Kondal Review: Antony Varghese Pepe's Fight Movie Is About Sea, And Good And Bad Seafolks

Kondal, directed by Ajith Mampally and starring Antony Varghese Pepe, Shabeer Kallarakkal, and Raj B Shetty, is about the good, the bad, and the ugly among the seafolk who will go to any extent to achieve their goals. Kondal is a textbook idippadam (fight movie) perfectly woven together with a hero, a villain, and a solid story, placed within a flawless film. Pepe fits this script well, despite the shortcomings he brings in terms of slang and dialogue delivery. He is soft as the sea village boy and ferocious as the man who ventures out to seek revenge.

In Kondal, what the audience may like the most is the cinematography and the beauty of the ocean showcased throughout the film, as well as the visual effects involving the wild sea and its creatures, particularly a violent shark. The shots are of a quality that can match a good ocean movie, and the visual effects support them, making the film a visual treat for the viewer.

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Throughout the film, the ocean is silent, except for one night when a group of deep-sea fishermen from South Kerala go out to fish after a break. The group includes Pepe’s character, Manuel, a boy who joins the crew to fund his father’s medical expenses, a brother seeking money for his sister’s wedding, and other characters who seem destined to become antagonists from the start. Manuel leaves his village after a scuffle with a local strongman and boards the trawling boat at another harbour. As the story progresses, Manuel realises the boat is connected to his brother’s disappearance, and thus begins his revenge story.

Raj B Shetty and Shabeer Kallarakkal, one bad another good respectively as characters, are in their usual territory of composed acting. Though the movie has many women characters, they are completely subdued as the men fight it out on the shore and the sea. Yesteryear actress Usha makes a stunning comeback in Kondal.

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The story features decent twists and subplots, though the writing goes awry towards the end, where it feels like the writers were in a rush to finish the film with a single long fight scene.

Timeline Verdict: Kondal is a solid fight movie with strong performances. Although the writing has its flaws, the cinematography and visual effects allow the film to hold up without too many hiccups.

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Kondal crew:

Direction : Ajith Mampally

Cinematography: Deepak D. Menon

Script: Ajith Mampally, Roylin Robert, Satheesh Thonakkal

Cast: Raj B Shetty, Antony Varghese Pepe, Pramod Velliyanad, Shabeer Kallarakkal, Gauthami Nair, Usha, Sarath Sabha, Pratibha, Nandu Madhav, Jaya Kurup

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