Kathal movie review: Sanya Malhotra shines in this cheeky satire

In Yashowardhan Mishra's Kathal: A Jackfruit Mystery, two prized kathals or jackfruits from the garden of a local MLA (Vijay Raaz) in a small town in Madhya Pradesh are stolen. Being an Indian politician in the Hindi heartland, he gleefully misuses his power and influence to mobilise the entire police force of the town to bring the thief or thieves to justice. The bizarre nature of the story led me to wonder if it could be inspired by a true incident, and sure enough there was a case in 2014 of a JD(U) MP Mahendra Prasad whose two kathals were stolen from his 4 Tughlaq Road bungalow. Ah India, where the lines between fact and fiction can and do often blur.

But the theft of kathals in Kathal, as important as they are to the MLA and presumably his family, serves as the smokescreen for the film to focus on bigger underlying problems plaguing Indian society. Caught in the midst of this peculiar investigation is young Mahima (played Sanya Malhotra), a chirpy yet competent police officer who finds herself thrust into the centre of the enigma. She is in love with a constable Saurabh Dwivedi (Anant V Joshi). Yet, their relationship is hindered by the prevailing social hierarchy in India, commonly referred to as the caste system, where Saurabh's higher position becomes a potential deal-breaker for his family.

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And then there is the case of a gardener, who was employed at MLA's house but was fired because of something harmless he said to the grandson of the politician. Devoid of his livelihood, he also finds his young daughter missing. But the resources of the police department are stretched thin and his pleas go unanswered. Until, that is, he becomes the prime suspect in the theft. Only somebody recently fired would bear animosity towards the MLA, after all.

The missing girl, meanwhile, turns out to be only the latest in a series of disappearances — something the compromised law enforcement police have turned blind eye too. Oh, and the girl used to roam around a pair of jeans ripped at the knees. Of course, Mahima is told by people, something like that was just waiting to happen.

Kathal: A Jackfruit Mystery, thus, becomes more than just a tale of missing fruits.

For most of its 110 minutes, I found Kathal: A Jackfruit Mystery deeply enjoyable. The first act, particularly, is a scathing satire on rampant corruption and deeply misplaced priorities. The film shines brightest when it embraces its cheeky side. It helps that the cast is populated by great character actors.

Raaz, predictably, is fabulous to watch as a typical Indian 'VIP' drunk on power and relentlessly driven to ascend to the next echelon. Additionally, Gurpal Singh as Mahima's superior and Rajpal Yadav as a local pressman shine in their respective roles, with the latter inadvertently caught up in the chaotic whirlwind of events and not minding the blowback one bit.

Malhotra plays Mahima with more nuance than one would expect. She is not your typical tough female cop that are dime a dozen in Indian entertainment these days. She does know a thing or two about the intersectionality of oppression in the country, but also finds moments of personal growth and self-reflection. Malhotra's performance strikes a delicate balance, capturing both the resilience and the introspective nature of Mahima's character. The fact that she did not go the grimdark way of playing the role makes her portrayal look impressively natural.

But Kathal seems to contain two distinct movies within it, and unfortunately, the other, more serious movie did not wholly work for me. It has all the right messages to impart. But there is an element of preachiness here. The social commentary in the film has all the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

From corruption and misplaced priorities to the caste system and gender inequality, the film tackles these topics head-on, often lacking the finesse and nuance required for a more sophisticated and deeper exploration. While it is kept up to a minimum early on, the last 15 minutes give an overlong moral lesson that would not be out of place in a public service announcement.

However, I am reluctant to hold all of that against what is a mostly fun, entertaining, and thoughtful satire powered by good performances. While Kathal: A Jackfruit Mystery may not be flawless in its execution, its strengths outweigh its weaknesses.

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