It's safe to say that writers Bobby-Sanjay have recovered some of their lost mojo with Kaanekkaane. The material they've written isn't really genre-bending or eye-opening per se; in fact, it is as generic a plot as you can imagine. Yet, the performances (Suraj Venjaramoodu towering over the rest) and the effective use of flashbacks see it through. While Kaanekkaane can be perceived as a character-piece for Dy. Tahsildar Paul Mathai (Suraj), it also aspires to be an intense, emotional drama with some thriller elements. While the slow-burn revelatory style of the film may turn off a few, this is actually one of the film's strengths if you can disregard the almost-soap-opera-like approach at times.
Why I mention soap operas is not just because of the clichéd plotting - the style of making (by director Manu Ashokan) itself is a constant reminder. This, I felt, was strongly the case in his debut film Uyare as well. The unsavory visuals and the background score (throwing emotional subtlety out of the frame every single time) pull the film down sometimes. Yet, as the doting father whose life is turned upside down by his daughter's accidental passing and later by his (earlier) son-in-law, Suraj's performance is commendable. He exhibits the right amount of inner rage, and is determined to investigate certain incidents further to know if his gut is right.
Since the flashbacks intercut with present-day events constantly, they come across as a means to pick on the viewers' brains (as to which character you should eventually side with) and offer mild thrills in the process. However, the ending is subdued and possibly, the laziest bit of writing in the entire screenplay. It feels contrived as hell, trying desperately to offer that quintessential happy ending. Tovino Thomas (as Allen) and Aishwarya Lekshmi (as Sneha, Allen's wife) are both adequate - though the latter's past decisions lack the clarity that you'd expect. This is easily overshadowed by the flashbacks portraying the easy-going camaraderie between Allen and Paul.
All said and done, it comes down to a moral science questionnaire: Does a certain character feel guilty about a certain incident? If so, how guilty does he feel? Should he be punished for his actions? How can the punishment be exacted? The good thing here is that Kaanekkaane doesn't try to provide answers for all of it; instead choosing to say that both guilt and grief can be overcome by humans with time and circumstances. This is a better writing effort by Bobby-Sanjay overall, almost making me forget their last venture - One.
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