There was never any doubt
about Vikram's powerhouse acting talent. But in recent years, I have not
watched any of his movies except for Mahaan because his ability to select the
right director and script was not up to the mark. I, along with many others, thought
his potential to become a superstar was wasted. But if there is one director
who has shown top-notch quality and talent in most of his movies, it is SU Arun
Kumar. Whether it is Pannayarum Padminiyum, Sethupathy or Chittha, they were
well appreciated by both audiences and critics. As if this wasn't enough, my
expectations increased ten times when they released a banger of teaser. Did the
movie meet my expectations?
Let's find out
The Characters
The movie has many
strengths, but the most visible strength is character development. All the
characters in the film are clearly defined. We can sense each character's
motivations and personality while watching the movie; everything is subtly
conveyed through the flashback scenes and reaction shots. For example, there is
a scene in the flashback portion where Vikram and Dushara are having sex just
before their marriage in the bedroom on the top floor of their mandap and right
after; they play with each other while Vikram hangs outside the window on his
way back to his room. It shows that both characters are strong and independent
and that they focus on the fearless nature of Vikram's character. Even the
Villain characters of SJ Suryah and Suraj Venjarammoodu are not one-note and
have strong reasons for their actions.
The Plot
Watching this movie had
the same effect as watching a Misskyn or a Vetrimaran film, where a relatively
minor incident snowballs and affects the lives of everyone involved. The film
begins with a woman and her child entering a rich house, searching for her
husband, and blaming the men there. How this incident, along with the selfish
motivations of each character, affects everyone involved forms the crux of the
story. The joy of watching such a movie comes from the connection you get due
to the detailed writing.
The Action
This is not one of those
masala movies where the hero hits and ten goons fly in all directions. The
fight scenes are like those in Korean movies: brutal and raw. Both parties get
hurt violently. Even though Vikram's character never stops fighting however
much he gets hurt, you are able to buy into the scenes because his character is
already defined subtly as strong and fearless.
The dialogues
Don't go into this movie
expecting filmy punch dialogues. All characters speak and behave as if they are
living in a rustic Tamil village. Most of the dialogues flow in the correct
pitch and accent. This is especially evident in the scenes where Vikram converses
with the customers of his shop and his family. The only jarring effect occurred
when listening to Suraj Venjarammoodu's dialogues, which had a tinge of Mallu
accent. But overall, it gave me a realistic feeling.
The Art Direction,
Cinematography and Background Score
As I mentioned, every
aspect of the movie gave me a lived-in rustic feel of a Tamil village. The
scenes of Vikram's shop cum house are a prime example of this. Kudos to the
cinematographer, Theni Easwar and the art director for such a delicate and
detailed work. I've always felt that GV Prakash is an underrated music
director. Even though he produces bangers with his music time and time again,
he has never been considered part of the big league like Anirudh or Thaman. His
background score, especially the one in the action scenes, is still ringing in
my ears.
The pacing
I was hooked into the
movie, sitting on the edge of the seat for the most part. I kept wondering what
Vikram's character would do next to escape the conundrum he got himself into.
But the film does slow down in the flashback portions, which pulled me out of
the narrative a bit. Overall, the movie was correctly paced and suspenseful.
If you are a fan of
well-written, detailed, suspenseful thrillers with loads of edge-of-seat
action, stop waiting and book your tickets for the next show.
