‘Bison Kalamaadaan’ movie review: Dhruva Vikram shines in Mari Selvaraj’s extraordinary film

“I constantly have to cross the many fences that they keep placing in my path, and I don’t know how far I must run to reach a place without any fences,” says Kittan, the young protagonist. Bison Kalamadan, Fed up with the many communal barriers that keep him away from his dream of becoming a national Kabaddi champion, Kittan runs, and runs, and runs some more, almost sacrificing his mind, body and soul, in several parts of the film. Later, when the above dialogue is repeated, a different character says it to draw attention to the struggles that many boys like Kittan face, but the word ‘away’ is replaced with ‘higher’ – because for many like Kittan, freedom from social shackles does not come by running away or running away, but only by tearing down the roofs of oppression. This dialogue perfectly expresses what master filmmaker Mari Selvaraj discusses in his fifth film, Bison Kalamadan. It is a politically sharp and powerful play that is also his most commercially conventional work to date.

Following his masterpiece VazhaiMari creates a wicked world where hatred is sown so deeply in hearts that even a casual clash between two polite people can lead to violent upheaval – he displays this unflinchingly in a nightmarish scene where a man commits a blood-curdling act of defilement on a town bus. This is one of many beautifully written scenes bisonBecause it tells you a lot about why Kittan’s (Dhruv Vikram) father (Pasupathy) advises him against his Kabaddi dreams in their land. But it also says something subtle about how even a sacred ritual can develop morbid connotations. Which, fascinatingly, also applies to the violence we find hidden behind Kittan’s eyes, and the violence perpetrated by two caste groups – Pandiarajan (the rich Sultan) and Kandasamy (the Lal) – between whom there has been a long-running feud. The violence of these divisive groups is driven by hatred, while for the Kittan, it becomes a means of survival and the right to defend themselves.

Dhruv Vikram in a scene from ‘Bison Kalamadan’ Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Inspired by the story of Indian Kabaddi champion and Arjuna-award winner Manathi Ganesan, bison It tells the story of the countless dangers that befall a young boy who dares to look beyond his ‘worth’. There are concentric layers of battles to win, the first of which starts at home, as he needs to convince his ever-protective father to let him play (there’s a parallel worth drawing). Sarpatta ParambaraiWhere a more violent game is played for social freedom; Where again, Pasupathi’s character initially makes the hero hesitate to participate). Kittan’s school teacher (a refreshingly positive Madankumar Dakshinamurthy) gets the crowd applauding for how he convinces the father to let his son fly.

Kittan then faces trouble on his street: his father’s feud with a relative is creating new conflicts. This is difficult, because the latter’s sister Rani (Anupama Parameswaran needed more space to create her own identity) has feelings for Kittan (this boldly breaks the notion that it is taboo for a young man and an older woman to fall in love). Additionally, Kittan has to bear the burden of deep-rooted hatred in his town, and then prejudice against the state he represents in the Indian team.

But make no mistake, Mari’s story doesn’t follow that order. In fact, the film begins non-linearly, showing Kittan, now a national team player, being sidelined from playing an important match against arch-rivals Pakistan, where Maari talks about the futility of all animosity, including the India-Pakistan clash at the 1994 Asian Games in Japan.

In another display of fluency in his storytelling language, Mari also finds the rhythm to slowly fill his visual form with surreal ideas in the text, such as images depicting the local deity Kalamadan and a sacred goat, or a shot of two swamp fishes in a cage entangled in a swamp with Kittan and Rani. Very few modern Tamil filmmakers celebrate the natural state of their world so seriously, and the many breathtaking montages and drone shots throughout the film earn praise in their own right. But the interesting thing is, bison also kills kernel As Maari’s most mainstream film. We also get an elaborate gangster drama arc, featuring two caste leaders in a war for power, and the filmmaker surprises you with how unrestrained he is pretending to be.

In some cases, the picture becomes a bit disturbing as knives are pierced through bodies and pieces of flesh lie scattered on the floor soaked in blood. But Mari’s cinematic violence only speaks to the futility of it all, and the message comes through loud and clear. The gangster characters of both Lal and Ameer are at the center of Kittan’s journey; They are two sides of the same coin, with their necks deeply stuck in rot, and even as you begin to sympathize with them, it becomes even harder as you watch them tear each other apart. What Lal shows through a noble act, Amir clearly states – what started as a fight for equality has turned into a vengeance-filled thirst for power.

This Mari is making a deeply political statement; While he questions the terrified faces of the oppressors, he also asks people from oppressed communities to introspect whether the fight is still about equality or for supremacy. dialogue in bison There is an encouraging effect – be it the line that wards off opponents of caste-based reservations or how, while the rest of the world cares and is proud of his fight against one or two opponents, Kittan has had to fight with everyone, with all the weight resting on his shoulders. As he speaks helplessly about how he could have prepared himself for the hatred that was sown generations before he was even born, Dhruv’s Kittan gives voice to what is going on in the minds of many silent men and women in our caste-ridden society.

A scene from ‘Bison Kalamadan’ Photo Courtesy: Neelam Productions

Dhruv Vikram impresses as Kittan in his first original story as the hero. It’s a performance that requires him to hide a ember behind his eyes, and the actor musters the steel to become an angry young man who can be seen by angry youth. In moments like these when he gets a chance to vent some of the fire in his belly, the crowd goes wild. Dhruv’s trained gait and strong physique leave no room for doubt in playing the role of a professional Kabaddi player, and Maari also ensures that it is a sports drama in the end. Kabaddi is not a sport that can easily be portrayed satisfactorily in cinema, as it does not have many of the slow-motion moves that appeal to mass audiences. And yet, the choreography makes the games feel so real and present, and the writing ensures that every raid in the matches is exciting. It’s not every Friday that multiple genres seamlessly blend together, and bison Combines elements of a sports drama, a biopic, a social action and a gangster saga into a unique experience.

At the end of the film, when a climactic shot brilliantly pans out to the Kalamadhan deity, you are overwhelmed with emotions. There are very few filmmaking voices who make you stand up and applaud for presenting such artistic prowess and conviction, and Maari is undoubtedly the most original of the modern Tamil greats. “When did they write our name so easily?” A character wonders in bisonHer fifth directorial is yet another proof that Mari Selvaraj has long immortalized her name as a rare game-changer.

Bison Kalamadan is currently running in theaters

published – October 17, 2025 01:25 PM IST