2025, Tamil, Theatrical release, IMDB 7.6/10, Directed by S.U. Arun Kumar
Published in Baradwaj Rangan’s blog: https://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2025/04/09/readers-write-in-788-veera-dheera-sooran-the-maneuverer/
A ‘chaos theory’, intersecting the lives of three social creatures, who unleash their manipulative tactics at varied levels, when their survival is at stake. The inherent survival instinct of the characters, beautifully synchronizes with their acquired traits of manoeuvring, to evade danger and to exploit the opponent for the same. A well-made thriller, narrated in a profound style, housing impressive performances.
It’s a delight to watch the ‘Chithha’ director S.U. Arun Kumar, in a premise that casts a new light on the muscles of actor Vikram, as he plays Kaali, a deputy of a don, in his past. The actor is ‘all’ that the title claims him to be, but we infer that he has a ‘restrained mode’ turned on, to keep his family safe. A repentant hero making amends for past sins, trying to lead a normal life, might sound way too familiar. But the ‘perspective predominant’ narration, showcases the story in its complexity, as the viewers are lured to enter the mind space of the director’s and the actor’s.
Casting ‘not so familiar’ actors for majority of the characters, plays to the strength of the film, as it kind of allows the viewers to sync into the story’s newness. The story dives head on, demystifying the characters as and when they are introduced. Suraj Venjaramoodu’s debut in Tamil, doubles the curiosity, as one is left to await the versatile actor to unravel the layers of his character Kannan, the son of a supposed Don, ‘Periyavar’ Ravi. Expectation sky rockets as SJ Surya, plays a cop yet again. However, the seriousness of the plot echoes in his no-nonsense performance as he plays SI Arunagiri. While the three major characters are converging on the lines of revenge and spitefulness, the malicious serpentine plot, alerts the viewers to hook on to the intensely paced narration, that even proves challenging at times for the attention span it demands.
Movie goers are often conditioned to a format that, ‘Family’ is the weakness of a hero and the family members would inevitably be held hostage by the antagonist at some point, to coerce the hero. But here, the trio- The don along with his son, his deputy and a Sub inspector, permutates the so-called ‘family card’ among themselves and at times at the audience as well. The narration unintendedly brings each one’s family to the forefront and instantly they tweak their decisions, posing a threat to the opponent. The Director attempts to simplify the complex thought process, through his well-executed screenplay and manages to keep the audience in the loop.
Vikram’s Kaali character has a past that involves his boss Ravi, his son Kannan and Sub Inspector Arunagiri. In present, the power-hungry SI, sketches an encounter against the father and son framing them over a petty suspicious lead, of a missing lady, to whom the duo apparently did no harm. This revives the animosity among the three, as the father seeks Kaali, his past deputy, to save his son Kannan from the clutches of the SI.
SJ Surya, has been chiseled out of his usual quirky demeanor, and his eyes gleams of the urge to avenge the father and son. The duo had plummeted the SI’s career graph over a mishap in the past, right under his nose, in his own station. The sequence where he orally plans the encounter with his subordinates, the actor allows the viewers to peek in to the mind of his character Arunagiri. From the director’s angle, it might look like an easy ‘telling’ rather than ‘showing’. But, to make the audience become aware of the revenge fantasies of the SI, the meticulous patterns that he must have played in his head back and forth, it is only effective when the character narrates in his own words. For all the permutation of allies he forms in a wink of an eye, through the length of the movie, the actor makes each one of those promises, sound genuine, both to the opponent and to the audience. SJ Surya, undoubtedly, at his best.
The thread of ‘emotionalism’ to express the intensity of the family bond in the introduction sequences of Kaali’s and the antagonist father-son duo’s, are not mere manipulative set ups, to milk sentiments later. The women characters, be it Kaali’s wife Kalai, played by the ‘incredible’ Dushara Vijayan or be it Ravi’s wife or his daughter Sreeja, they are the ones who actually fuel the story. The director had seemingly infused high emotional intelligence into majority of his characters, for they steer and twist the screenplay, cruising along the vulnerable moments of each one of them. The interactions between the characters are often driven by degrees of deceit and some of them seem involuntary, suggesting that this maybe their order of life.
It is the ‘intent’ behind these deceptions that differentiate them from one another and the audience become the jurors. Kalai manipulates her husband Kaali, not to venture into gang violence again. She cites the intensity of her daughter’s past trauma, that the adolescent girl continues to bed wet. But when it comes to saving her own family, she is seen resorting to a knife herself. What could be worse, she puts the knife to the neck of a little girl, who seem younger that her own daughter.
The inspector manipulates the entire force to make them believe that the encounter is inevitable, while his primary intention is to avenge the father and son. The father, Don Ravi manipulates Kaali to save his son’s life and he goes to all possible extent, even if it means falling on the feet of his one-time deputy. But on the other hand, Ravi shows signs that he is sure to wipe Kaali off at the earliest, once his desired outcome is achieved. Kannan manipulates Ravi, his father and the SI, to make Ravi take the don ‘Periyavar’ position. And the biggest manipulator of them all is, the protagonist Kaali himself, who manipulates every character around him for varied intentions, starting with his own family, the SI, Ravi and Kannan.
Venkat’s, is a beautifully written character. He seems to be a cousin of Kannan’s, for he addresses his dad, ‘Uncle’. And he is in awe of Kaali’s courageous past. Venkat, is naively loyal, fights the battles for his uncle’s family, follows Kaali’s instructions, executes order by fighting in the front line for Kaali, undergoes prison terms to keep Kaali out, but is a little cowardly. He flees when he feels he is cornered or when he senses danger. This trait of his, organically pans out in the ‘silent’ penultimate sequence with Kalai and Kaali beside him. His cowardice is a reflection of the genuine goodness in his heart we gather. A guy who misplaced his loyalties, due to lack of shrewdness maybe. S U Balaji as Venkat, nails expressing the character’s inner thoughts, with his eyes capturing the exact essence of the writer’s.
Similarly, Sreeja, Kannan’s sister, a bold character who makes herself heard always, an adamant spoilt youngster of the don’s family, is yet another noteworthy character. Suvedha G playing Sreeja, effectively contributes towards the eerie tension in one too many turning points of the film, building the momentum. Same goes with Maala Parvathi playing Kannan’s mom. Her bond with Kaali seems almost ‘divine’ and again this film being a ‘middle act’, a part 2, leaves one inquisitive on what might have been the pact between the two. These kinds of titbits, keep the story ‘alive’, long after we walk out of the theatres.
The finesse in character etching is evident, as their traits were well hinted, pretty much in their respective introductions. The characters keep traveling with a distinct note, parallelly. They do their fair part in contributing towards story building and keeps the audience hooked with their fantastic final acts, which shines through, as the end credits scrolls.
Each character believes and behaves in line with a perspective of their own, and when each one is faced with a conflict, they change their stances, like a game of musical chair. The 16 odd minutes single shot, has got to be the highlight of the movie, a sheer team work. A steady tension building sequence, focusing on the movements of the members of the gang, who assist Kannan break free from the custody of the police. But the camera interestingly documents the emotional dilemmas of Kaali’s, keeping the viewers on the edge.
S. U. Arun Kumar proves to have become a refined craftsman, as he chooses to bring the curtain down, using the characters who started the ball rolling, that broke all hell lose, causing chaos in many lives around. The director has created a universe for himself, that arouse curiosity, and he now has adequate content for both a prequel and a sequel.