Bison Movie Review: A hallmark in the evolution of Tamil cinema giving us classics like Pariyerum Perumal, Karnan, and Maamannan, Selvaraj is back from the dead with an impending one: Kaalamaadan. A film that rather runs on the dichotomy of sports grit and pungent social commentary. The flick stars Dhruv Vikram and Anupama Parameswaran in lead roles, and the welcome tone that Mari enters with is raw, exuberant, and awfully sober in a grounded way. The story goes; Mythri Movie Makers is in distribution, and Bison converts the skeletal remains of a bison into a ghostly metaphor of dignity, rage, and rebellion.
Not a mere kabaddi movie of sorts; it rather speaks of survival, circumstantially of identity, and strength to stand tall when the whole world conspires against you.
With Bison, the story had spared Kittan (Dhruv Vikram), a kabaddi player from the caste-ridden village of Vanathi. A worthy kabaddi player, his lower caste relegates him to the sidelines; for him, it is a matter of survival in the face of a violent rivalry between Pandiyaraja (Ameer) and Kanthasamy (Lal). Kittan’s singular vision is to rise above the violence and play for India. Against all odds.
Kittan’s father Velusamy (Pasupathy) taught him true strength comes from endurance, never anger — much like the bison they adore. There, a woman appeared: Rani (Anupama Parameswaran), fiercely unapologetic and in love with him. Her character grounds the emotional resonance of the film: Rani’s love becomes the only bit of shelter Kittan finds amid a stormy life; her spirit and compassion provide another form of strength against that of his anger.
The Bison is woven with poetic precision by Mari Selvaraj. The weight in each frame is evident — from Dhruv’s silent fury to Pasupathy’s stoic warmth. Dhruv’s best performance to date showing Kittan as vulnerable and molten, while Anupama Parameswaran injects Rani with grace and quiet fire; a deviation from her archetypical image. The few scenes she appears in bear an immense import, especially when going against society’s judgment for love.
The film’s songs by Nivas K. Prasanna parachute the film’s emotions, the camera work by Ezhil Arasu captures beauty and brutality in equal measure within the Vanathi village, while editing has been criticized for slightly flawed pacing with an extended runtime, and graphic violence that, for some, may border on excessive.
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Strong layered performance by Dhruv Vikram
Mature and audacious performance by Anupama Parameswaran
Emotional depth of Pasupathy
Great writing and directing by Mari Selvaraj
Amazing visuals and an excellent score
Long running time
Violent graphic scenes done excessively
Side plots are not given enough attention
Kaalamaadan is not an easy watch-Bison is rather an experience that sticks to you. Mari Selvaraj converts a sports film into a meditation on oppression, love, and defiance. The transformation of Dhruv, even more heartbreaking and uplifting thanks to Anupama’s subtle strength, makes Bison an extraordinarily lovely experience.
Rating: 2.5/5 The intense, emotional, and thought-provoking film
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