Rajinikanth yet again brings a commercial film in T.J. Gnanavel’s platter.
My blog space is gradually becoming a movie geek page with back-to-back movie reviews and this review might make it official today. This time it is all about me savouring and sharing my experience watching the most awaited picture from the Super Star.
During the pooja holidays, I had time to spare watching not one but two films back-to-back. The outpouring of rain, crunchy popcorn and a cup of coffee was all I needed to keep me company. I happened to watch Vaazhai first after hearing numerous positive comments and reviews, yet it did not touch my heart as I expected it to. The next day, it was Vettaiyan, a movie I was least interested in. I hope my readers don’t come at me for this, but I have to be honest. There are movies or a few movie genres that I don’t vibe well with and the latter one is one among those. To my surprise or your satisfaction, I was wrong and that is exactly why this blog is out here for you to read.
The Movie (Spoiler Alert):
Commercial films continue to gain huge reception among audiences and Vettaiyan is no exception. Watching the movie’s grand trailer and it being Anirudh’s musical, I was sure the movie was already gaining the necessary attention. The pre-release era just made me assume that it would become one of the movies that gets glorified for the cast, production and musical. In my defence, I was never a commercial movie fanatic and had a weird time experiencing Jailer last year. In simple words, I wasn’t expecting much from the film but ended up staying stuck with the story for the entire day and after.
As the movie began, the initial few minutes continued the usual pattern of familiarizing with the background, followed by the grandiose introductory remark by Fahad Faasil for the protagonist, SP Athiyan (Rajinikanth). It is with this duo, SP Athiyan and Patrick a.k.a Battery (Fahad Faasil), we travel throughout the film. Athiyan is a straightforward police officer who cannot stand injustice. He is also titled as one of the efficient encounter specialists who hardly thinks twice before putting a bullet right at the forehead of abusers and criminals. In Partick’s words, he is like the blazing star and the fierce tiger that hunts its prey despite the odds. When the entire state and police department glorify Athiyan’s professional track, there is Sathyadev (Amitabh Bachan), a retired Bombay High Court Judge who voices out for Human Rights and is completely against Athiyan’s series of staged encounters. Yes, Athiyan works for justice and can’t stand criminals walking out of prisons because of loopholes, hence he fakes situations and makes sure the criminal gets killed. To help him solve his missions, he relies on Patrick often called Battery, a tech-savvy and witty thief who has become a great admirer of the officer and a loyal mate. The duo is sweet, fun and inevitable.
On the other side of Kanyakumari, Saranya (Dushara Vijayan), a government schoolteacher stays true to her job and makes sure that every student rightfully gets an education. Her ethics and virtues make headlines and gain favouritism from Athiyan. After getting a transfer to Chennai, Saranya continues to be vigilant and as per the famous saying, “Straight trees get cut first”, Saranya meets a tragic end in a mysterious way. The kill is intense and disturbing in a way that triggers us for a vengeful hurt. Despite the loose ends, the assigned police officers led by AP Harish Kumar (Kishore) rush to close the case by accusing an innocent and before things get settled, Athiyan slides in and gets tit for tat by staging an encounter for the labelled predator, Guna.
Now, these are the places where we can predict what is about to happen next. Obviously, things take a shift when Sathyadev steps in and points out Athiyan’s hasty decisions by handing over multiple pieces of evidence that prove Guna to be innocent. SP Athiyan’s palace of glory comes crashing down when he realises his mistake. The guilt of killing an innocent and tormenting his family eats him up. The devastation makes him repent and make a promise to do his job following law and order. Teaming up with ASP Roopa (Rithika Singh), ASP Ram (Anath Nag) and Patrick, Athiyan sets on a hunt to catch the actual criminals and make them pay. With days of tireless work, the team succeeds in identifying the manipulative Nat Academy and its chairman, Natraj (Rana Daggubati) behind the murder. The mystery is unveiled by explaining how Saranya had a rough patch with the company for the way it is operating. When Saranya aims to address the scam and works towards it, she becomes a threat to the company and hence murdered.
For obvious reasons, Nataraj is not an easy catch and can be put behind bars. Being aware of the efforts Nataraj sends people to intimidate the team and kills our favourite, Patrick. I am not sure about the rest, but that bloodshed stole my peace, and I almost ended up shedding tears. The emotional setback pushes Athiyan to be more meticulous in his work and after the cinematic fight stunt, in the end, we reach the climax with justice being served. Finally, Natraj is sent to spend the rest of his life in prison and Athiyan is now a renowned officer who advocates young aspirers to work for justice while abiding by the law and order.
Movie Highlights
Concerning Issues
I got to read a lot of reviews and comments from my mutuals expressing their mixed reactions towards the movie, but it is the untouched societal issues dealt with in the movie that makes the picture stand out in actor Rajinikath’s discography. If I am right, the movie addressed three subjects that continue to stay touchy in our society. I remember reading a WhatsApp status of one of my friends who were very much disturbed by the fact that the movie continues to be one among the many films that picture women being raped and almost infuriated for it being shown multiple times. Well, I agree, I was equally disturbed by the number of times we were forced to watch Saranya in a vulnerable situation but the concept of “Rape Cases” being carelessly or casually dealt with by society blared like a siren in my ears. It is scary when you realize that rape and murder have become so common that for obvious reasons the cause of a girl or a woman’s murder is often sexual intentions. I am not sure how people found this but for me, it was a wakeup call.
The next one in the line is the unpopular opinion about the prevailing unhealthy academic pressures and the luring scams around it. When most of the recent movies have been vocal about women and gender issues, I have hardly noticed movies emphasizing the manipulation of the education system. Some of the movies that instantly come to my mind are Saattai and Pasanga 2. Still, T.J. Gnanavel’s take on the sensitive concept is appreciable and should be welcomed.
The Tragic Flaw
The final message, the cherry on top and my most favourite point from the film is the protagonist’s tragic flaw that causes him a downfall, making hasty decisions. Well, in the present era, it has become a trend to be quick and hasty with decisions and is often considered classy. Adding to youngsters’ opinion, most commercial films glorify revenge. Most movies are about preparing oneself to take another one down. However, Vettaiyan deals with it in elegance. I was very much impressed by how the director decided to make a trait that is approved, appreciated and even idolized by people into a hero’s flaw. Some might feel that it is no big deal but if you ask me, it is wise. Of course, Making wrong hasty decisions has so much to do with every one of our lives.
Super Star vs Big B
Speaking of my favourite concept eventually leads to the encounters between the big stars. After 33 years the face of Bollywood and the star of Kollywood joined hands for good. Though the mega stars’ reunion isn't a marvel, it stays momentous. Nobody except Amithab Batchan can point fingers at Super Star and accuse him of his wrongdoing, and yes, it was PERFECT in the picture.
The elegance and poised figure of Sathyadev can only be portrayed by Batchan and I was for it from the first minute of the movie. Two of the notable or my personal favourite encounters were one when SP Athiyan visited Sathyadev at his house, seeking his help to continue his investigation. Athiyan looks very vulnerable which makes the audience realise that the greatest hero portrayed on screen is a human too and is allowed to make mistakes. Just like the old times in Epic poetries where the chivalrous hero has a tragic fall because of his flaw. The Second one would be the final clip of the movie where Sathyadev mouths, “I am proud of you” at Athiyan. Guys, I don’t know why but that felt wholesome. From the duo’s contradictory ideas to their closure was just one full circle and I just loved it.
Battery: The Energizer
Before I jump into my other favourite characters, it has officially become my duty to stack my words for the character I enjoyed the most for two hours. It is none other than Patrick a.k.a Battery or my fav Horlicks Champ. I happened to watch one of the programs regarding the film’s promotion where Rajinikanth mentioned how they were very particular in casting Fahadh Faasil for the role of Patrick and of course, they did the right thing. The man just deserves all the praise. Featuring as a sidekick, Battery made us smile, laugh, adore, pity, think and cry. He is smart, witty, loyal and everything in the best way possible.
I remember almost flipping over my chair when he took the bullet for Athiyan and had to spare a few tears when his soul finally departed. Technically speaking, the director did an amazing job of triggering the audience to hate the villain by sparing the character who makes it inevitable to fall in love. But, personally, my heart just shattered, and I hardly uttered a word till the next day. As I type my words, I still feel the pain buried in me.
The Characters who Stood out
Moving to my favourite characters in the movie. By now you know Sathyadev and Patrick top the list. It is followed by Roopa Kiran played by Ritika. Being a female consumer of movies, it always feels authentic and satisfying to watch women take a lead role and be involved in the plot. The feeling is the same watching Roops get some action. Ritika as an actor has been on my radar since her debut and witnessing her share screens with Rajinikanth and Bachan makes me genuinely happy. I was also in love with her outfits throughout the movie and her chemistry or the development she had with Patrick was heartwarming. Her preparing a cup of Horlicks for him and honouring him after his death still stays close to my heart.
Saranya undoubtedly crawls to my list of favourite actors next. I have following Dushara’s work since Aneethi and watching her rise to popularity by being part of big projects like Raayan and Vettaiyan feels rewarding. Though I was aware that Saranya was going to be used as a scapegoat in the plot to take things further, her dismissal in the movie felt personal. It was not just her morals but her innocence and dreams that made me feel very relatable as a girl next door.
When it comes to the big picture, the entire cast did justice to the plot and stayed prominent in their given roles. There were times when I felt a few characters did not get their space to shine but that is how it is when it comes to movies and dramas. It doesn’t matter whether the role is big or small, they add up a great deal to the main picture.
An Anirudh’s Musical
The movie being an Anirudh musical, I naturally had to wait for the entire OST to be released. The Background score as always added the spices we needed in the movie. To name a few of my favourites from the list of ten tracks other than the already megahit, Manasilaayo" will be, “Clean Shot”, “Hunter Vantaar” and “Hands Up”. Wanna feel energized using a morning playlist? You must add these to your playlist. However, I somehow felt that something was missing when it came to this album of songs. Are they good? Yes! Are they one of the best ones from Anirudh? Surprisingly no…
I remember screaming at the top of my lungs when Vikram Soundtracks dropped but did not feel the same when I tuned in to Vettaiyan’s.
Take Home
In simple words, Vettaiyan is there for us to enjoy and learn. Despite the mega picture, there were times when the movie felt flat or failed to impress which got people feeling Rajinikanth’s roar wasn’t louder and I agree. The actor known for giving some of the greatest punch lines of all time stayed null this time. There were occasions when too much was said and a few times when things just fell flat.
At some point, it also made me feel that the star encounter specialist needed a better villain too. Like, who doesn’t love Rana but was he villainous enough to get on our nerves? Maybe not… It almost feels like he doesn’t have any experience being an antagonist, not to forget that he is the same Bhallaladeva (a reference to Baahubali) who still sends chills down our spines. In the meantime, Manju Warrior playing Thara was the talk of the town before the movie's release but almost disappeared in the movie. Her inclusion during the investigation and her role of being the heart and soul of the house and Athiyan keeps us close to the character. Anyways, the scene where she holds a gun against the goons was supposed to stand out but I rather felt it was a clip so the character does not go forgotten.
Despite the odds and contradictory reviews, the movie continues to delight hearts and celebrate its Box Office collection while I am typing or when you are reading this. When it seems like the success of the movie lies in the sophisticated cast crew, I would say the other. It is a grand picture with a simple storyline.
Yes, the tiger did not roar the loudest, but it also did not fail to strike the prey. Until next time!
If you have watched the movie, do let me know your thoughts in the comments!
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