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Kaashmora is a 2016 Indian Tamil-language dark fantasy film directed by Gokul and starring Karthi, Nayanthara, and Sri Divya in leading roles. The film opens with Kaashmora (Karthi), a fraudulent ghost hunter who exploits people's fear of the supernatural, offering his services to anyone willing to pay. With his partner in crime, they con people into believing that they can rid them of their ghostly problems.

Kaashmora ultimately gets caught up in his lies and lands himself in trouble with a leading politician's family, who hires him to rid their ancestral palace of all its ghosts. However, soon after he takes the job, he realizes that the palace's ghost is far more powerful than any he has dealt with before. This leads to a series of events that ultimately reveals secrets from the past, including the actual identity of the ghost and the reasons behind her torment.

The first half of the movie is a mix of comedy and horror, with Karthi delivering a stellar performance as the shady ghost hunter. The humor in the film comes from Kaashmora's exaggerated reactions to the so-called supernatural events he encounters. However, the film's strength lies in Gokul's ability to create and sustain the eerie atmosphere that keeps the audience on edge throughout the film.

Once the film shifts gears into the second half, it transforms itself into a darker, more serious, and emotionally-driven narrative. The shift is seamless, with the director creating a credible backstory for the film's villain and adding depth to the film's protagonist. The addition of Nayanthara and Sri Divya's characters adds more depth and intrigue to the plot, revealing further secrets about the ghost, the palace, and the history that binds them.

The film's writing is tight and well-crafted, with the characters' respective arcs intersecting and joining in a satisfying climax that ties up all the loose ends. The plot is complex, but the director's handling of it ensures that it never becomes confusing or convoluted. Moreover, the film does not rely on jump scares or other overused horror tropes to create a sense of fear; instead, it relies on the underlying atmosphere of dread and tension to keep the viewer's interest.

One of the film's other significant strengths is its visual effects, which are some of the best seen in Indian cinema. The ghosts are realistically portrayed, and their interactions with the physical world appear natural and convincing. The actual sets themselves are a work of art, with the palace's intricate architecture and design being particularly breathtaking.

Overall, Kaashmora is a well-made film that provides an excellent mix of genres, successfully marrying horror, comedy, and drama into a cohesive and timely narrative. The film's ability to blend these genres ensures that it stays fresh and unpredictable throughout, providing an entertaining and engaging experience for viewers. Karthi, in particular, delivers a standout performance, and the film's technical achievements ensure that it will be remembered as a cinematic achievement for years to come.

Kaashmora is a 2016 fantasy movie with a runtime of 2 hours and 41 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.6.