Koottukalli Movie Review | Actor Soori, Anna Ben, Director PS Vinothraj, Producer Sivakarthikeyan

Kottukkaali is a slow-burn road movie that meanders through rural Tamil Nadu, offering glimpses into the lives of its characters without much fanfare. The film follows Meena (Anna Ben) and Pandi (Soori), a couple whose engagement is on the rocks due to Meena’s apparent “possession” - or is it just silent rebellion?
The story kicks off with Meena’s family dragging her to a local deity and then to an exorcist, hoping to cure whatever ails her. This journey forms the backbone of the film, with men on motorcycles and women squeezed into an auto-rickshaw, a chicken in tow.
Director PS Vinothraj takes his sweet time unfolding the narrative. The camera often lingers on mundane activities, which can test the viewer’s patience. There’s a lot of just watching these villagers go about their day, and while it’s meant to be introspective, it sometimes borders on exhausting.
The film shines in its subtle exploration of caste dynamics and tradition. A scene where men physically turn the auto-rickshaw with Meena inside, refusing to get out, is a powerful visual metaphor of her rebellion against societal norms. Similarly, at a puberty ceremony that takes place when the group is on the way back, a song blares from the loudspeaker, which Meena quietly hums afterwards. This totally sets off Pandi, as though he’s having a terrible bipolar episode. The frenzy sets him up to confront his own erratic behaviours when he encounters the exorcist towards the end.
Anna Ben delivers a mostly silent but impactful performance as Meena. Her face remains largely expressionless, yet she manages to convey volumes. She’s got only one dialogue towards the end and that carries many implications. Soori’s Pandi is a more volatile character, his frustration bubbling under the surface until it explodes in a violent outburst triggered by Meena humming a love song. He also looks dashing and manly - one might joke why Meena wouldn’t fall for such a man were it not for the context of the film. Vinothraj has also extracted natural performances from all the other actors - there's no dubbing here. What they speak is what you get. The movie employs sync-sound to good effect and has no music.
The rooster, tied to a stone, but managing to break free for a moment, is like a powerful symbol of Meena’s limited life. Its adventures throughout the film mirror Meena’s journey in intriguing ways.
Kottukkaali isn’t action-packed or plot-heavy. It’s a film that asks viewers to sit back and observe, picking up on the nuances of village life and the tensions beneath the surface. While this approach yields some powerful moments, it also results in stretches that feel flat. Still, actor and producer Sivakarthikeyan deserves a shoutout for backing such meaningful art-house projects.

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