DARBAR (2020)

Critic - No.177

Director: A.R.Murgadoss
Produced by: Allirajah Subaskaran (Lyca Productions)
Casts: Rajinikanth, Sunil Shetty, Nivetha Thomas, Nayanthara, Yogi Babu
Language: Tamil
Music: Anirudh
Genre: Action

SYNOPSIS: 
Dehli commissioner, Aaditya Arunachalam (Rajinikanth) is tasked to end the drug menace in Mumbai that leads him on to face a most feared and ruthless mafia lord.

REVIEW:
After a masala treat in Petta, where Rajini bounced back to show his energetic styles in, expectations were sky high when one of the most successful commercial film director, AR Murgadoss was signed as his next director. Murgadoss is one director who knows how to perfectly balance commercialism with intelligence. Will Darbar land as a grand pinnacle of India’s most celebrated actor?

The film starts off with a 80s style of warehouse fight where Rajini flies in and kills tons of gangsters mercilessly with much swag. Kudos to Ram-Laxman, Peter Hein for the exciting fight sequences that lifts the films whenever it goes to a dead end. The film pretty much flows in a predictable vein with a traditional hero flashback, drug dealer don, father-daughter sentiment and (force-fitted) romance which you could have figure out the film will have by just watching the trailer. Not that we are complaining, it’s quite shocking to see an once trend setting director AR Murgadoss crafting such a generic cop masala that doesn’t surprise you at any point. As usual, he does tackle a few social issues but most of them are touch and go.

That said, there are many ‘Rajini-fied’ moments with fan appealing punch dialogues and fights that kind of sway us away from cracking our head on the logic loopholes (tons of them). Of course, the highest crowd pleasing moment is the Kannula Thimiru song where Rajini totally owns the screen with a ‘Singam Pola (Dhool)’ type of fight-dance sequence that is competently shot by Santosh Sivan with exciting slow-mos and angle swifts. AR Murgadoss brings back the 80s cop story cliches tastefully and Rajini has never looked this young recently!

While we thank Murgadoss for throwing some kick ass mass moments every ten minutes, we can’t ignore the fact that revealing the main (and only) twist in the first scene rips the fun of the film a little, not that no one could have guessed if sustained but it just makes us wait for the flashback to end and get back to the real clash between the hero and villain. The initial first half is racy with ACP Arunachalam’s layered investigations and foul play to kill Ajay Chopra does offer some engagement with plays out like AR Murgadoss’s previous film Kathi's style of fast cuts that kind of hooks you into the journey. It does end off with a bang with a intriguing interval that sets off the face off between Rajini and Sunil. However, the fire fizzles out before you know it.

That brings me to the next point; lack of formidable villain. One of the most crucial factor for a cop film is having a formidable villain to bring out the cat and mouse chase effectively. However, Sunil Shetty who comes back to Tamil cinema after 18 years, has nothing much to do than just look chiselled with printed shirts and utter a few threats against the police that never really materialises.

The father and daughter track of Rajini and Nivetha is quite refreshing if you don’t mind the fact that it gives a scope for an awkwardly force fitted romance track between Nayanthara and Rajini, The idea of the daughter finding a companion for her aged father so that he won’t be lonely when she gets married off could have been quite interesting in paper but what we get is chunky scenes of Rajini wooing Nayanthara in the first half that doesn’t really pick up till the end. As expected, Nayathara disappears in the second after the pointless Dum Dum song. The only relief here is Yogi Babu who easily makes us laugh with his witty one liners and his chemistry with Rajini reminds us of Senthil-Rajini combo in Arunachalam and Padayappa – yes it’s that good! Especially the mockery about Rajini’s age is tastefully done.

Technically, Darbar looks sleek and grand at every frame thanks to the immense detailing of production designer T Santhanam and ace cinematographer Santosh Sivan . While the songs are quite catchy, Anirudh’s neck to neck loud BGM can be quite deafening and suffocating at times.

Darbar is not a bad film nor a Rajini classic. The film has it’s moments and doesn’t bore you a minute for a two and a half hour film. We have to give to the 70 year old superstar who strives hard in every movie to please the audience. What an energy the man possess! However, it almost feels like A.R.Murgadoss made this film with an internal conflict to please the fans more than staying close to his own brand of cinematic conventions. In the end, what we get is a winner for the actor Rajini who is celebrated in the screen every second while director/writer Murgadoss takes the back seat.

VERDICT: 
The ever charismatic Superstar Rajinikanth gives a heavy lift to a middling, loud cop flick that engages at parts.

CELLULOID METER- 2.75/5: