Kasoombo Movie Review : It's a visual treat and a must-watch film

Synopsis: A historic saga from the 14^th century, Kasoombo is a homage to the 51 braveheart residents of Adipur village, who fought against Alauddin Khilji and gave amar balidan to protect their land, sacred places, and temples. The brilliant performances, direction, and music make Kasoombo a must-watch movie.

Story: The story is based in Gujarat’s Shetrunjay Hills, where the residents of the Barot samaj belong to warrior families who have always fought wars to protect the land. One day, Dadu Barot, the head of Adipur, is warned about the menace Alauddin Khilji, who has been capturing all the sacred places and temples across Gujarat with merciless killings when people refuse to convert their religion. After he gets to know about a beautiful temple in the Shetrunjay Hills, he plans to attack that and build a fort there. Against Khilji’s humongous army of thousand warriors, the 51 residents of Adipur come forward, making ultimate sacrifices of their lives to save the cultural and sacred places of the hill.

Review: Kasoombo, adapted from Vimalkumar Dhami’s novel, Amar Balidan, is brilliantly presented by Vijaygiri Bava. From the screenplay to the visualization, the movie does justice to the intent of the makers. The powerful dialogues by writer Raam Mori hit you, while the music and background score by Mehul Surti stand out, perfectly syncing with the mood of the story. As the story is set in the 14th century, the setting is aptly done with temples and palaces, which makes VFX a very strong element of the film.

The casting of such a huge film can be really challenging, but Abhishek Shah Casting has done a good job. Dharmendra Gohil as Dadu Barot exudes the qualities of a perfect, respectful, and strong leader. One can’t help but imagine whether he was made for this role. Raunaq Kamdar as Amar is in the never seen before avatar of a strong warrior, who, with a smile on his face, fights the strongest enemies in a heroic manner. Shraddha Dangar beautifully brings Sujaan, the daughter of Dadu Barot, to life with her strong portrayal. Monal Gajjar’s innocence and goodness throughout the film may make Roshan your favourite character. But the portrayal of Alauddin Khilji by Darshan Paandya is something you must look forward to. He may not look like a ruthless maniac as we have seen Khilji on screen before, but the power in his voice and eyes is enough to give you the chills. The rest of the ensemble including Chetan Dhanani, Feroz Irani, Jay Bhatt, and Kalpana Gagdekar have brilliantly brought their complex characters to life.

To say that Kasoombo is a one of its kind of film in the history of Gujarati cinema would not be an exaggeration. A historic film made on such a grand scale, and with a high-quality climax that not many Gujarati movies can boast of, is an achievement in itself. Kasoombo is a treat for everyone who was waiting for something exemplary from D-Town.