Movie Name : Kaantha
Release Date : Nov 14, 2025
123telugu.com Rating : 2.75/5
Starring : Dulquer Salmaan, P. Samuthirakani, Bhagyashri Borse, Rana Daggubati and others
Director : Selvamani Selvaraj
Producers : Rana Daggubati, Dulquer Salmaan
Music Director : Jakes Bejoy, Jhanu Chanthar
Cinematographer : Dani Sanchez-Lopez
Editor : Llewellyn Anthony Gonsalvez
Related Links : Trailer
Kaantha is the latest Tamil film that features Dulquer Salmaan, Samuthirakani, Rana Daggubati, and Bhagyashri Borse in the lead roles. Debutant filmmaker Selvamani Selvaraj directs the film. It has also released in Telugu today along with the Tamil version. Read on to see how it turned out.
Story:
Set in the 1950s, Kaantha follows Ayya (Samuthirakani), a talented director who turns T. K. Mahadevan (Dulquer Salmaan) from an ordinary man into the star known as Nata Chakravarthy. A decade later, their relationship breaks down, yet they reunite for Ayya’s dream project titled Shaantha. Mahadevan’s ego disrupts the process when he changes the title to Kaantha and takes control of the direction. The debut heroine Raja Kumari (Bhagyashri Borse) listens only to Ayya, which increases the tension on the set. Conflicts grow every day, and during the climax shoot, a murder occurs. Who was killed? Who is responsible? Why did the murder happen on the set? Are the actor or the director involved? And what role does Phoenix (Rana Daggubati) play in this story? These questions unfold in the main film.
Plus Points:
Dulquer Salmaan gives a steady and convincing performance as T. K. Mahadevan and brings a controlled intensity to the role. Samuthirakani, as Ayya, maintains a consistently serious tone and his expressions work reasonably well throughout.
The emotional core of the film lies in Bhagyashri Borse’s portrayal of Raja Kumari. She gets good scope to perform, and her naturally expressive presence is a clear advantage. Her scenes with Dulquer and Samuthirakani are handled neatly and form some of the more engaging moments in the film.
Rana Daggubati adds moderate relief with his sarcastic delivery during the film’s serious moments. The supporting cast performs adequately.
A few sequences, such as Dulquer’s mirror-smashing scene, Samuthirakani’s emotional breakdown, and Bhagyashri’s innocence-driven moments, are fairly effective and leave some impact.
Minus Points:
The main drawback of Kaantha is its uneven execution and outdated narrative style. Although the film starts with the tone of an artistic drama, the emotional engagement drops quickly. Several scenes feel repetitive and come across as variations of the same conflict.
The second half turns noticeably sluggish, and the nearly three-hour runtime makes the screenplay issues more apparent. Even though the lead actors deliver competent performances, the slow pacing overshadows much of their work.
Casting choices like Ravindra Vijay and Gayathrie in underdeveloped roles feel misplaced, and Rana’s character becomes slightly exaggerated at certain points.
As the story moves forward, the drama loses impact, and viewers begin waiting for the climax instead of staying connected to the narrative. This reduces the effect of even the stronger performances.
Technical Aspects:
Director Selvamani Selvaraj brings together a capable cast, but the writing and direction do not make full use of their potential. A more focused narrative and stronger emotional layering could have given the film greater depth.
Jakes Bejoy’s background score gives an occasional lift to key scenes. Dani Sanchez Lopez’s cinematography is clean and visually stable. Editing by Llewellyn Anthony Gonsalves needed to be much tighter, especially for a slow-paced narrative. Jhanu Chanthar’s songs are pleasant but not very memorable due to the uneven flow of the screenplay.
Verdict:
On the whole, Kaantha is a somewhat functional crime investigation drama. The performances by Dulquer Salmaan, Bhagyashri Borse, and Samuthirakani are decent, and Rana Daggubati offers some timely relief. However, the flat writing, dull second half, repetitive scenes, and stretched pacing prevent the film from reaching its full potential. If you watch it mainly for the performances, the film works to some extent. If you expect a tight screenplay, strong character arcs, or consistent engagement, the experience might feel underwhelming. It is acceptable as long as expectations remain low.
123telugu.com Rating: 2.75/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team