Kamalini’s romantic storyline here is subversive because her "first love" is practical and grounded. She doesn’t fall for the hero’s money or charisma; she falls for the rebel’s ideology. The essay-worthy twist is that her romance is the catalyst for the film’s violence, yet Kamalini plays Janaki with zero guilt. She is one of the few actresses who can portray a woman moving from one relationship to another not as a betrayal, but as a survival instinct, while retaining the audience's empathy.