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Ananthan Kaadu backdrop

Ananthan Kaadu

25 June 2026Malayalam2h 36m
4.3
from 4 scored reviews · 3 not rated

Weighted from a 3.8 average · Why?

What critics are saying

Critical reception for Ananthan Kaadu is largely negative to mixed, with most reviewers finding the film's political ambitions undermined by a familiar revenge drama structure.

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This is a tale, which almost became a true story. It unfolds in the late Eighties and early Nineties, when the country was going through a dark phase both politically and socially a time when turmoil was writ all over the political scape of the nation.

Critic Consensus

Critical reception for Ananthan Kaadu is largely negative to mixed, with most reviewers finding the film's political ambitions undermined by a familiar revenge drama structure. Performances, particularly from Indrans, and the film's political backdrop and visual presentation of its forest setting drew some praise. The most consistent criticisms target the screenplay, which several critics found over-edited, text-heavy, and unable to sustain a cohesive narrative beyond genre conventions.

4 rated reviews · 1 positive · 3 negative

Praised: performances and political backdropCriticised: weak unfocused screenplay and editing

AI-generated summary of 6 critic reviews · may contain errors

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Critic Reviews (7)

Updated
Rohit Panikker· Filmfare
6.0
Politics drives Ananthan Kaadu's story, not just its backdrop. Familiar revenge tropes dilute the second half, but strong performances keep it engaging. The film wants to be both a political chronicle and a commercial revenge thriller, succeeding far more often when it remembers it is the former.
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Janani K.· India Today
4.0
Director Jiyen Krishnakumar's Ananthan Kaadu, starring Arya, Murali Gopy, Indrans and Vijayaraghavan, is a story about how the system never lets you win. The film has an interesting backdrop, but fails to achieve a cohesive story.
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3.0
Indrans' standout performance deserves a sharper screenplay than this over-edited, all-too-familiar revenge saga. Ananthan Kaadu is edited in such a manner that every shot is robbed of impact through hyperactive cutting, and the ambitious political commentary is reduced to a revenge drama you have seen umpteen times before.
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Anandu Suresh· Indian Express
2.0
Jiyen Krishnakumar's action drama tries hard, but Murali Gopy's text-heavy, pretentious screenplay strips the film of any real soul.
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Seena Antony· OnManorama
Not rated
In short, 'Ananthan Kadu' is a film that audiences who like political mass action films will definitely enjoy. The fight between the prey and the hunter, which has been going on since ancient times, is presented here with new ingredients.
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Dhanya K Vilayil· Indian Express
Not rated
Despite its excellent making and technical aspects, the film's biggest failure is its hollow script. 'Ananthankaad' is destined to end up as a mere spectacle that will disappoint in theaters without offering anything new.
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Anjay Das. N.T· Mathrubhumi News
Not rated
This forest will touch your heart and haunt you; Ananthan Kaadu is a new visual experience Read more at: https://www.mathrubhumi.com/movies-music/news/ananthan-kaadu-malayalam-movie-review-arya-murali-gopy-jiyen-krishnakumar-r8rgk1p4
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Cast & Crew

Details

Release Date
25 June 2026
Runtime
2h 36m
Language
Malayalam

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