Kabadadaari

“Kabadadaari” (2021) is a Tamil neo-noir thriller film written and directed by Pradeep Krishnamoorthy and produced by G. Dhananjayan under Creative Entertainers and Distributors. It stars Sibi Sathyaraj, Nandita Swetha, Nassar, and Jayaprakash and deals with hidden crimes and hidden truths from the point of view of a gritty traffic cop.

Shakti (Sibi Sathyaraj) is a dedicated police officer disillusioned with his mundane traffic duties, looking to experience the thrill of solving genuine crimes. He encounters skeletal bones unearthed near a construction site one day during work. The intrigued Shakti secretly starts examining the decades-long case and, with the help of journalist Kumar (Jayaprakash), peels back layers of history relating to the treasure hunt family of Suresh, who, along with Sampath, had been digging for treasure ever since time began. Suspicion first falls upon Suresh after Sampath's murder, but further questioning unfolds deeper layers about the case.

Shakti’s investigation brings him into contact with Ranjan (Nassar), a retired police officer who had worked on the original case, and Ramya (Nandita Swetha), an actress with hidden ties to the victims. Following Ramya's death under mysterious circumstances, Shakti finds crucial clues in her home, culminating in a fatal fight with a thug who ultimately leads to Minjur Ranganathan, a budding political figure with an untidy past. Shakti learns that Minjur, an erstwhile collaborator of Suresh and Sampath, had assassinated Sampath and poisoned Suresh's family to keep his nefarious activities concealed and reap wealth from the treasure.

As Shakti investigates deeper, Ranjan is murdered, and Shakti pretends to be loyal to Minjur in order to trap him. In a suspenseful climax, Shakti tricks Minjur, and Minjur is poisoned. The movie concludes with Shakti being promoted and learning his personal interest in the case: Suresh had saved his dad previously, hence the case becomes personal.

"Kabadadaari" is a gripping thriller with good performances and a well-narrowed plot. Sibi Sathyaraj gives a natural performance, and the script performs great in holding suspense and emotional quotient in check successfully. While the film is predictable at places, it manages to hold the viewer till the end.