26/11/2025
Just finished watching Bison: Kaalamaadan on Netflix, and it’s the kind of film that slowly crawls under your skin. It starts off like a simple story about a boy who loves kabaddi, but as the film unfolds, you realise it’s really about a life shaped by loss, silence, caste pressure, fear, and the constant feeling of being pushed back every time you try to step forward.
Dhruv Vikram delivers one of his strongest performances yet. The way he shows Kittan’s awkwardness, hesitation and bottled-up rage without saying much is brilliant. Every time he runs, or trains, or steps into the kabaddi arena, you feel what’s happening inside him more than what’s said aloud. The film uses flashbacks beautifully, and the contrast between grainy black-and-white and rich colour adds so much meaning to his memories and identity.
Mari Selvaraj doesn’t shy away from showing how harsh and chaotic the world around Kittan is. The village violence, the gang tensions, the inherited anger — it all feels unsettling and real. Sometimes the movie leans into its message a little too strongly, and the runtime feels heavy, but the emotional truth of the story makes it worth it. If anything is missing, it’s the space given to the women — their stories feel like they could have added even more depth, but they’re barely explored.
By the time the final kabaddi match arrives, the film has already made its point: this isn’t just a game, it’s a battle for dignity, identity, and the right to exist without being reduced to a label. The climax is staged for mainstream emotion, but it still lands, especially because of the journey we’ve taken with Kittan.
Bison isn’t a casual weekend movie — it’s intense, emotional, and thought-provoking. But if you like films that stay with you, that reflect real lives and real struggles, it’s absolutely worth watching.
Streaming now on Netflix.
