New Delhi: Inspector Mahima Basor (Sanya Malhotra), along with her colleagues, is assigned the oddest case of her career. Yashowardhan Mishra's ‘Kathal: A Jackfruit Mystery’ set in the made-up town of Moba, is inspired by a strange event of the disappearance of two Malaysia’s Uncle Hong jackfruits from the yard of a politician (Vijay Raaz).
‘Kathal’, produced by Guneet Monga, has a raw flavour (be it the language and cinematography) that makes it look like a feel-good movie. It is a mystery drama that covers grounds of layered societal stigma, sexism, minority victimisation and political indifference but does it with fun and music.
Mahima is ordered to find the precious 15 kilos of jackfruits by hook or crook and as she dives into the case, she discovers an unexpected twist in her inquiry. A poor man's daughter goes missing, but the cops are too busy looking for kathals to worry about him. She discovers that she can "kill two birds with one stone" by combining this investigation into two different cases involving the same girls.
From her flawless imitation of Mahima's accent to her natural flair for the job, Sanya Malhotra proves she has what it takes to portray any role.
The uniqueness of ‘Kathal’ lies in the selection of its great characters. While Sanya Malhotra steals the show as the lead, everyone in the film contributes significantly. Anuj (Rajpal Yadav), a nosy reporter for Moba News, is persistently looking for insights about the crime. Raghuvir Yadav stole the show with his few last-minute appearances, giving the movie a much-needed boost in the climax.
Brijendra Kala, as a forensics specialist, had the potential to create a unique persona if he had been given the freedom to do so.
Vijay Raaz’s portrayal of Moba's MLA exemplified a self-serving, unscrupulous, and nasty politician who used his position and the city's resources for his own advantage. He has done a fine job with his character.
Anant Joshi, Neha Saraf, Brijendra Kala and Govind Pandey, to name a few of the supporting cast, all do excellent work in their parts.
The makers smoothly addressed corrupt bureaucracy and the fact that the police are always at the disposal of those at the top of the social hierarchy. As mentioned in one of the dialogues, "We go by the IPC: Indian Political Code."
Even the film opens with Mahima disguising herself as a rural sweetheart in order to catch a rapist. In a news conference, her superior claims credit for her assignment despite the inherent risk it entails. This clearly shows the system's insensitivity towards the police force.
At the same time, 'Kathal' avoids portraying police in the usual conventional ways, which often include them being portrayed as either brutal or macho or very righteous. The characters here are sympathetic yet fallible, making them easy to identify with.
The writer-director uses witty, understated humour to critique the pervasive casual misogyny and caste inequality in India. One instance is when the MLA requests for Gangajal to be sprinkled over the carpet where Inspector Mahima, a member of a lower caste, was standing.
Mahima's love involvement with an upper caste constable, and her worry about being one rung above him in their profession, is a great detail that demonstrates she is not immune to the social pressures that affect the rest of us.
Yashowardhan Mishra deserves praise for deftly handling such weighty topics while being respectful of their gravity.
We see in ‘Kathal’ that casteism is rife in our nation and that only those in positions of authority are protected from its harmful effects. This film has a lot in common with the new Amazon Prime series ‘Dahaad’, although it's much more of a comedy.
The dramatisation becomes overbearing at times and the plot becomes tediously anticipated. There is a lack of time and comic rhythm in the film's final brawl on a terrace, making it utterly clumsy.
The film’s narrative manages to be both a lighthearted comedy and a biting satire. The strength of Yashowardhan Mishra's movie is its simplicity and conviction but it doesn't provide much in the way of mystery. The film gets a bit of a slog in between but it's worth watching the cast’s efforts.
The film ‘Kathal: A Jackfruit Mystery’ is now available on Netflix.