Asif Ali’s Kishkindha Kaandam has emerged as a sleeper hit at the box office. Released along with Tovino Thomas’ action adventure film Ajayante Randam Moshanam on September 12, Asif Ali’s film started on a relatively slow note before catching up with Tovino Thomas’ period action drama.

There is no doubt that Tovino’s film is mounted on a bigger scale with an ambitious period setting and was off to an impressive start at the box office from day 1. With thrilling action sequences and remarkable performances, Ajayante Randam Moshanam has managed to check almost all the boxes that make it an entertainer this festive season. But Kishkindha Kaandam, with its taut plotline and terrific performances, has managed to hold well against the bigger film. But it is too early to deliver the verdict on who is going to be the Onam winner of 2024. So without getting into the box office number game, let’s take a look at the factors that helped Kishkindha Kaandam pose a challenge to Ajayante Randam Moshanam,

What Kishkindha Kaandam gets right

Kishkindha Kaandam plot

Undoubtedly, the plot is the biggest strength of this mystery thriller, starring Asif Ali, Vijayaraghavan and Aparna Balamurali. The movie begins with a police station where people are surrendering their weapons ahead of the elecion, It then moves on to a rather innocent note of a couple going through their marriage registration. As the plot develops, we see how these are connected as a missing gun of Appu Pillai is the running thread in the movie and how it affects all those around him. It is interesting to note that the cinematographer Bahul Ramesh has also doubled up as a writer in the taut thriller, directed by Dinjith Ayyathan.

Asif Ali, Vijayaraghavan and Aparna Balamurali

After the gripping plot, it is the terrific performances of the lead trio Asif Ali, Vijayaraghavan and Aparna Balamurali that keep you invested in this movie. Asif Ali brilliantly conveys the predicament of Ajayan, who is unable to stand up to his ex-military father. As a man, who lost his first wife to cancer and is still searching for his missing son, Asif Ali looks helpless and forlorn even while trying to appear brave as he starts his life afresh with his new wife.

Vijayaraghavan as the perennially irate Appu Pillai, evokes a sense of fear in those around him and keeps the mystery alive with his actions. This could be a breakthrough role for Vijayaraghavan, who is the son of legendary theatre playwright and actor NN Pillai. In a hat tip to the auteur, Vijayaraghavan’s Appu Pillai is called as Anjooran in one scene, the character played by NN Pillai in the popular Malayalam film Godfather.

Aparna Balamurali takes the place of the audience as she enters the world of Ajayan and Appu Pillai and tries to make sense of the happenings around her. She gives a controlled performance as Aparna, without appearing too enthusiastic and stays within her character as she slowly unravels the mystery.

Setting and cinematography

The film is set around the huge house, situated along the fringes of a forest in Kerala. The towering trees surrounding the house, and the chattering of the monkeys all give a mysterious vibe to the movie. There is a sense of trepidation throughout the movie, even when the camera captures the lush greenery of the forest. Bahul Ramesh's cinematography and Mujeeb Majeed's music impart an ominous feeling for the slow-burn thriller, adding to the tension.

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