‘Vettaiyan’ movie review: A daring Rajinikanth powers TJ Gnanavel’s flawed film on illegal encounter killings


A still from 'Vettaiyan'

A still from ‘Vettaiyan’ Photo credit: Special Arrangements

Let’s clear this up first: Vettain It’s a brave attempt to do something that’s long overdue the moral compasses of Tamil cinema, and it’s arguably one of Rajinikanth’s best films. black. Jai Bheem-Director TJ Gnanavel’s film, as expected, tries to take a strong stand against fake encounter killings — a crime that has been glorified on our screens for long — as well as the sorry state of our country’s education system. And he does it with a charismatic Rajinikanth, the superstar willing to thwart even his Supercop hero. There’s plenty of entertainment, an engaging script, and A-lister actors giving every penny a bang. And yet, there is a deeper problem plaguing the film.

We begin with Satyadev (Amitabh Bachchan with his ever-popular magnetism), a judge of the Bombay High Court, who aims to educate and eradicate the illegal practice of fake encounters. His sermon at the National Police Academy plans to end a police superintendent known for dealing with gangster criminals. The flute begins and we get the name ‘Thalaiver Tharisnam.’ Rajinikanth, just 73 years old, enters as SP Athyan and sends the goons flying, while Anirudh Ravichandar makes his presence felt. Gyanvel even swaps Rajini’s classic cigarette flip with clip-on glasses, and you become an instant Rajini-bhai.

Vettian (Tamil)

director: TJ Gnanavel

the cast: Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Fahadh Faasil and Manju Warrier

runtime: 163 min

story line: A ruthless police officer is forced to rethink his moral codes when he makes a mistake with irreparable consequences.

For a rebellion which we shall later witness, such heroic glory seems initially necessary; And Athyan has to be a carbon copy of the encounter specialist heroes we’re familiar with. Also, in a clinical move that turns everything upside down, Rajinikanth’s Supercop makes a mistake. While investigating the mysterious death of a government school teacher, Sarnia (Dushara Vijayan) — the incident around which the entire film centers — Athyan makes a mistake with irreversible consequences. The revelations aren’t surprising if you’ve been paying attention to what Sarnia wants to do when she gets a call at a key moment in the film. Vettain Then follows Athyan’s efforts — and his team, which includes ‘Battery’ Patrick (Fahadh Faasil), Rupa Kiran (Hritika Singh), and SP Harish Kumar (Kishore) — to right their past mistakes. This is the biggest flaw we have seen in a Rajinikanth film in a long time.

However, many were intimidated by the promotional material, Vettain The business of making films for superstars seems to have faced a common risk. As thoughtful as Gnanvel was about stylizing and staging the encounter scenes, he seems to have struggled to find a pitch for what he really wanted to say. The film’s conceit rests more on how it tricks the audience’s judgment into the investigation than on taking an organized stand against the murders and writing impactful dialogue against the murders. This is why Satyadeva’s advice fails in power with all the fanfare in the opening scene. While we’re hungover from seeing a flawed Rajinikanth, you wonder if it wasn’t possible to push the boundaries by showing his inner struggle with guilt and regret.

A still from 'Vettaiyan'

A still from ‘Vettaiyan’ Photo credit: Special Arrangements

Other problems plague Vettain Also you wonder if it was wise for the police to reveal the name of the informant (Saranya) with such an experienced SP. One could argue that such noble deeds need to be publicly applauded but bet, this detail icks for a bit. The biggest problem is how Gnanavel writes about the misfortune that awaits Sarnia. Yes, he was killed. Oh, wait, she’s a woman and so she’s also… raped. It’s about time filmmakers realized that seeing such character deaths is enough to elicit the desired emotional response. Rape is not a simple detail to be thrown in as a bonus for shock value. To further reduce your feelings, these shots are even repeated!

with VettainTJ Gnanavel had a tough task at hand — to make an entertaining superstar film with a message. With two veteran superstars in the middle, it means we get less screen time for several A-list actors and Rana Daggubati gets the raw end of the deal. His underdeveloped character, Nataraj Subramaniam, paves the way for a rather imaginative climax in the film.

As far as performances go, Fahadh Faasil is impressive as always. It takes time to realize that it is the same man who played Rathnavelu MamannanThis humble, happy-go-lucky ‘Battery’ plays. He appears almost as a shadow to Athyan, lurking with a packet of chips or a cup of Horlicks, and you only wish for more of him. After saying ‘I am a big fan of your work’ to Kamal Haasan VikramFahadh now expresses his appreciation for Rajinikanth with ‘I love you sir’ and a passionate hug.

With the awesome Rajinikanth, Fahadh’s eccentricity, Amitabh and Gyanvel’s brilliant use of Aniruddha’s tracks, VettainDespite the flaws, provides both entertainment and engagement. However, at the end of it all, when you flip a coin to what you remember most — a superstar cop who makes goons fly, or his strong stance against encounter killing — does it lean more towards the latter?

The verdict is still in, but relief Vettain You’re left with the impression that even when it doesn’t all come together, the film’s intention to stand up against fake encounters is a giant leap in an industry that has glorified the encounter as a means of justice. As Satyadev says, in one of the film’s most memorable lines, “Judgement delayed is justice denied, but justice hastened is justice buried.”

Vettaiyan is currently playing in theatres



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