Tulasi (Sai Pallavi) turns pregnant with her lover Krishna (Naga Shaurya) when they are studying. Their parents admonish them and ask Tulasi to abort child. Five years later, they get married and start life afresh but Tulasi cant forget her aborted child.
She keeps drawing the childs pictures as the years pass by. When they move into a new apartment, strange killings happen in their family.
Tulasi suspects that their stillborn baby Diya (Veronica) is doing this but Krishna believes it is her hallucination. After three deaths, things turn serious. What happens next?
Analysis:-
Director A L Vijay of Madras Patnam and Vikram starrer Nanna tells rousing stories. He has developed a knack for telling them without masala trappings convincingly. This is the first time he touched a subject that falls in the genre of supernatural thriller, though it hardly has any horror elements. It is more of a story with emotional moments than supernatural elements.
In the very beginning of the story, it is revealed that heroine Sai Pallavi sees her still born baby Diya, played brilliantly by child artiste Veronica.
While her husband doesnt believe about their daughters presence, she can notice Diya. She suspects she is behind the unnatural deaths in their family.
All these are unfolded without much suspense in the very beginning of the story, the director reserves the suspense about the ending.
Though first half of the movie is neat and holds interest, the later portions have made tedious watch. Other than the ending, entire second half is dull and predictable.
Moreover, it runs without any twists and turns. Films in the genre demand either chills or twists. This film lacks both.
It is evident that the director wanted to bring the emotional angle of a mother and her stillborn child but even on that front, the directors ideas have not translated onto the screen from paper.
There are really good moments Sai Pallavi realizing the presence of Diya, the sequence in psychiatrist office, and a lift sequence. But all these come pre interval. Post interval it doesnt create tension or build up emphatic situations.
Adding to these problems, the characterization of hero Naga Shaurya is too inactive. Other actors too appear like in TV serials. Only Sai Pallavi gets our attention with her impeccable acting skills and of course, the child actor.
Despite the novelty in storyline (still born supernatural thriller), Kanam doesnt satisfy the thriller lovers nor the one who crave for sentiments. It is the case of neither here nor there.
Overall, Kanam has some moments, interesting story but fails on the narration front.