Kathir Review: Dhinesh Palanivel's Kathir is a heartwarming tale of a relationship between two unlikely people

Kathir, an engineering graduate, who is struggling to find a job in Chennai, develops a unique bond with his house owner and her inspiring past changes his perspective towards life

Story: A frustrated engineering graduate Kathir, who finds it hard to land a job in Chennai, develops a unique bond with his sexagenarian houseowner, Savithri. As they get to know each other better, Kathir develops a new outlook towards his life.

Review: Engineering graduate Kathir (Venkatesh) is a sluggard, who spends his days with his friends, drinking and picking up fights on the streets.One such fight leads his friends and him to enter the police station. When Kathir's father, a respected person in the village, father shares his disappointment about his son, a frustated Kathir immediately packs his bags and heads to Chennai, on the lookout for a job. 

While in the city, he gets off on a wrong note with his roommate's houseowner Savithri (Rajini Chandy), a middle-aged woman in her 60s. His attempts to land a decent job begins to look grim as he is rejected for his poor communication skills in English. As days goes by, his bond with the houseowner improves as he gets to know her better and begins to address her as paatti. Kathir opens up to his houseowner about his insecurities and soon regains his confidence. But things take a drastic turn, when something untoward happens in his hometown. As Kathir's confidence is shaken once again, Savithri reveals her past, which is an inspiring tale in himself. 

The plot of Kathir is simple - about the bond between two unlikely people and it has come out as heartwarming. Both Venkatesh and Rajini Chandy have put up a convincing performance, which seems effortless. There are many heartening scenes between the two - when Kathir, who struggles to speak in English, realises that Savithri is fluent in the language, the duo playing the game of chess and Savithri motivating Kathir whenever he is down, without appearing preachy at point of time and when they both share a hug.

Kathir's flashback portion is run-of-the-mill, but director Dhinesh Palanivel has thrown in some engaging moments there, thus keeping us hooked. However, certain scenes in the portion, like the one where a bunch of boys easily manage to get inside a women's hostel and threaten her, looks implausible. Deepshikha (Bhavya Trikha), who plays his girlfriend in college, has come out with a decent performance, too. 

Savithri's flashback portion, on the other hand, which has Santhosh Pratap, playing her husband and a communist leader, is quite an intriguing one and deserved more screen time. Santhosh Pratap has come out with a power-packed performance as a revolutionary, who fights for the rights of the oppressed communities. The portions take you to a different era itself, but at the same time, reminds you that despite all these years of attempting for social justice, we still have a long way to go. 

What turned out to be predictable is what Kathir decided to do after he lost one of his close friends. This time around, when Savithri is back home in Chennai, and Kathir seems to have lost direction in his life while in his hometown, we meet an elderly man, who guides them back on track. While the scenes segue into the next effortlessly in the first half, the continuity somewhere gets lost in the second half. Prashanth Pillai's songs and background score complements the scenes. 

Verdict: A feel-good watch that will not disappoint you!

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