Kenatha Kanom
DirectorSuresh Sangaiah
Producer
  • R. Ramesh Babu
  • Jegan Baskaran
WriterSuresh Sangaiah
Starring
MusicNivas K. Prasanna
CinematographyV. Thiyagarajan
EditingR. Ramar
Studio
  • RB Talkies
  • Box Office Studio
DistributorJioHotstar
Released13 March 2026
Runtime116 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Kenatha Kanom () is a 2026 Indian Tamil-language comedy drama film written and directed by Suresh Sangaiah (in his last film before his death) and produced by RB Talkies and Box Office Studio.[1]The film stars Yogi Babu, Lovelyn Chandrasekhar and Raichal Rabecca in lead roles.

The film was officially announced in February 2024 under the tentative title Production #17, as it is the 17th film for Hotstar Specials, and the official title was announced in December 2025.[2][3]The film has music composed by Nivas K. Prasanna, cinematography handled by V. Thiyagarajan and editing by R. Ramar.

Kenatha Kanom was released in theatres on 13 March 2026 and received mixed reviews from critics.

Plot

Somewhere in Ramanathapuram, a village is drought-stricken and water-starved as the residents go to great lengths to solve this issue. As a last resort, they decide to dig a well in front of local temple priest Manivasagar’s house. But as they make a startling discovery, the village is taken over by the archaeological department, irking the residents even more.

Production

Kenatha Kanom was written and directed by Suresh Sangaiah, marking his final directorial project.[4] The film was conceived as a rural social satire addressing issues such as water scarcity, governance, and the struggles of people in drought-prone regions of Tamil Nadu. It was produced by R. Ramesh Babu and Jegan Baskaran under the banners RB Talkies and Box Office Studio.[5][6]

Music

The music was composed by Nivas K. Prasanna.[7][8]

Release

Kenatha Kanom was released theatrically on 13 March 2026.[9] The post-theatrical digital streaming rights were acquired by JioHotstar.[10]

Reception

Critical response

Kenatha Kanom received mixed reviews from critics.

Abhinav Subramanian of The Times of India rated the film 3/5 stars and wrote, "A man that steals a dinosaur fossil to blackmail the government should be wilder than this. Kenatha Kanom has the premise for something memorable but settles for being pleasant."[11] Prashanth Vallavan of The New Indian Express rated the film 2/5 stars and wrote, "Kenatha Kanom has a wonderfully quirky premise but resorts to a sappy romanticisation of the “old ways”".[12] A critic from Dinamalar rated the film 2/5 stars and wrote that there's no laughter, even with Yogi Babu in it.[13] A critic from Ananda Vikatan wrote that the film has two inconsistent stories in the first half and second half, which makes it lack an emotional connect with the audience.[14] A critic from Dina Thanthi praised Suresh Sangaiah for crafting a film that raises social awareness.[15] A critic from Zee Tamil News wrote that the illogical scenes make it hard to connect to the film.[16] A critic from Asianet News Tamil gave the film a positive review.[17] Anusha Sundar of OTTPlay rated the film 2/5 stars and wrote, "The ideas are great, but there are too many for you to hold on to and travel with. In turn, Kenatha Kanom becomes a mumbo-jumbo of too many ideas executed unevenly."[18]

References

  1. ^ "Yogi Babu teams up with director Suresh Sangaiah for a Hotstar Specials movie". The Hindu. 22 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Yogi Babu's next with director Suresh Sangaiah". The Times of India. 23 February 2024.
  3. ^ "JioHotstar South Unbound: 25 Titles Revealed for 2026". Deccan Chronicle. 9 December 2025.
  4. ^ "Kenatha Kanom Trailer: Water crisis and dinosaur discovery disrupt villagers' lives in Yogi Babu-led drama". Cinema Express. 6 March 2026. Archived 13 March 2026 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  5. ^ "Yogi Babu at Kenatha Kanom pre-release event: 'I was Suresh Sangaiah's first choice for Oru Kidayin Karunai Manu, but…'". Cinema Express. 3 March 2026.
  6. ^ "Raichal Rabecca on Kenatha Kanom: ‘The film explores strong political and psychological dimensions…’". Cinema Express. 3 March 2026. Archived 21 April 2026 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  7. ^ "Kenatha Kanom (Rap Song) by Nivas K Prasanna". Gaana. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  8. ^ "'Othaiyadi' from Yogi Babu-starrer Kenatha Kanom is a breezy call for love". Cinema Express. 8 March 2026. Archived 13 March 2026 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  9. ^ "Kenatha Kanom OTT release update: Where to watch Yogi Babu's Tamil rural comedy movie after its theatrical run". The Economic Times. 8 March 2026. Archived 11 March 2026 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  10. ^ "Yogi Babu’s ‘Kenatha Kanom’ bags OTT deal". DT Next. 13 March 2026.
  11. ^ "Kenatha Kanom Movie Review: Entertaining enough, just never as wild as it should be". The Times of India. 13 March 2026. Archived 8 April 2026 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  12. ^ Vallavan, Prashanth (14 March 2026). "Kenatha Kanom Movie Review: Promising story buried beneath misguided ideals". The New Indian Express
  13. ^ "கெணத்த காணோம் - விமர்சனம் {2/5} : கெணத்த காணோம் - யோகிபாபு இருந்தும் 'சிரிப்பை' காணோம் - Kenatha Kanom". Dinamalar. 13 March 2026.
  14. ^ "கெணத்த காணோம் விமர்சனம்: 'கிணறு வெட்ட பூதம் கிளம்பிய காமெடி கதை' - சுவாரஸ்யமாக நிரம்புகிறதா படம்?" (in Tamil). Ananda Vikatan. 13 March 2026. Archived 14 March 2026 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  15. ^ ""கெணத்த காணோம்" திரைப்பட விமர்சனம்" (in Tamil). Dina Thanthi. 14 March 2026.
  16. ^ "யோகி பாபுவின் கெணத்த காணோம் படம் எப்படி உள்ளது? திரைவிமர்சனம்!" (in Tamil). Zee Tamil News. 14 March 2026.
  17. ^ "யோகிபாபுவின் கெணத்த காணோம் படம் சூப்பரா? சுமாரா? விமர்சனம் இதோ" (in Tamil). Asianet News Tamil. 13 March 2026.
  18. ^ "Kenatha Kanom movie review: Yogi Babu film with promising themes gets buried". OTTPlay. 13 March 2026.