The film scripted by Ananthapadmanabhan is based on his father Padmarajan's short story. The filming commenced in April 2017.[2] The story happens in the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border set in late 1970s. The film was shot in Palakkad, Kerala. According to Aravind, the film is "a mix of many genres".[3] Ali plays the character Nuhukannu, "we happened to make a few sketches to shape the look of Nuhukannu and it's the face of Asif Ali that came to our mind, once they were complete", said Aravind.[4][5][6] Gopy plays the role of Chellappan, which he describes as "unapologetically characterised and has an intricate nature of its own".[7] Varalaxmi plays Muthulakshmi, a village belle.[8][9] Manasa plays the role of Ummukkulusu, "a chirpy and energetic Muslim girl" as she describes.[10]
Release
Kaattu was released in India on 13 October 2017. It was released on Netflix on 1 August 2018.[11][12]
Reception
Meera Suresh of The New Indian Express wrote: "Arun Kumar Aravind proves he is good at his craft, making this drama a treat."[13] S. R. Praveen from The Hindu wrote : "The film treads the thick line between outdated and refreshing, taking detours to both sides, but managing to finish on a strong note".[14] Veeyen rated the film as "Good" and said: "A primitive allure that had been long lost makes a revisit through ‘Kaattu’, and it's a peculiar combo of the dismal and the lyrical that Arun Kumar Aravind comes up with in his new film. It's a complex character drama that is tonally and visually notable; a foreboding and dark tale that makes for austere viewing and told with an uncanny grace."[15] Sanjith Sidhardhan of The Times of India gave the movie three stars out of five and stated that "It is a lesson in classical filmmaking and storytelling that develops its characters, narrates a good story and has a satisfying denouement, all without the use of any modern gimmicks."[16]
