Kaathadi review: Thanks to its content, this kite soars

Director S Kalyan's Kaathadi is an interesting action comedy that keeps you laughing most of the time. More importantly, this is a clean entertainer that one can actually sit through with one's family and enjoy.

Two pilferers, played by Avishek Karthik and Daniel Annie Pope, lead carefree lives. They have just one problem — a small-time thug, played by John Vijay, who keeps bossing over them.

Sick and tired of being caught by the police on the one hand and harassed by the hoodlum on the other, the two, who are blessed with good hearts but intelligence levels that are way below par, feel that the best way to lead a peaceful life is to settle abroad.

However, for that to happen, they are told they will first need to settle the cases that have been filed against them by paying huge sums of money.

Just when they begin to wonder where they will find this kind of money, a well-wisher, who also happens to be a rowdy, tells them how a kidnapper, after using the money he made through kidnappings, bought his way to a comfortable life abroad. 

Inspired by this example, the two decide to turn kidnappers. As luck would have it, the moment they make this decision they see a rich man (Sampath) leaving a young girl in his costly car to go into his office.

Seizing upon the opportunity, the two kidnap the girl along with the rich man's phone that is in the car. They don't steal the car. That is because neither knows driving.

After deliberating over how much they should demand for returning the rich man's daughter safely, they settle on a sum of Rs5 lakh. After making their demand, the duo flee the city with the kid in an auto to stay hidden from the cops. 

Unfortunately for them, their vehicle bumps into a police car that is being driven by a woman (Dhansika). It does not take long for her to find out that the two are kidnapping the child of a rich man.

The lady, as luck would have it, is a thief herself. She joins the two and calls the girl's father to demand Rs50 lakh as ransom. The girl's father too agrees. However, the girl suddenly pleads with the trio not to send her back!

The film is lively from the word go. Newcomer Avishek Karthik's performance is convincing and to the mark. He is ably supported by Daniel Annie Pope, whose stature as a comedian seems to be growing with each film. 

Dhansika as the thief who stands up for the child is just perfect. She steals the show by playing her part with conviction. Be it humour, romance or action, Dhansika excels in all departments.

Baby Sathanya is equally good in the film, which also has excellent performances from seasoned campaigners John Vijay and Sampath. The performances of both add so much to the film's entertainment quotient.

Actor Kaali Venkat, who is known for his comic timing, also comes up with a sterling performance. The role he plays in Kaathadi is performance-orientated and not just laughter-inducing.

The film has good cinematography by Jemin Jom Ayyaneth and decent music by Pavan and Deepan. On the whole, Kalyan has done a commendable job with Kaathadi.