of his criminal cases. In reality, it was a trap set by Vincent, who had to have someone framed for the murder. Vincent's men (the two assassins) had attempted to murder KK as well (as shown in the film's beginning); they had retreated after KK's accident.

The police arrive at the safehouse, forcing KK and Vasu to escape. Vasu is framed for Kalpana's murder, making him a wanted fugitive. The police chase the duo around the city, but they fail to catch them. Vasu begs KK to save his wife, to which he consents. KK coordinates with his associates and forms a plan to save Aatirah; Vasu learns that Aatirah's kidnapper was actually KK's younger brother, Nanda. KK corners Makaio and has him create a diversion in order to distract Vincent, before killing him for his betrayal. Meanwhile, Aatirah is taken into police custody under Vincent's watch; he plans to have her murdered after killing Vasu.

The next day, KK puts his plan into action - he and his associates coordinate mass robberies across the city and have the culprits arrested by the police under Vincent's jurisdiction, thus creating mass chaos at his police station. As KK had expected, Vincent leaves to meet Makaio (as part of the diversion). With Vincent out of the way, KK and Vasu infiltrate the police station under the guise of police officers and attempt to break into Vincent's safe - which contains the footage of the industrialist's murder. Annie, Vincent's colleague, attempts to have Aatirah murdered. She is incapacitated by Vasu, but not before she manages to injure Aatirah. Vincent, upon discovering Makaio's murder, deduces KK's deception and rushes back. He fights with KK, resulting in the latter knocking the former out. KK acquires the pen drive containing the footage of the assassination and plants it on Vasu, who has been captured by Catherine. She discovers the pen drive in Vasu's pocket and plays it, exposing Vincent, who is then arrested for his criminal deeds. Vasu is released and is escorted to the hospital where Aatirah has been admitted to; she is shown to have narrowly avoided a miscarriage. She gives birth to a healthy daughter and has an emotional reunion with Vasu, while KK silently escapes, having taken his revenge.

Seven years later, on Vasu's daughter's birthday, Vasu and Aatirah discover that Vincent has been murdered under mysterious circumstances while on parole. They also receive a gift from KK - containing a necklace that Aatirah had once worn - implying that KK had murdered Vincent.

Cast[edit]

Production[edit]

Film producer Chandrahasan initially wanted to make a film under his banner Raaj Kamal Films International with his brother Kamal Haasan starring and Rajesh Selva directing. Selva got this offer immediately after the release of his Thoongaa Vanam, which also starred Kamal. But Kamal became busy in his political career, so Selva instead approached Vikram who agreed to act in the still-untitled film after being impressed with the story Selva narrated to him. Chandrahasan later died, therefore he could not produce the project.[12]

On 30 August 2018, Kamal officially announced the still-untitled film which he would produce with Selva directing, while Vikram, Akshara Haasan, and Abi Hassan would star.[13] Srinivas R. Gutha was announced as the cinematographer,[14] while Praveen K. L. joined as editor. The film, which was co-produced by R. Ravindran of Trident Arts,[15] began filming on the same day.[16] The film's title Kadaram Kondan and first look poster were revealed on 6 November, the eve of Kamal's birthday.[17] The film was shot in Kuala Lumpur for a month,[18] where the shooting schedule ended in late November.[14] Principal photography ended on 9 January 2019, with the exception of a song sequence and "a few patch works".[19]

Soundtrack[edit]

The soundtrack is composed by Ghibran, continuing his association with the director and Kamal after Thoongaa Vanam.[13] The music rights were bought by Muzik 247.[20]

Kadaram Kondan
Soundtrack album by
Ghibran
Released1 May 2019 (First Single)
10 July 2019 (Second Single)
22 July 2019 (Third Single)
Recorded2019
GenreFeature film soundtrack
Length10:59
LanguageTamil
LabelMuzik 247
Ghibran chronology
Athiran
(2019) 		Kadaram Kondan
(2019) 		Rakshasudu
(2019)
Kadaram Kondan at YouTube

Thaarame Thaarame at YouTube

Theesudar Kuniyuma at YouTube
Tamil Tracklist
No. TitleSinger(s) Length
1. "Kadaram Kondan"  Shruti Haasan, Shabir 3:18
2. "Thaarame Thaarame"  Sid Sriram 3:48
3. "Theesudar Kuniyuma"  Vikram 3:53
Total length:
 10:59
Telugu Tracklist
No. TitleSinger(s) Length
1. "Mr.KK"  Aditya Iyengar, Geetha Madhuri 3:18
2. "Okka Nuvvu Chaalu"  Anudeep Dev 3:48
3. "Vikramarkuda Go Go Go"  Revanth 4:10
Total length:
 11:16

Release[edit]

Kadaram Kondan was released on 19 July 2019, alongside its Telugu-dubbed version Mr. KK.[21]

Box office[edit]

According to trade estimates, Kadaram Kondan collection managed to rake in Rs 50 crore in the opening weekend at the box office.[22]

Critical reception[edit]

M. Suganth of The Times of India wrote, "The action scenes make Kadaram Kondan a visceral experience, even though Rajesh Selva’s filmmaking falls short on flair. As long as we get a chase or a shootout, the film feels thrilling enough. It is only in the quieter moments, like the initial scenes that set up the story, that get us restless. Thankfully, Ghibran’s energetic wall-to-wall score lends the film momentum. And Vikram ensures that we don’t leave disappointed".[23]

Srivatsan S of The Hindu wrote, "A ‘time bomb’ narrative that takes a while to explode. But when it does, it's a smart guessing game".[24]

India Today reviewer Kirubhakar Purushothaman rated the film 3 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Kadaram Kondan is a decent entertainer if one is ready to overlook a few silly contrivances and over-the-top heroism".[25]

Baradwaj Rangan of Film Companion wrote "We want a series of set pieces that tumble into one another with wit and elegance and heart-stopping precision. What we get is indifferently staged “scenes” that feel distant and disconnected. (The least you expect in these films is technique.)"[26]

Controversy[edit]

Although 90 percent of the film was shot in Malaysia, it was not released there. According to Lotus Five Star, holder of the film's distribution and theatrical rights in Malaysia, the film was banned per orders of LPF (Film Censorship Board of Malaysia) due to the story's portrayal of the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) in a negative light and for portraying police officers as corrupt and for scenes which supposedly inaccurately and misleadingly represent the police force. In addition, the makers of the film failed to get necessary police permits to shoot scenes in Malaysia; the Malaysian law requires that film production receives permission from the relevant authorities such as FINAS, PUSPAL and others before shooting.[27][28][29]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ "'Kadaram Kondan'-A remake of French film 'Point Blank'?". Sify. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  2. ↑ "Kadaram Kondan teaser: Vikram plays the bad man in this Kamal Haasan production. Watch teaser". Hindustan Times. 15 January 2019. Archived from the original on 18 January 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  3. ↑ Kumar, Pradeep (6 July 2019). "'Kadaram Kondan' is my shot at redemption: Akshara Haasan". The Hindu. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  4. ↑ Kumar, Pradeep (10 July 2019). "'I didn't get 'Kadaram Kondan' because I'm Nasser's son,' says Abi Haasan". The Hindu. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 S, Srivatsan (24 July 2019). "Vikram and Rajesh M Selva on the set of 'Kadaram Kondan'". Times of India. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  6. ↑ RaajKamal Films International (6 July 2019). "Our talented actor from Singapore Puravalan as Navin! #KKCharacters #Kadaram Kondan #KKFromJuly19". Facebook. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  7. ↑ RaajKamal Films International (6 July 2019). "Our daring Ravindra as Umar Ahamed! #KKCharacters #Kadaram Kondan #KKFromJuly19". Facebook. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  8. ↑ Paresh, Heera (19 July 2019). "'Kadaram Kondan' Review: High on action, thrilling in parts". Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  9. ↑ RaajKamal Films International (6 July 2019). "Our super talented Rajesh Kumar as Amaldas David! #KKCharacters #Kadaram Kondan #KKFromJuly19". Facebook. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  10. ↑ Sathiabalan, S. Indra (19 July 2019). "Taking that leap to be an actress". The Sun Daily. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  11. ↑ RaajKamal Films International (6 July 2019). "Our charming Siddhartha as Nandha! #KKCharacters #Kadaram Kondan #KKFromJuly19". Facebook. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  12. ↑ LMK (8 February 2019). "Kamal Haasan's exit from Kadaram Kondan makes way for Chiyaan Vikram". In.com. Archived from the original on 9 February 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Kamal Haasan's film with Vikram & Akshara Haasan launched". The Times of India. 30 August 2018. Archived from the original on 21 September 2018. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Kadaram Kondan Malaysian schedule wrapped". Cinema Express. 30 November 2018. Archived from the original on 10 December 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  15. ↑ "Vikram's Kadaram Kondan teaser topped YouTube trends". Sify. 16 January 2019. Archived from the original on 9 February 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  16. ↑ "Kamal Haasan's Vikram-starrer starts rolling". Deccan Chronicle. 1 September 2018. Archived from the original on 19 September 2018. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  17. ↑ "Kadaram Kondan first look: Handcuffed Chiyaan Vikram manoeuvres your mind with his new avatar". The New Indian Express. 6 November 2018. Archived from the original on 6 November 2018. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  18. ↑ "Chiyaan Vikram's next titled 'Kadaram Kondan'". The Times of India. 7 November 2018. Archived from the original on 23 December 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  19. ↑ Chakraborthy, Antara (9 January 2019). "Vikram's Kadaram Kondan wraps up shooting". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 10 January 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  20. ↑ "Chiyaan Vikram's action-packed 'Kadaram Kondan' trends on YouTube". Manorama Online. 16 January 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  21. ↑ "Chiyaan Vikrams Kadaram Kondan to release on July 19". Sify. 3 July 2019. Archived from the original on 3 July 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  22. ↑ "Kadaram Kondan box office collection: Chiyaan Vikram starrer beats big Hollywood movie The Lion King, earns this big amount - Rs 50 crore!". zeebiz.com. 22 July 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  23. ↑ Suganth, M. (19 July 2019). "Kadaram Kondan Movie Review". The Times of India. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  24. ↑ S, Srivatsan (19 July 2019). "'Kadaram Kondan' review: Vikram cakewalks through this quite engaging thriller". The Hindu. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  25. ↑ Purushothaman, Kirubhakar (19 July 2019). "Kadaram Kondan review: Vikram and Rajesh M Selva pull off a neat thriller". India Today. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  26. ↑ Rangan, Baradwaj (23 July 2019). "Kadaram Kondan: A Flat Thriller That Dares You To Care". Film Companion. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  27. ↑ "LPF nafi Kadaram Kondan tak ditayang kerana tajuk". MalaysiaKini. 20 July 2019. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  28. ↑ "Reasons For Kadaram Kondan Ban Revealed!". Astro Ulagam. 20 July 2019. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  29. ↑ "Why is Vikram's Kadaram Kondan banned in this country?". International Business Times. 20 July 2019. Retrieved 25 July 2019.

External links[edit]

Template:Rajesh M. Selva

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