Gopi has also written and directed plays before making his big screen debut in Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Swayamvaram (1975). Bharath Gopi: One of the first actors to be associated with New Wave cinema in Kerala of the 70s, Gopi debuted as an actor on stage at Prasadhana Little Theatres under G Sankara Pillai and was also part Kavalam Narayana Panicker’s troupe. Pillai also wrote two studies on state plays, Nadaka Darpanam and Curtain. He formed Viswa Kerala Kala Samithi (1952) and staged and acted in his own plays till the summer of 2005.
N.N Pillai: Before Godfather’s Anjooran took the nation by storm, NN Pillai was already a name to reckon with in the theatre scene. It’s only a decade later that he debuted in feature films and went on to act in 60 films.ĥ. He has won several accolades including a fellowship by the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy. Premji: He debuted on stage with VT Bhattathiripad’s eminent play, Adukkalayil Ninnu Arangathekku, and has been part of several hard-hitting socio-political plays. Even the movie's resolution has done nothing to empower women, instead it's all about the Kaaval aka Thampan.4. In this Nithin directorial, women are an object for sex, procreation, and protected only when there is a "macho" man around. However, the problem with such movies is giving a message.
It suffices to say that Kaaval takes us back to the hero-centric movies of the 90s and early 2000s. Nikhil S Praveen creates a canvas fitting for each situation be it the sepia-coloured frames for Thampan's recollection of the past or the use of dark and bleak shades when tragedy strikes.The music does a decent job in weaving the narrative together and giving the necessary effect during punch dialogues. Visually, the movie takes you on a journey. And like many movies in the genre, there is also a disdain for authority and an air of anarchy in the movie. The narration too will take you back to movies like Lelam, which gained immense popularity due to Renji Panicker's whistle-inducing dialogues and Gopi's electric performances. Nithin's admiration for the tone of Suresh Gopi movies (written by Renji Panicker) is obvious in Kaaval with dialogues very much reminiscent of the kind that made Gopi popular. Rivaling and complementing his performance is Renji Panicker, taking up shades we were yet to see the actor take up. Gopi has emulated the role of a protector convincingly since his first scene in the movie to the very end, sometimes protecting a bird, sometimes Anthony (Renji Panicker), and other times Rachel and Alex. It's a man's world in Kaaval with only a handful of female characters and only one pivotal female character in the film. Kaaval is Gopi's first action film since his return in 2020 and the actor has showcased every bit of the heroism that he is known for. The slight deviation would be the pro-feminism lines sprinkled across the otherwise hero-centric 148-minute film. Kaaval in its entirety is what one would expect a Suresh Gopi starrer to be like with the numerous machismo-filled punch dialogues and action sequences. National award winner Nikhil S Praveen has cinematographed the film, while Ranjin Raj has provided the music. Rachel David and Evan Anil reprise other pivotal roles in the Panicker directorial. Kaaval, directed and written by Nithin Ranji Panicker, is a family action thriller, starring Suresh Gopi and Renji Panicker in leading roles.