Kaala trailer: Rajinikanth marches to the beats of a new revolution in a stylised, massy trailer

After weeks of waiting, Rajinikanth's Kaala trailer is finally here. The film will be released in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi on 7 June. Produced by Dhanush's Wunderbar Studios and Lyca Productions, the film is directed by Pa Ranjith, who also directed the last Rajinikanth film, Kabali (2016).

The trailer is a little more than an extension of the teaser, and contains the massy, star elements that every Rajinikanth vehicle offers. However, the difference lies in the hint towards the socialism that Ranjith aimed for in Kabali (2016).

From the onset of Nana Patekar, clad in white, as a politician promising to 'clean up' the darkness in the slums, the visual shifts to the contrast of a black-clad Rajinikanth 'Kaala' moving among the crowds. This sets up the conflict between the two. As the hero of the masses, the 67-year-old Rajinikanth plays the ageing don who cares for the people of his slum, while Patekar is set up as the conniving politician. The battle is as much of the classes, as it is of caste, hinted at by Patekar's character calling Kaala 'Ravan'. The symbolism, as expected, is strong with Ranjith's films.

The trailer also hints at the romantic involvement between Rajinikanth and Huma Qureshi's character. While her exact role is unknown, Qureshi seems to be playing a person of power in the government working for the slum dwellers. Patekar's rage ensures that the conflict builds up with violence and oppression.

Rajinikanth is, expectedly, the star of the trailer, and it builds around him. Ranjith allows a slow build up, laced with the stylish entry, punchlines, and an eventual call to arms to announce the beginning of his social revolution. In that, he balances the social and massy elements of his film. Whether it translates through the script and the film remains to be seen.

Kaala will hit the theatres on 7 June.

Watch the trailer below: