Entertainment News Desk, Kathal Movie Review In Kathal, Sanya Malhotra plays a police officer who is searching for the lost Jackfruit of the MLA. The story of the film satirizes the system and the social fabric. The film has been released on Netflix. Digital platforms are playing an important role in taking stories related to small towns and important issues to the audience. Kathal – A Jackfruit Mystery, the satirical comedy-drama on Netflix, is one of those movies that goes for laughs while superficially talking about some important issues. Two jackfruits of 15 kg each are stolen from the jackfruit tree in the garden of MLA Munnalal Pateria (Vijay Raj). That jackfruit was not indigenous but of Uncle Hong breed from Malaysia. Jackfruit matters to the MLA because it has to be pickled and sent to the Chief Minister’s house, so that he can please him and take over as a minister. Sub-Inspector Mahima Basor (Sanya Malhotra) is assigned the task of investigating Kathal. Promoted from constable to sub-inspector, Mahima is from a lower caste. She loves constable Saurabh Dwivedi (Anantvijay Joshi), but Saurabh’s family takes issue with both the woman’s higher position and lower caste than Saurabh.
During investigation, Mahima learns that the daughter of the gardener who works in the MLA’s house is missing. There are many such girls who are missing in the files kept in the police station. Mahima is under pressure to find Kathal. What will she do now? Will the gardener’s daughter be found or jackfruit? The story progresses in this direction. Several episodes of the Roar web series that came in the past are somewhat similar to this story. However, it was a serious story. In this film, Yashovardhan Mishra and Ashok Mishra have added a touch of comedy amidst important issues, although the story becomes weak in adopting a sarcastic stance.
Sprinkling Gangajal when lower caste people go home or reprimanding the constable for his mistake, whispering by higher caste constable that crows are teaching manners to swans, it is still in the society towards lower caste people. Shows glimpses of discrimination. However, the authors have not put forth any concrete response to this attitude of the society. Due to the controversy over such stories, the writers played it safe and featured a fictional city named Moba instead of the actual place. The colloquial style points towards Madhya Pradesh. Cinematographer Harshveer Oberoi has captured the small town lifestyle and style in the film.
Sanya Malhotra is becoming a master of this genre. Her previous film Paglaat was also a story of a girl who fights against the stereotypes of the society. Sanya shines in the role of a police officer who faithfully does her job despite being taunted by her lower caste, keeping an evil eye on the female officers in the police department. In the role of the constable, Ananthvijay presents a young man who does not care about caste. Vijay in the role of MLA makes us laugh. Keeping his own effigy inside the house reflects his domineering image. In the role of local journalist Anuj, Rajpal Yadav has worked within the scope of the script.