2024, Theatrical Release, 8.1/10 IMDB, Directed by TJ Gnanavel
Published in Baradwaj Rangan’s Movie Blog https://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2024/10/16/readers-write-in-743-vettaiyan/
Not a mere age-appropriate story line, but also a solution-driven premise, that grants adequate space, for Rajinikanth to offer what his followers would be content with. The investigative thriller, twists and turns the screenplay, making the lead man to even tweak the context of his punch line, to indicate – ‘Hero’s transformation’.
The crux being ‘Encounter Killings’ and two big names of the industry shouldering the story line, Vettaiyan is bound to address social issues and it does. The two doyens, sharing screen space and Amitabh ji initially playing against Rajini and later working with him, is sheer nostalgia. The interactions between them begins a little cinematic but the director tries hard to maintain a realistic tone.
Rajinikanth playing Athiyan, an encounter specialist is introduced through the eyes of Patrick, a thief turned informer, played by the scintillating Fahad Fassil. Through him, the viewers are familiarized about the sensibilities of hero’s character and later the movie shapes in to an investigative thriller, revolving around a teacher turned activist Saranya, played by the powerful Dushara Vijayan.
The director takes two major issues and beautifully intersects them to arrive at a gripping narrative. To me, director TJ Gnanavel fills the void left behind by Director KV Anand and could easily owe it to the common journalism background of theirs. The screenplay spins off an investigative experience reminding the tonality of the movies like Ratsasan and Por Thozhil.
The director primarily highlights societal inequalities and then moves to ‘evaluate’ the hero’s macho extra-judicial killings. The tightly packed screen play in the later half, incorporates a sub text of disparities in education sector. The narration comes a full circle by addressing the consequences of encounter killings that circumvent criminal justice system, its repercussions on a larger picture and ends emphasizing the significance of trust in the judiciary.
The director adds yet another layer, ‘coaching institute mafia’ to the already juicy premise and it goes on to open dialogues in the viewer’s mind. To aid these societal introspective exercises within, the director, presents his researched facts to help evaluate the issues ourselves. The high morale intentions of the movie deal the loss of ‘one’ life in a fake encounter with deep concerns, and it strikes a contrast to the ‘rage induced’ eerie killings of recent times.
Rajinikanth plays a much-toned version of his usual self, by donning a soon-to-be retired daring cop. The director sets the stage to elicit certain throwback emotions from Rajini, giving the audience a few glimpses from the actor’s old classics. We did experience a ‘lost-child’ like emotions in Kabali, but in Vettaiyan, Rajini is ‘more human’ in erring and wanting to set right his wrong, through his deeds.
The guilt stridden depth in Rajini’s eyes, while meeting the human rightists headed by Amitabh were beautifully captured. The focus in channelizing his anger productively to prove the innocence of the accused, is a well deserving pay off by Athiayan, the caring guardian of teacher Saranya’s. The dialogue less montages of the temple visits intended to wipe away his sins were intensely calm. The tonality of Rajini’s character does change in to a crowd-pleasing mode at times, but the actor is seen to swiftly iron back to his rigid self and the story progresses.
The pace of the movie is doubled in the second half, as the story’s high point arrives a little too early. It is an irreplaceable interval block that leave the audience hooked. Since there are too many plot points, many interesting revelations go unnoticed and don’t get its due recognition. The visuals become a little tedious as it is trying to match the thought flow of the journalist director. The lengthy story, struggles to fit into the precise running time. But surprisingly the second watch dawned on me, the meticulous work that has gone into untying every single knot and giving the sub plots, a closure.
Though the reason why Saranya did not contact Athiyan immediately after the murder attempt wasn’t addressed explicitly, it read to me as, the girl got motivated by Athiyan’s parting words before he sent her off to Chennai- ‘Stay bold and continue the good work’. Also, later in the climax reveal, we become aware that her motive was to ‘safe guard the evidences’ than to save her own self.
Classifying ‘Education mafia’ as economic offense, is an interesting add-on, post Rajini’s punishment transfer. Director takes creative liberty to ignore the ‘small prints’ clause in agreements of such corporates and cruises to successfully create an inclusive awareness to parents, government bodies and the public in general.
The Director cohesively addresses the fundamentals of the issue one after the other. He does a reality check on the limited medical seats ratio, to the number of applicants guaranteed admissions by the mushrooming coaching institutes. The thread then highlights the financial crisis involved in the corporate models of ‘EMI towards coaching fee loans’. Later he correlates corporate firm’s ride on the ‘greed of parents’, who are sadly ignorant to assess the capabilities of their children and to guide them into different streams other than the socially recognized medical and engineering avenues.
The director eventually goes on to incorporate activism through his journalistic approach, in search of solutions. He boldly points the ‘stress building causes’ for suicides among children prepping for entrance exams via coaching institutes. He calls out that children are not just crammed with burdens of academics but also are forced to overcome language barriers in the last leg of their school career to join the main stream exam aspirants. It is an alarming indicator for a need of bigger change, either in the national testing pattern or in the up gradation of the state’s education sector at par with the unified education system.
I personally hoped the ‘solution drive’ doesn’t end with the climax and goes on to continue in the homes of aspiring children. Should the choices of the children from middle income group, be firmly analyzed, before registering them to such coaching institutes? Is the choice based on societal pressure or is it because of a mere fascination of the child, who doesn’t understand the magnitude of effort required? Assessing the incapability of the government sector to ‘up’ it’s standards to give the children the edge they deserve through their ‘school coaching’ is vital too.
The issues are complex and requires strong laws to govern the corporate institutes. Fee structure proportionate to the income of the parents, 50 percent seats of these coaching institutes to be allotted for government students, improving the standards of government schools to accommodate an integrated in-person coaching by qualified volunteers are few options that my mind kept spinning around after the movie. And I hope the movie aids as an awareness campaign, in changing the perspectives of the parents and would be even happier if it cautions the law makers by pushing reforms in the education sector that favors the ‘children’ and not just their party’s polity.
The director does try to accommodate elements to woo the audience like the introduction song ‘Manasilayoo’ by Manju Warrier. But the compulsive generic stunts undoubtedly drag the director’s narration, and is clearly evident that his sensibilities towards the success of big star vehicle is misplaced in the 90’s.
Saranya’s tragedy looping in ‘Rashomon effect’ substituting mundane flashback is a put off for many I hear, but three reiterations of the incident in a three-hour movie is nowhere near to the Indian rape statistics of 90 cases per day, which is approximately 3 rapes every hour. To me, it either alerts a young girl to evade such situations, warns the young boys on the impact of such actions and finally it doesn’t do much harm, than what the recent movies did by, housing mass killings, cannon firings and even a blood pooling decapitation by Rajini himself in his last outing.
Casting for the right reasons adds more strength to the narration. Rana Daggubati, as the coaching corporate head, relates to the Telugu speaking states where the highest number of IIT aspirants hail from. Ritika Singh a northern girl posted in Chennai. The show stealer, Fahad Fassil is introduced in the Kanyakumari District, with a back story connecting to the border sharing Kerala’s Juvenile reform school at Thiruvananthapuram.
Fahad is the only solace of comic relief through his over powering intelligence and satirical comments insisting on the need of a corrupt free, fast paced police force. The actor dons’ multiple hats both in the story and in his career. Every role of his enchants the audience and make them crave for more. His effortless performance captivates the viewers and his versatility leaves one in awe.
A super star movie without much screams or whistles in the theater is a scary affair. But the pin drop silence among the audience who are trying to engage themselves in the narrative, is a victory for both the star and the director.