Kavin’s Bloody Beggar finds a second life on OTT—what went wrong in theatres?

To some extent, audiences have been generous towards Kavin, an actor steadily building his repertoire. While his previous films, Dada and Star, performed well across platforms, his latest, Bloody Beggar, didn’t find the same love in theatres despite being his best work yet.

Personally, I wasn’t a big fan of either Dada or Star. Dada felt insincere, its narrative bending unnaturally to portray the male protagonist in a sympathetic light. In doing so, it treated the female protagonist unfairly, imposing rigid moral expectations on her while letting the hero off the hook for his mistakes.

Star, on the other hand, offered Kavin a solid platform to showcase his acting chops, especially in its ambitious single-shot climax. However, the screenplay leaned too heavily on garnering sympathy for the hero, often feeling forced and contrived despite its occasional strong moments.

But Bloody Beggar felt like a different beast altogether—a bold, well-rounded story. Director-writer Sivabalan weaves a morbid yet compelling tale about the corrupting influence of excessive wealth, using dark comedy to make sharp social commentary.

Kavin delivers a standout performance as the titular beggar, a man who finds no value in honest work. He begs for money, spends his free time creating social media reels, and indulges in pizza delivery when hunger strikes. He’s a drifter who has abandoned any pretence of caring for others, including the child he is raising. Kavin sells the character’s disdain for the world convincingly, making us believe his laziness and contempt are born out of something deeper.

The movie takes off when the protagonist unwittingly enters a mission and becomes entangled in a web of greed, betrayal, and murder. His mastery in beggary proves futile against the homicidal, greed-driven maniacs willing to commit the unthinkable for generational wealth.

Sivabalan packs Bloody Beggar with enough twists to keep viewers hooked. His direction, heavily influenced by his mentor Nelson’s unhurried style, complements the film’s darkly comic undertones. The narrative forces the audience to grapple with uncomfortable questions: Are the lives of the underprivileged inherently less valuable than the wealthy? When wealth promises security for generations, does morality even stand a chance?

Despite its merits, Bloody Beggar didn’t resonate with theatre-goers. The timing of its release likely played a significant role. Unlike Dada and Star, which had little box-office competition, Bloody Beggar faced stiff rivalry from Sivakarthikeyan’s Amaran and Dulquer Salmaan’s Lucky Bhaskar. The buzz surrounding Amaran overshadowed Bloody Beggar, leaving it struggling to find its audience.

Perhaps the producers miscalculated in releasing it during a festival weekend, a time better suited for mass entertainers. A quieter release during an off-peak weekend might have allowed Bloody Beggar to find its footing, aligning better with its introspective tone.

Now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Bloody Beggar offers a second chance for audiences to appreciate this underrated gem. It’s a film that deserves more recognition, not just for Kavin’s remarkable performance but also for Sivabalan’s sharp storytelling and biting social commentary.