AMEERIN AADHIBHAGAVAN FILM REVIEW

AMEERIN AADHI BHAGAVAN (2013)

Director: Ameer
Casts: ‘Jeyam’ Ravi, Neetu Chandra
Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja
Language: Tamil
Genre: Action-Thriller

For about two years in the making, Ameerin Aadhi Bhagavan have got itself circled with tremendous expectations as it marks Ameer’s return to direction after six years. Ameer have always been a man to watch for, as all his film have not only reaped critical acclaim, but also fetched a blockbuster status.  Moreover, Ameerin Aadhi Bhagavan also got itself tangled into several cultural controversies due to its initial title and faced merciless cuts by the censor board for its strong portrayal of violence. So will Ameer be able to maintain his winning streak?

Synopsis

As the title and tagline suggests, Aadhi Bhagavan revolves around the life of a Mafioso, Aadhi (‘Jeyam’ Ravi) and how the entry of a bargirl, Karishma (Neetu Chandra) gives a critical turn to his life.

Story – Screenplay

Director Ameer is known for his meticulous direction and sensitive handling of raw human characters. All his films have covered a large extent of reality laced with deep exploration of human emotions. However, cinema is a fantastical pool, which has it share of inevitable temptations and Ameer have been pulled by the swirl this time, jumping into a full fledged commercial film with Ameerin Aadhi Bhagavan. It is never wrong to experiment commercialism but what happens if you try too hard? That has been the case in his latest inning.

Ameerin Aadhi Bhagavan’s first 15 minutes will surely make you sit up and expect a thrilling ride to sweep you away. But the momentum dies in after an hour into the first half. There are two major twists in the first half, but the first one is badly set up, as it is too predictable. Honestly, the first half’s screenplay gets mashed with unconvincing flashbacks, clichéd characters (who disappear halfway) and bland romance that makes a tiring watch.

Despite those hitches, the portrayal of the Mafioso environment and the raw stunt sequences has been designed well. The way Ameer have captured the foreign locales and directed his actors are praiseworthy. The main twist just before the interval boosts the film as it promises an exciting second half.

Bhagavan’s character looks interesting but sometimes misleading. After a great set up, the story gets stagnant again. Even with ample of opportunities to make the battle between the two characters interesting, Ameer takes his time to display the ghastly character of Bhagavan. Nevertheless, the way Ameer unveils Bhagavan’s true love for Rani at the climax, does shows the depth of the character a little.

However, when the film ends, Bhagavan's character leaves us wondering about his true state of identity. Despite being an effeminate male, why does he take special interest in women? Is it because he is bisexual? If yes, why did Ameer choose to play with the character’s sexual identity at the first place? Ultimately, the director takes no interest in answering these questions but meticulously focuses on creating a full-fledged exhilarating action film. 

If that’s his only aim, Ameer have succeeded to a certain extent. 

Casting & Performance

‘Jeyam’ Ravi carries the whole film on his shoulder with such a dedicated performance throughout. The minute detailing in his body language and his improved voice modulations gives us a different ‘Jeyam’ Ravi on screen. There is no doubt that it is the most gusty and powerful portrayal in his career.

On the other hand, Neetu Chandra takes full advantage of the meaty role given to her. Given that her character is multicoated with numerous layers and complexity, she plays it so tactfully. Contrarily, talented actress Sudha Chandran has been wasted with a clichéd role as Aadhi’s mother.

There are ample of new comers in the film who have been directed exceptionally well by Ameer. Furthermore, former lead actress, Shakshi also appears for a song.  

Technicality

Technically, Ameerin Aahdi Bhagavan excels at numerous instances. Firstly are the brilliantly choreographed action sequences. The action is really chaotic, raw and the cinematographer Devaraj has captured it in close quarters.  The chase sequence in Goa in the climax and all the fist combats in both the halves have been done painstakingly. In my opinion, the film does justify its violence, considering its realistic action setting and even with ‘A’ certificate it is totally unreasonable for the Censor board to have chopped the film generously.

Yuvan Shankar Raja’s background score is stylistic and apt for a Mafioso film. His songs are also up to the mark and of course sounds better than his recent releases. The sound mixing and editing during the action scenes are outstanding.

However, editor S.P. Ahmed has been too lenient with his cuts this time, which contributes to the languorous pace of the film.

In overall, Ameer have packaged his film with high production values and worked hard to make a visually astounding film.

Bottomline

Even though Ameer gets a little carried away in his first commercial film, Ameerin Aadhi Bhagavan still has a few traces of his brilliance, accompanied by solid performances from the lead pair.

Verdict: Masterstroke missed

Rating:  3/5