2021, Tamil, 7.7/10 IMDB, Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj
A mafia story of juvenile delinquency, starts as a copy of the film ‘Petta’. Travels in an untrodden terrain for its lead actor and even manages to gain mileage with the overpowering antagonist. Sadly, the epilogue succumbs to wordplay rather than remaining truthful to resolving the crux of the plot.
The poster release of the film rumoured it to be on the lines of the 2011 Korean film ‘Silenced’. The hype pinnacled with the announcement of the cast and the release of the music album. Lokesh Kanagaraj’s previous outing vouched for an intriguing plot. But the film isn’t anywhere close to the plot of ‘Silenced’. The consanguinity is rather from the Kamal starrer ‘Nammavar’ and Rajini starrer, ‘Petta’, encompassing a ‘delinquent teenagers’ quotient.
Actor Vijay plays a college professor JD. An alcoholic for reasons unknown, is sent as a messiah to the juvenile center. The center’s juveniles are routined to own up crimes by Bhavani, played by the effervescent Vijay Sethupathi.
Vijay, cake walks the role and he does it everso charmingly. There is a lead lady in the film but there are no romance sequences but a mere attraction. There are action sequences but no super heroish flying and gravity defying stunts. There are cute dance numbers but not in dream locations. A welcome change in breaking the ‘success template’ of actor Vijay. It can easily be categorised – a new age ‘Vijay film’.
The film’s intention often stumbles and deviates the screenplay, as the creative team themselves are marvelling the duo leads. Attempting a tribute to Vijay’s 2004 film ‘Gilli’, the Kabadi sequence just deduces the momentum. It stalls the much awaited collision of the titans, that the poster lured the audience into the theaters.
However, its an absolute treat to watch Vijay sethupathi. He cruises through the entire length of the film, with his lethargic body language. His merry mockeries and his contemptuous speeches, shape his character with an untold svave. He elegantly gives back the ‘Thuppakki’ fame dialogue, – ‘I’m waiting’ to vijay. While conversing on his mobile’s speaker to the hero, he is seen to shape ‘demon horns’ out of his ‘shampooed frothy hair’. Wierdly he seems to outshine the hero.
Our expectation for a macho pay-off from Vijay by the end of his hero’s journey, somehow goes futile. But the consolation remains when the maker chooses to adhere to logical reality and end the film dutifully behind bars.
Good watch.
Dear Suga,
I appreciate you bringing up the displeasure about the film. I would have reacted the same way, had I not taken some time to reflect on it.
Joseph Campbell’s book ‘The Hero with a thousand Faces’ in 1949, was the first attempt to archetype a Hero. Indian cinema had travelled for many years on these prototypes and now it is in the middle of a paradigm shift, mainly because of the new age films.
In master, the director has just tried to bend the prototype by 50%. He trys to please the fans by giving their dose of the regular template and yet ventures to make the movie of his dreams. The same was the case when Pa.Ranjith tried to steer Rajini in to an untrodden path in Kabali and Kaala.
In fact, the hero’s journey of Campbell, describes the common template as –‘Involve a hero who goes on an adventure, is victorious in a decisive crisis and comes home changed or transformed.’
When you decode the film Master- the maker has meticulously followed the template- Vijay goes in to an adventure – the Observation Centre, is Victorious in the crisis and comes home transformed- quitting his addiction.
Director has just changed the platter that he delivers the hero’s journey in. He did away with the invisible cape of the hero and sculpted the character with many flaws and conflicts, to make him more human. The female leads are not mere eye candies, while one is instrumental in sending the hero on the adventure and the other gives a hand in the crisis.
There are no sympathy milking flash cuts for the hero but the antagonist has one. The hero is helpless to save the female lead and instead it’s the small boy who saves the girl.
Change, doesn’t go well with the movie goers of the south as we are conditioned for many years. I agree Lokesh got mixed up. He should have braved to do a movie of his choice 100% rather than trying to please the fans who see their heroes as ‘Demi-Gods’.
I hope Lokesh will have the liberty to do that with his next venture, as Mr Kamal, a known path breaker.
I believe audience and makers consider VJS’s lethargic mocking self as his USP, just the way he did in ‘Petta’. I hear the actor has been offered similar roles accross languages.
And once again thank you for your comment and appreciate you taking time to write one.
Very average movie! Saved by Two songs of Anirudh and SethUpatty s casual negatve role ( reminds of Sathyaraj style ). Mediocre performance by vijay, you are claiming his nextgen! Interesting point of view!
Least said about Screen play,its better. Disaster. Lokesh got mixed up heavily. Arrow climax is comical ! Might have got through commercially, because of post Covid scenario. But , for next movie Vijay has to be careful about storyline and screen play