Set in the town of Anjanipur in the year 2000, a small-time thief burgles the home of a freshly promoted police officer. The theft triggers a frantic chase between the police, a head constable and a whole community of thieves trying to hide the stolen goods. Adapted from a novella by Gujarati novelist Ashwini Bhatt, the pursuit collapses into the chaos its title promises.
Kamthaan arrived from the Hellaro team, with producer Abhishek Shah backing debut director Dhrunad Kamle, and it carries that pedigree of rooted, regional storytelling. Adapted from a novella by the late Gujarati novelist Ashwini Bhatt, the film drops us into Anjanipur in the year 2000, where a small-time thief burgles the home of a freshly promoted police officer. What should be a simple recovery spirals into the chaos the title promises, a chase between cop, constable and a whole community of thieves that keeps folding new characters into the mess.
The pleasure here is texture. Kamle sets the story in the Charotar belt near Nadiad and lets its dialect, dress and small-town rhythm do the heavy lifting, while Mehul Surti scores it with local band-baaja instruments and the Indian banjo instead of a slick urban sound. The ensemble is enormous, roughly fifty faces, yet Hitu Kanodia as the inspector, Darshan Jariwala as the wily head constable and Sanjay Goradia as the thief anchor the noise so it never turns formless.
Critics were warm. Kanksha Vasavada of the Times of India gave it four out of five, praising the direction, script, music and performances, while Nirali Kalani of Mid-day matched that four and read it as a sly political and social satire, though she flagged a first half that takes its time to catch fire. That slow build is the main caveat, and the sheer size of the cast can blur who is who early on. Stick with it and Kamthaan rewards you with a distinctly Gujarati comic voice, one that values place and character over easy gags. For anyone tracking the industry's post-Hellaro ambition, it is a worthwhile watch.
Verdict
A rooted, satirical comedy from the Hellaro camp that trades slick gags for place and character. Patient viewers get a distinctly Gujarati voice.
What works
- Rich Charotar setting and dialect
- Grounded ensemble led by Kanodia, Jariwala and Goradia
- Mehul Surti's folk-rooted score
- Adapted from a respected Ashwini Bhatt novella
What holds it back
- First half is slow to ignite
- Huge cast blurs early on
- Niche regional flavour may not travel
- Plot leans on chase-comedy convention
Cast & crew
Writers: Dhrunad Kamle, Abhishek Shah, Jaswant Parmar (additional screenplay by Biren Kothari, Urvish Kothari)
Music: Mehul Surti
Cast: Hitu Kanodia (PI Satrunjaysinh R. Rathod), Darshan Jariwala (Head Constable Prabhusinh), Sanjay Goradia (Raghabhai Dahyabhai), Arvind Vaidya (Chhanalal Koyo), Deep Vaidya (Tribhuvan Pandya)
Producers: Abhishek Shah
Watch the trailer
Play the official trailer on YouTubeMore Crime Gujarati films
Frequently asked
Is Kamthaan worth watching?
A rooted, satirical comedy from the Hellaro camp that trades slick gags for place and character. Patient viewers get a distinctly Gujarati voice. Kevu Che rates it 3.5 out of 5.
What is Kamthaan about?
Set in the town of Anjanipur in the year 2000, a small-time thief burgles the home of a freshly promoted police officer. The theft triggers a frantic chase between the police, a head constable and a whole community of thieves trying to hide the stolen goods. Adapted from a novella by Gujarati novelist Ashwini Bhatt, the pursuit collapses into the chaos its title promises.
What is the IMDb rating of Kamthaan?
Kamthaan (2024) holds an IMDb rating of 6.7 out of 10.