Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Female cop solves a tough case; language, sexism, violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Kathal - A Jackfruit Mystery
What's the Story?
KATHAL – A JACKFRUIT MYSTERY follows a bunch of mostly incompetent regional police officers on a hunt for the thief who stole two large jackfruits ("kathal" in Hindi) from a prominent former politician's estate. The politician (Vijay Raaz) is petty and entitled and the local police chief is ordered to dole out scarce resources to find the fruit, leaving more pressing crimes -- looking for missing girls -- uninvestigated. Inspector Basor (Sanya Malhotra), the one decent and intelligent police officer on the local force, is assigned the fruit case under protest. The estate's gardener is a suspect mostly because, as a lower caste member, he's assumed to have criminal tendencies. As a woman of low caste herself, Basor is subjected to the same prejudice but, just as she outsmarts the men who look down on her for being female, she wields her intelligence and competence as a weapon against the unenlightened. When Basor learns the gardener's daughter, Amiya (Apoorva Chaturvedi), may have been kidnapped for trafficking -- like many other young girls in the area -- Basor pretends to believe Amiya stole the jackfruit. If she finds Amiya, she'll find the jackfruit, she tells her police chief, spurring him to give the new investigation enthusiastic approval. All of this is played for slapstick comedy but social issues are woven in. Basor berates her officers for the use of excessive and unnecessary force and scolds locals for their outdated prejudices about lower caste people and women.
Is It Any Good?
Kathal – A Jackfruit Mystery has its heart in the right place, but its appeal may be limited. Like a number of Indian films available on Netflix, the running time is far longer than non-Indian audiences are accustomed to. And although there is a sweetness to the sensibility here, many references to Indian politics and caste biases make this rough going for anyone without knowledge of India's history and culture. Political corruption can be found anywhere in the world and in that sense the material here is universal. And misogyny and casteism are also relatable the world over. But the stylized presentation, mugging, and exaggerated stupidity and incompetence that color the entirety of the action are off-putting and in the end boring, something a comedy should never be.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Basor handles leering and condescending men. How do you think the patronizing male attitude toward female police officers affects her ability to do her job?
How does the absurdity of the premise -- a former politician wants the police to find his stolen fruit -- affect your assessment of the movie?
How well do the filmmakers balance the comedy with the brutality of sexual trafficking of young girls? Does the point they are trying to make emerge from beneath the slapstick? Why or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : May 19, 2023
- Cast : Sanya Malhotra , Apoorva Chaturvedi , Vijay Raaz
- Director : Yashowardhan Mishra
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 115 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : May 22, 2023
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