Kutty Story movie review: Anthology with quirky ideas but problematic execution - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Kutty Story movie review: Anthology with quirky ideas but problematic execution

ByHaricharan Pudipeddi
Feb 12, 2021 02:21 PM IST

Kutty Story is a cocktail of love stories with some quirky twists. Except for Nalan’s refreshing short on male insecurity in a marriage, other shorts come across as promising but never work wholesomely.

Kutty Story

Vinoth and Amala Paul in Gautham Vasudev Menon's short film.
Vinoth and Amala Paul in Gautham Vasudev Menon's short film.

Director: Gautham Menon, Vijay, Venkat Prabhu and Nalan Kumaraswamy

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Cast: Amala Paul, Gautham Menon, Vinoth Kishan, Megha Akash, Amitash Pradhan, Sakshi Aggarwal, Sangeetha, Aditi Balan and Vijay Sethupathi

It suddenly feels like the season of anthologies. After Putham Pudhu Kaalai and Paava Kadhaigal, Kutty Story is the latest anthology to come out of Tamil cinema. It’s also the first Tamil anthology film featuring four directors to release in cinemas. Headlined by some really popular Tamil filmmakers such as Gautham Menon, Vijay, Venkat Prabhu and Nalan Kumaraswamy, Kutty Story is a cocktail of love stories with some quirky twists. Except for Nalan’s refreshing short on male insecurity in a marriage, other shorts come across as promising but never work wholesomely.


Gautham Menon’s short talks about platonic relationships. Throughout the course of the short, we hear dialogues like a man and a woman can never be friends. The story is centered on Adhi (Vinoth) and Mrinalini (Amala Paul) who’ve been friends for the longest time but they’ve shared one intimate moment many years ago. Adhi continues to believe that he and Mrinalini have always maintained a platonic relationship and have been well aware of the invisible line that differentiates friendship and love. However, many years later, both of them realize they had feelings for each other but it’s too late to do anything about it.

If there’s one Tamil filmmaker who has championed the urban romance space, it is undoubtedly Gautham Menon. His mature take on platonic relationship – which is rarely discussed at length in Tamil cinema – deserves praise and he extracts beautiful performances from his lead cast, especially from Amala Paul. But Gautham’s effort to commercialize the story with the help of Robo Shankar’s comedy is probably why the short is problematic. Gautham preempts audiences’ reaction and conveys it through the scenes featuring Robo Shankar, who jokes about how a boy can kiss a girl on her cheek when they’re having an intimate moment and not take it all the way. These scenes take away all the sensibility out of Gautham’s intent to talk maturely about platonic relationships and it gets flat-out annoying after a point.

A still from Nalan Kumarswamy's short featuring Vijay Sethupathi as an insecure husband.
A still from Nalan Kumarswamy's short featuring Vijay Sethupathi as an insecure husband.


Vijay’s short about unplanned pregnancy could’ve been handled in a better way. To some extent the story takes a mature stand on the topic but the ending is a major disappointment. It leaves one confused about the filmmaker’s stand on pregnancy and abortion. The short feature Amitash and Megha Akash in the lead and it’s the latter who impresses here.

Venkat Prabhu’s short is about two avid gamers who fall in love without seeing each other. It’s easily the most creative idea of the lot, and it makes for an interesting watch. It features extensive footage of gaming animation, and we see two characters bonding over a game. The exciting premise doesn’t translate into an engaging story with characters worth rooting. The twist in the climax is slightly underwhelming, too.

Also read: Aamir Khan’s daughter Ira Khan confirms relationship with fitness trainer Nupur Shikhare. See adorable photos

Nalan Kumarswamy’s short about a couple during the pandemic is easily the best segment of the anthology. It talks about male insecurity when a husband, who is confronted by his wife for cheating on her, learns that she has cheated on him many years ago. The short talks about the element of sanctity in a marriage and how it applies to both husband and the wife. Nalan takes a very bold approach but his treatment is light-hearted, as it leaves one chuckling away right till the end. The Nalan – Vijay Sethupathi combination clicks once again and it’s refreshing to see the filmmaker spring back in action after a long hiatus.

Oscars 2024: From Nominees to Red Carpet Glam! Get Exclusive Coverage on HT. Click Here

Get more updates from Bollywood, Hollywood, Music and Web Series along with Latest Entertainment News at Hindustan Times.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On