Kaantha review and release live: Dulquer Salmaan's period thriller lands with serious buzz
Walk into Kaantha and you can almost smell the cigarettes and hot studio lights. It's 1950s Madras, where art and ego keep bumping shoulders, and everyone's fighting to be heard.
That's the hook - and the film leans into it. Dulquer Salmaan (movies and tv series) and Rana Daggubati (movies and tv series) lead a story that's big on mood, big on pride, and filled with the kind of tension that makes audiences clap mid-scene. Yes, people actually did.
What the film's really about
At its core, Kaantha is a fallout. A mentor and his star - Ayya and T. K. Mahadevan - who once trusted each other, now circling like rivals.
When Mahadevan, newly powerful and a little too sure of himself, renames Ayya's female-led film from Shaantha to Kaantha and bends it to suit his on-screen image, the set turns into a battleground. You feel the sting of it - bruised egos, cracked loyalties, and the quiet compromises that keep a film rolling even when the soul of it is up for debate.
First reactions: strong word of mouth
- Early shows drew praise for the storytelling and the shift in tone between halves. One reaction put it simply: "#Kaantha - 3.75/5… Terrific Performance By DQ… BGM & Songs Are Superb… A distinctly different theatrical experience."
- On social, Dulquer's getting "peak performance" shout-outs. Another viewer: "One hell of a performance! Truly outstanding! @dulQuer #Kaantha Must Watch."
- A take that (movies and tv series) stood out: "#Kaantha goes to so many places that the cold-blooded murder gets buried under the visual and aural splendour, and performances you can't take your eyes off."
Performances and craft that land
Dulquer anchors the film with a performance that's showy when it needs to be and tightly controlled when it hurts more to hold back. Rana Daggubati matches him with a presence that carries weight even in the quieter beats.
Bhagyashri Borse (movies and tv series) is earning "stunning debut" notes - the kind of screen time where you stop taking notes and just watch. And Jakes Bejoy's score? It lifts talk-heavy moments, adding a low hum of tension that keeps you leaning in. Editor Anthony keeps the 163-minute runtime leaner than it looks, cutting before scenes overstay their welcome.
Box office picture: solid start, eyes on the long run
Early Kerala numbers point to a healthy opening: 721 shows, 19,793 admits, with a gross around ₹34.45 lakh in pre-sales. Not fireworks, but steady - and morning shows added fuel with positive chatter.
The budget sits in the ₹35-40 crore range, which helps. To break even, the film needs that much in India net. For a clean "hit" by common industry benchmarks, you're looking at roughly ₹70-80 crore net. Big ask, yes. But if word of mouth keeps building through the week, it's in play.
Is it based on a real-life figure?
There's been buzz about echoes of M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, a towering star of that era. The makers say Kaantha is a fictional tragedy - inspired by the time, not a direct retelling. And that tracks. The film treats that period with texture, not as a postcard.
Why people are connecting
Because it isn't just about a movie inside a movie. It's about what happens when a mentor watches his protégé outgrow him - or thinks he has. We've all seen versions of that in real life. Workplaces. Families. Friendships.
And Selvaraj doesn't try to reinvent the wheel; he commits to classical beats and lets craft do the heavy lifting. Sometimes, that's exactly what an audience wants: clarity, conviction, and actors swinging for the fences.
The bottom line
If you're into period dramas with teeth, Kaantha is worth the ticket. For Dulquer fans, it's the performance people will bring up in award-season conversations. For everyone else, it's a sharp, lived-in story about pride, control, and the cost of rewriting someone else's vision.
Here's what this could mean: a strong first weekend, a real shot at weekday legs if the chatter holds, and another reminder that South Indian cinema keeps finding fresh ways to make old-school storytelling feel alive again.
Quick hits
- Cast: Dulquer Salmaan, Rana Daggubati, Samuthirakani, Bhagyashri Borse
- Setting: 1950s Madras film studios - smoky, charged, pressure-cooker energy
- Standouts: Dulquer's "peak" turn, Bhagyashri's breakout, Jakes Bejoy's score
- Theme: Mentor vs. star - art vs. control
