A Thoughtful, Dark and Funny Take on Violence

A sharply written, visually rich gangster drama that blends dark humour with a layered reflection on violence, vengeance and its aftermath, all marked by Krishand's unmistakable style

- VIVEK SANTHOSH

From the very first scene of Sangarsha Ghadana - The Art of Warfare, director Krishand does not want you to be at ease. He plunges you headfirst into a whirlpool of fire, fury and philosophy. A burning vehicle crackling against the night sky, with a man standing still before it, solemn and silent. This sets the tone for a film that is at once brutal and contemplative, garish and delicate.

Inspired by Sun Tzu's The Art of War, the film brings its ideas to life in a new way. Krishand crafts a gangster narrative that spirals around meditations on violence, strategy, justice, and retribution. But instead of getting lost in pretended seriousness, Sangarsha Ghadana wraps its heavy themes in wit, colour, and a distinct dark humour that has become Krishand's signature.

At the heart of the story is Kodamazha Suni (Sanup Padaveedan), a once-feared gang leader, who is now semi-retired and is running a travel business. When an orchestrated attack on his former aides leads to their deaths, Suni is drawn back into the world he tried to leave behind. But this is not a story of a gangster's glorious return. If anything, it is a reflection on decay, regret, and the futility of vengeance. What begins as a standard gangland set-up gradually mutates into something far more layered and philosophical.

The film is structured non-linearly, allowing the plot to unravel much like a war map, with every reveal timed like a tactical manoeuvre. The details of the Kodamazha gang's past are uncovered gradually, mostly through interrogations that serve as quiet set-pieces in themselves.