User reviews

Kammattipadam, a film that puts even the most acclaimed directors at the risk of being ashamed of their own work. Rajeev Ravi is not only a director that excels at what he does best but also raises the bar for upcoming directors to match up with. And i here expected nothing less.

A film that was shunned by the censor board and labelled an 'A' rated film that subsequently etches into the mind of every Malayali that Kammattipadam is nothing short of a porno, it is backlash to all the haters. The film contains mild violence and yet succeeds in its own way to capture us into the thriving wetlands of Kammattipadam, in a long 4 hour thriller. The film is a bit long and can be a hefty work to sit and watch a drama that unfolds slowly and steadily to end in a simple, non dramatic way. The film's score was undoubted brilliant, essaying with the tone and atmosphere of the film so perfectly that we are not aware that the only characters we are submitted upon are Ganga and Krishna.

Of all the characters that was portrayed, Ganga's was THE best. Vinayakan has done a role so perfectly and exquisitely that we are left wondering whether he was born for this role. Dulquer has also given a terrific job at portraying the troubled young teen and slowly transforming into the role of the wise. An actor who came into the industry as the son of a established actor, Dulquer has made a stride in proving yet again that he has build his own empire right next to his father, possibly bigger.

Although Kammattipadam revolves around these handful of characters, it is not the tale that the director wants to tell us. It is the supreme tale of friendship, love, lust, greed and how time can transform everything into dust. Just like the rise and fall of many great empires, Rajeev Ravi has done a exemplar work in manifesting that theme into the thickness of the Urban wreck ; Ernakulam.

Kammattipadam might be a one-time watch, since the characters that we see cannot go through the same loop again, which would spoil the flow of the time-line that the city has grown into. But then again, Kammattipadam, as a film can be enjoyed thoroughly and for extremes, is a must watch film.

Overall a tale that need to be preserved for future so that they can know that we still made films that are not confined to our artistic abilities.

A Exemplar 9.5/ 10.

It deserves more, but the perfect score is for another kind , with another brilliant story.

Kammattipadam mourns the loss of innocence at the hands of the greedy, indifferent, and the deceitful. It is violent, like Ravi's other two movies. And it is unflinching. The film has noble intentions. It brings faces on screen that conventional Mollywood would never approve of. It takes their side and sings their songs.

Rajeev Ravi had earlier gave us films like Annayum Rasoolum and Njan Steve Lopez, which were realistic to the core and told love stories. Both those films got great appreciation from critics for its realistic portrayal of life, but failed to register its mark in Box office. So, this time he had tried to do a film which has some mass appeal as well. We can say that he become fully successful in that. But at the same time he kept the class which sets his film apart from usual entertainers. He narrated the film in a very different way and will be a treat for his followers.

Screenplay by P Balachandran also maintained a perfect pace and intensity throughout. The characterization and development of plot is the highlight of the film and Rajeev Ravi's craft is very much evident there.

Dulquer Salmaan gave a great performance as Krishnan and he is really improving as a actor. He really done a great job while portraying the different phases of Krishnan's life. He sported 3 different looks in this film and gave life to each phases with ease. Another great performance came from Vinayakan who was terrific as Gangan, the intimate friend of Krishnan. His change over for this character was too good. Manikantan, a theatre artiste, is perfect as Balan, Ganga's brother. Actors like Vinay Fort, P Balachandran, Suraj Venjarammoodu, Sine Tom Chacko, Alencier, Amalda Liz as Rosamma, Shaun Romy as Anitha, Muthumani, Anjali Aneesh Upasana, Manikandan, Soubin Shaheer, Alencier le, etc also done their part to perfection. Also there are numerous characters in the background who appear for less than a few minutes, yet create an indelible impression.

DOP by Madhu Neelakandan was one the highlights of this movie as his frames really set the atmosphere which the flick needed to tell the story convincingly. Music by John P Varkey and Vinayakan was very good as well and the background scoring was superb to say the least.

On the whole, Kammatipaadam is a realistic entertainer and those who loves these kind of films will be in for a treat.

Rajeev Ravi's third Malayalam venture is a not a so called clichéd gangster flick. Instead of being an action filled masala crap,kammatti paadam focuses in developing the characters. The characters feel so realistic. The script shows a huge potential in balancing the characters and their emotions. We actually care about them. The performance of the actors are excellent. Dulquer proves he's a class actor again by Continuing his dashing performance. But the real heroes are Vinayakan and Manikandan. Vinayakan gives his career best,while stage artist Manikandan pleases us with his extraordinary acting skill. In all, its a beautiful cinematic experience. But it is not everyone's cup of tea. If you know who Rajeev Ravi is and appreciate a well written, masterfully directed movie with amazing actors, go and see it. You will enjoy it for surely.

Some films just entertain. Some films move you and then there are films which entertain you, move you and makes you think and ponder over it. Kammatipaadam is one such film.

Brilliant Script, Excellent narrative style, Beautiful shots, Great Background Score, Superb Acting. Iam sure many will complain about its length but I don't see any other way the director could have done justice to this film.

Iam amazed at the craft and inspired by it. Iam an aspiring filmmaker myself and I truly thank everybody associated with this film for having made this film.

Rajeev Ravi's third feature film tells the story of a bunch of boys from an area in Ernakulam called Kammatti Paadam. They grew up to be what is colloquially called as members of a 'Quotation Team', a euphemism for the low rung enforcers of local mafia. The story follows them from their childhood to teenage years and then to mid- twenties and finally to when they are in their 40s.

The title, Kammatti Paadam, refers to an area of Ernakulam which lies to the back of KSRTC Bus Stand. It is basically a tale of the growth of the city told from the perspective of its main protagonists, characters played by Dulquer and Vinayakan. Film begins in the present with Dulquer struggling to stay alive in a bus to Ernakulam with a stab wound. The backstory is told using a well- known concept of 'Life flashes before your eyes just about when you are about to die' and the recent Malayalam film, James & Alice, is another one which employed the same. The basic concept of the film can be summed up as a representation of 'Gentrification' of Ernakulam city told through a bunch of characters who get gentrified in their life due to it. They were part of it both as people who helped in displacing the original people to make way for high-rise buildings and also as victims who got nowhere in their lives even as they were just used up by their paymasters.

A title of 'Once upon a time in Kammatti Paadam' would have been quite fitting for this film as it shares a lot with Sergio Leone's 'Once upon a time in America' in both its characterization and the way the story is told. It is also another film which begins its back-story through its main protagonist's memories as he lies in his deathbed. Only difference is that in Rajeev Ravi's film, the characters remain slumdogs. Another film that one would be reminded of is the Brazilian one- 'City of God' in terms of its rawness and the characters played by both Vinayakan and Manikandan, who revels in his role as the eldest gangster among them, would remind you of couple of characters from it.

It is overall a great watch even though the strength of the central relationship between Krishnan (Dulquer Salman) and Ganga (Vinayakan) is not quite convincing. I also had issue with some of the lazy narration in it, especially during scenes where some of the characters in the present tell Krishnan about when they had last seen Ganga. These are some things you would never expect from a Rajeev Ravi film who is quite known for his aversion to traditional narrative techniques. I also felt the light-weightiness of Dulquer's acting in many occasions. Rajeev Ravi is known for his tremendous casting of supporting characters and this one is no different with plenty of excellent new actors in it. One doesn't need to wax lyrical about cinematography in his films as it is quite understood how it is gonna be. Both his previous films, Annayum Rasoolum and Njan Steve Lopez, had quotation teams as characters and their influence in the films grew as he moved from former to latter. In his third film, they occupy almost the entire story. It is the least Rajeev Ravisque film out of the three and his weakest effort but it is still a great watch.

PS: It is quite ironic to see Dulquer Salman occupying almost all the space in its posters when it can be argued that Vinayakan is its central character. Maybe that is quite apt since the film is mainly about people who fall by the wayside.

Classic movie with Romance and Friendship forged with fight sequences and venegance. 4-4.5 hr movie was reduced to 3 hour movie. The real version to be released in to DVD. Im still not satisfied by watching it twice. Wanting to watch it more. Generic of its own. Script by Balachandran is Rock Solid. Thank you once again to Raheev Ravi for the classic & Balan chetan, Vinayakan and obviously DQ for the fantastic screen presence. Feels like im a member of Kammattippadam too. Music is 9/10 as it could have been used a bit more especially the track Para-Para. Overall movie is a allrounder and a lesson to other malayalam movie directors that "Hey bro, a movie can be shot this way too!!" Its a milestone for malayalam cinema. 90% REALISTIC TOO!!!! Thank you mammootty to presenting us with DULQUER SALMAAN. He was apt for the role because the salt and pepper is apt for prithvi but not nivin, same as with the teenage role vice versa. DQ masters both of them! Kammattipaadam is not a movie, its a feeling. Waiting to watch such movies in future...

Another golden age of Malayalam movies is back after two decades of sloppiness. Rajeev Ravi is back in form after Annayum Rasoolum. Stars are made when actors get in to characters and the same holds true for Manikantan, Vinayakan and Dulqer. The female leads are great as well. Shine Tom and Soubin have short but impactful characters. A tad too long. But enjoy the journey to Kammattipadam. The characters transform through 3 periods in history. The visuals, music and story intertwine in to a great cinema experience. One of the best gangster movies in malayalam. But is also an indication of caste struggles and how Kochi was built by displacing poor landowners to make sky scrappers.

Violence, drinking and everything your parents don't want you to be doing.Thats Kamattipadam because it is the life of a bunch of kids who grew up to become reckless thugs. I noticed that the actor who portrayed Dulquer Salmaan's youth did a great deal of homework to mimic Dq. Apart from all the violence there is a sideline romance between Anitha and Krishnan (Dulquer). The movie isn't sugarcoated in any manner. You don't look amazing in a slum and thats exactly what Ganga and Balan conveyed. In fact it was they who captured all the focus more than Dulquer.This isn't a movie about good guys and bad guys, it is about how the slum folks are used like pawns and thrown away for the gains of the rich class.It does not get preachy or anything which was a definite plus for me. Its life you can watch it like it or not you just have to accept it because it is a story inspired by real events, the folk songs also give an added feel to the movie. The story telling was a bit hard to catch on initially because it runs in three timelines. I didn't quite understand how the Anita Ganga thing work out. The movie doesn't end on a good note, well you cant expect a happy ending for gangsters. OVERALL THIS IS NOT A FAMILY MOVIE. DON'T SAY THE MOVIE WAS LOOSE AND FILLED WITH VIOLENCE AND ALCOHOL, WAKE UP ITS A GANGSTER MOVIE WHAT DID YOU EXPECT

Worth watching...Kammatipadam- a lesson of life.. I have watched this movie very recently and i wonder y i havent seen this earlier.. Excelent performance by everyone especially Dulquer and his his friend character..and Balan character too had class.. The story revolves around kochi and its ealrier days.describing 2 types of people and their families and their problems. Director has given a piece of cake in this movie ..excellent photography bringing Ealrier days of Kochi...and main thing was the screenplay..gives us a pleasing experience and edge of the seat till last of the scenes ...Friends and their consequences and unimaginable sequence of life that makes them and ultimately wat is life ..cleverly screeplayed ..and additionally music was one big support to the movie...Eventhough nearly 3 hrs a little lengthy yet didn't disappoint us

Kammattipaadam (2016): I have known lot of cool entertaining romantic films from Malayalam but I never expected a brutal intense film like Kammatipaadam.It resembles Kashyap's work with intense scenes and music.Its a rare feat done in Indian cinema which are attempted only by Anurag Kashyap and RGV.So how is it??

Plot: Kammatipaadam is a rural area where Krishnan (Dulquer Salman) life begins.He befriends Ganga (Vinayakan) and his gangster brother Balan(Manikantan) in his childhood.He also has crush on Ganga's relative Anita (Shaun Romy). The movie opens with aged Krishnan who is working in a security firm,Mumbai getting a call from Ganga indicating that he is in trouble.Since that call, Ganga goes missing.So Krishnan sets out his journey to search his friend and reviving his old memories.

Plus Points:

1)Performances: Kammatipaadam has realistic performances which perfectly showcases the rural gangsters life.Dulquer Salmaan gave a great performance as Krishnan and he is really is proving himself as a talent of Malayalam Cinema with every film. He really done a great job while portraying the different phases of Krishnan's life.Its entirely different Dulquer I have seen till now. Vinayakan was terrific as Ganga, the intimate friend of Krishnan.Manikantan is perfect as Balan.

2)Plot: Kammatipaadam has a great idea of making a movie which depicts the raw and disturbing life of rural area gangsters and their youth followers.

3)Direction: Rajeev Ravi's direction is terrific.Though he got inspired from Taratntino,Ritchie and Kashyap's work,he did splendidly well.

3)Music: Music is perfect.There are literally no songs except those which come in background.BGM is awesome and has Tarantino's mark.John P Varkey gave exceptional music.

Minus Points:

1)Duration: Kammatipaadam has lengthy duration of 2hr 57 min long which is quite uncomfortable for regular viewers.

2)Slow Pace at some parts: Kammatipaadam moves on a slow pace ate few parts which may test viewer's patience.

So,Kammatipaadam is an unusual brutal crime drama from Malayalam with brilliant performances and direction but its lengthy duration is major drawback.

My rating 6.75/10

This is a movie which is not for those who want to watch a completely entertaining thriller/action , but for those who want to see a documentary type/close to reality kind of drama.The treatment and style of the movie-making is similar to the movie 'Annayum Rasoolum' so those who enjoyed that movie will probably like this too.The biggest problem i found in the movie is that the first one hour or so of the movie is really entertaining and thrilling but the rest of the two hours does not match that and felt boring, the movie could have been cut short to a two hour movie so that it could become more enjoyable to the masses.

Performances of Vinayakan as 'ganga' and Manikandan as 'Balan' is really good,though a small role Soubin Shahir did really well as a negative character and his screen presence is amazing , Dulquer did an okay performance ,The heroine also did good. The bgm of the movie is also apt and soothing.The ending of the movie is not so great and felt mediocre, mostly because the movie dragged so much in the second half that the audience desperately want it end as early as possible.

This is a movie which is similar to Gangs of wasseypur and not everyone's cup of tea. There is nothing much to say about the story of the movie. If you are into appreciating the performances characters in a movie and would like some thrilling and comedic scenes and three hour+ runtime won't bother you then you gotta give this movie a try.

This is my first movie review for a website. Being a movie buff, I have always wanted to watch out for good and critically acclaimed movies (masala and non-masala), irrespective of the language (as long as there are sub-titles). Usually, Malayalam movies are known for their realism. Kammatti Paadam is no exception. Added to it, it has rawness. As I watched the movie, it took me a while to get involved in it. But, once I got used to the characters, it was quite tough to move away from them. The exotic locales, the houses, the dresses -- all theese make you feel, as if the incidents are happening near you. Coincidentally, i visited Cochin last year during my holidays. It added to my love for this movie. Agreed, the story line can be found similar to many such gangster movies. But, Kammatti Paadam has definitely something for it. It may not be an interesting watch for many viewers, but for movie buffs like, it is a great watch. The casting is pitch perfect !!

Kammattipadam is a Malayalam gangster movie. Many poor people lost their houses and land in Kammattipadam as part of the development of Kochi. The land mafia took over their land using gooms in Kammathippadam. The film tells the story of life and loss surrounding this incident. All the characters in this movie were really alive in this movie. The script of this film is very in-depth as well as the live music of the film. Director Rajeev Ravi and cinematographer Madhu Neelakanthan made a film beautiful. I recommend this is a must watch movie .My rating is 9/10.

An excellent drama film which brought us to somewhere else, because its Naturalistic, language and slang is very well in this movie throughout The movie gives some good messages too. It is a must watch movie, We can see a lot of changes in their characters and their dialogues Periodically. It is a fantastic ability of the actors and the director's brilliance. Each and every scene of this movie is enthusiastic. The dialogues and very touching and meaningful. The story is extraordinary. The whole crews effort can be seen in this film

A Pure cult classic which has a unique quality in characterization. It shows how equations in life change when money comes in. Through fascinating characters, it also analyses what happens when their personal and gangster phases collide.

The blood soaked life of Ganga makes us to understand the life of ground level gangster from their shoes and Krishnan, a good example on how to make decisions in life in order to make it a peaceful one.

Kammattipaadam is a mixture of various emotions and the sad story of a population that we tend to forget as we crave for more luxuries, narrated in a disturbingly true manner.

This movie talks about our society where children are pushed towards violence and how this affects not only them but their families too. Dulquer and Vinayakan's friendship and fun and friend turned enemy equations were good. The movie might not be liked by everyone as this might not be their cup of tea. Movie shows violence, struggle, and how people succumb to the situations that comes their way. The twist was good and I thoroughly enjoyed the movie.

Kammatti Paadam (2016) : Brief Review -

Malayalam Cinema's banal attempt to reorganize Sergio Leone's Classic 'Once Upon A Time In America' is somehow saved by Dulquer and Vinayakan's powerful performances. Hope you remember Sergio Leone's Classic OUTIA, a long-form saga of friendship and betrayal set in crime zone. Malayalam crime-action drama Kammatti Paadam has many references from that classic. Many scenes resembles to that film and even the entire storytelling idea is very much similar. Let me make it clear, i am not calling it a remake of OUTIA, i am just saying it is kind of adaption with some needful changes here and there. The basic script also looks similar, two best friends rise in crime world, one betrays another and then part ways and even his lady is taken by another one. It's all there but with different background and different conditions. Krishnan, who has been living away from his family and friends in Mumbai, gets a call from his friend Ganga in Kerala, out of the blue. He senses danger, and leaves for Kammattipadam, where both of them grew up. It's an action-packed, violent film with intensely running screenplay but the problem is, it's too long. And even bigger problem is, despite long runtime it doesn't clarify many Important conflicts of the storyline. Thankfully, the film is charged up by the powerful performances of male duo Dulquer Salmaan and Vinayakan. The supporting cast is fine too despite less screen space except for Manikandan, who has plenty of screentime. The screenplay might not feel boring but it is not engaging either, especially in repeat watch. The dialogues are decent, action is superb, cinematography is average and Direction of Rajeev Ravi is fairly good. With better conclusion, Kammatti Paadam would have been a great film but for now it's nothing special. I strongly deny high ratings of fandoms.

RATING - 6/10*

By - #samthebestest.

Kammatipaadam is a gritty, testosterone-driven crime drama that also happens to be one of the most visually striking cinematic pieces ever made in Malayalam. The screenplay by P Balachandran does not hold many surprises in store for the discerning viewer, but is upheld righteously owing to some knockout performances. Leading the pack is Manikandan who plays the role of Balettan, the dark-skinned thug who carves a niche out for himself with his don't-give-a-crap attitude and daredevil antics, indirectly becoming an idol to his brother Ganga, played superbly by Vinayakan and his buddy Krishnan, played by none other than Dulquer Salmaan.

The coming-of-age portions are dealt with in a rather light-hearted fashion but with shades of grey and ample splashes of gore. The actors playing the younger selves of Ganga and Krishnan are also impressive and bring in enough charm to keep the viewer engrossed in the process of their upbringing. Few incidents of gang-wars, bloodshed and bootlegging leave a mark in their lives and these portions are handled deftly by director Rajeev Ravi. How violence becomes an integral aspect of their lives is portrayed effectively in the initial flashback bits. The romantic angle is also not forced at all, and possesses its own charm, blending smoothly with the scenario. Probably the only time the proceedings looked slightly contrived was during the prison fight sequence, which appears like it has been added merely to give DQ an opportunity to exhibit his superstar prowess.

The characterization of the three leads is something that deserves a special mention. Although Kammatipaadam is a film that runs close to 180 minutes, the director makes sure that the enchanting spell he has seemingly cast on the viewer is sustained from the very first shot of a stabbed Krishnan, trying to get onto a bus and ends up hazily reminiscing his good old days in chronological fashion. The musical score by K is absolutely outstanding and undoubtedly worthy of a standing ovation. His work in Yuddham Sei, Annayum Rasoolum and Kirumi may have helped in the industry taking notice of his talent, but Kammatipaadam validates his position amongst the best BGM composers in South India today. A delightful cocktail of instrumentals and blend of various musical styles, the background score of Kammatipaadam is certainly one of its unique selling points.

The cinematography by Madhu Neelakantan brilliantly captures the emotions of each of the characters and fuses them effectively against the backdrop of an evolving Ernakulam city. The narrative tries to elucidate how the current city took shape through the lives of these not-so-endearing local thugs. How the richer section of the society manipulated the lower strata for their own benefits and the take- over by the real estate mafia, are depicted in glorious fashion. There are quite a few standout scenes that will linger in your memory long after you've seen the film. Like when Balan tells his grandpa that the farming skills they have imbibed from their forefathers are of zilch utility in a place that is filling up with flats and factories. The ardent film-buff in me will never forget Manikandan's and Vinayakan's performances in Kammatipaadam. Credit should also go the supporting cast that includes Vinay Forrt, Shine Tom Chacko, Shaun Romy, Amalda Liz, Alancier, Suraaj Venjaramoodu, Anil Nedumangad, Soubin Shahir (he will surprise you as Karate Biju!), the writer P Balachandran himself and an array of actors many of whom I am not able to recall by name (like the ones who played Ganga's father and grandpa).

Those who still haven't watched the film citing too much violence as a reason, I urge those people to do so, invoking that very reason. The violence delineated in this film is out of necessity, and not in the name of mindless masala. This is crime-drama at its finest, people!

It has a good story, and a nice script. The non-linear narrative maybe a problem for some but I enjoyed it. Acting by Vinayakan and Manikandan stood out. They were very good. Supporting actors too were very good. Even Shane Nigam.

Dq looked like an odd one out. He didn't fit into the role of a gangster kind of guy. He looked too formal and classy. Could've did something at least to his costume to make him look a little rough.

The mystery element and thrilling elements were done good. Make up was good but at some places people were miscast. Vinayakan's father looked like his elder brother. Dq's sister looked older than his mother.

Film was a bit lengthy at places. Could've cut some songs and some scenes.

But overall it was good.

Kammatti Paadam. I like the fact that they wanted to show the past of Kerala and the various gangs back then who helped in building the concrete jungles of today's Kerala by chasing away the locals. All that history, culture and the fact that they bring new actors into the big screen is all fine.

What I didn't like was that they dragged the movie for two long. It's a surprise to me how this movie landed an 8.1 on IMDb. Messes up the credibility of the ratings in IMDb.

If the same movie had been shot in an hour and thirty minutes, the movie would've been just brilliant.

It takes effort to watch this movie and if you're not a Dulqar Salman fan, then, God only can save you.

Super Gangster movie Dulquer & vinayagan were sunning performance

This might be one of the best movie you have ever seen . The rise and fall of human life and the focused twisted human emotions . A story that dwells in some dark past of a middle aged man which peeps and reveals through its end .