Kathanar is a fantasy film with limited budget that brings fictional folklore to life by showing the battle between light and dark forces through a war between good and evil.  the movie stars Jayasurya as Kathanar; a character based off of the Kathanar legend, which references the ancient warrior from the southern part of India known as Venad.  Anushka Shetty doesn't appear much in the trailer, while Prabhu Deva, Vineeth, Harish Uthaman, and Niteesh Bharadwaj have been cast in supporting roles. Rojin Thomas is directing the film. The film looks to provide a larger than life experience, though the plot might seem somewhat similar.

Storyline

The film tells the story of Kadamattathu Kathanar (the legendary priest of the same name), who is believed to be able to do things that most humans cannot do and who interfaces with the supernatural in many ways. Over the course of the film, set in ancient Venad, Kadamattathu Kathanar uses his supernatural powers to save people suffering as a result of dark forces that have been created and are affecting them and their land. As he saves the people, the hope that was almost gone to the people returns. Thus, the trailer shows Anushka Shetty in a significant role intended to give weight and emotional complexity to the film. The film is based on a traditional folklore legend while offering an almost entirely new and cinematic version of the traditional folklore legend.

Positive Points

A big advantage of Kathanar’s teaser is the stunning visuals. Combine the VFX, cinematography and production design, this film creates a really unique and immersive experience – something very rare in Indian cinema. Rahul Subrahmanian's score adds to the anticipation created through suspense and creates tension throughout the major action sequences of the film starring Jayasurya, who has given so much personality to his character and also has Anushka Shetty's added level of your star power and curiosity to play opposite him.

Negative Points

According to the trailer the film will spend too much time on VFX rather than developing its storyline. The plot seems interesting, but it carries an element of repetition as it follows the traditional element of 'the chosen one to save us'. Moreover, excessive use of VFX can detract from the emotional experience of a film thus it needs to be correctly balanced out between both visual effects and practical effects. The trailers are not illuminating as to how the characters will develop thus viewers may leave the film experiencing an unsatisfactory experience.

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Conclusion: If the filmmakers of Kathanar can come up with a story that is engaging as well as an epic quality of special effects, then Kathanar will be a landmark movie in the history of Malayalam cinema. In the end, the film's overall success depends entirely on how creatively, the filmmakers respond to creating an engaging story that has the same graphic elements, as do the special effects.