JAGAME THANDHIRAM (2021)
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| Critic - No. 219 |
Director: Karthik Subbaraj
Written by: Karthik Subbaraj
Produced by: Y NOT Studios, Reliance Entertainment
Casts: Dhanush, James Cosmo, Joju George, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Kalaiyarasan
Language: Tamil
Genre: Action, Thriller
Music: Santosh Narayanan
SYNOPSIS:
When a clever, carefree gangster Suruli (Dhanush) is recruited to help an overseas crime lord take down a rival, he is caught off guard by the moral dilemmas that follow.
REVIEW:
Karthik Subbaraj is one of the finest young gen directors that Indian cinema has and he has climbed to stupendous heights in a very short span of time. His fine grip of storytelling and film language is one of his biggest strengths and he has been quite consistent in his career graph (ignoring Mercury). After a tremendous success with Petta, Karthik Subbaraj is back again with a film that is closer to his roots - a gangster flick with India’s most wanted actor Dhanush.
The film takes off by introducing us to three main characters - Peter (James Cosmo), a ruthless gangster in London; Sivadoss (Joju George), Peter's rival; and Suruli (Dhanush), a small-time gangster in Madurai. The xenophobic, racist Peter, who is trying to get a controversial immigration law passed with his muscle power, decides to hire Suruli, who is always after money, to take on Sivadoss. Suruli faces a moral dilemma soon when Atlia (Aishwarya Lekshmi), the Sri Lankan Tamil woman whom he has fallen for, tells him what Sivadoss actually means to the immigrant community.
The initial portions of Jagame Thandhiram, flash out how the quick-witted Suruli uses his streetsmart ways to track down Sivadoss and these scenes are easily the most engaging portions of the film. The pop-culture references, homage moments of Rajinikanth / Kamal Hassan films, and the well-choreographed action scenes make the first half a blasting fun!
What I loved about the film is how irony is established by Karthik Subbaraj who lays out the similarities between Peter and Suruli quite effectively. When they are introduced, we see them killing someone, but more than the killing, they seem to be getting their pleasure in the wise-cracking, complaining about their clothes getting ruined by the blood. Like Peter, who doesn't want immigrants taking over his country, Suruli doesn't want a 'Saettu' (people from Gujarat) running a jewelry shop in 'his' land at Madurai. However, the graph of self-realization that we would expect from Suruli is somewhat flat, and let me explain why.
After a major conflict is introduced and we see how mean Suruli is, the moral dilemma kicks in when Arlia opens up her backstory of the struggle of immigrants and how Sivadoss actually helps them to integrate into London. This backstory comes in about 30 mins before the film’s climax and even though the idea is novel, it looks force-fitted. Karthik Subbaraj uses the struggle of Eelam Tamils to add depth, but somehow, it does not convincingly sit with the flow of the narrative. If one can recall, Karthik had done the same mistake of force-fitting emotional flashbacks in his previous lackluster, Mercury. Suruli’s character arc and change come out as super drastic and unbelievable due to this. The love track never picks up and thank God they have removed ‘Bujji’ and ‘Nethu’ video songs that wouldn’t have helped the narrative at all.
In addition, though Joji has an excellent screen presence in the film, we cannot really empathize with Sivadoss' character which is very thinly etched by the director. The rest of the characters, including Atila, are strictly functional. Talented actors like Kaliyarasan, Sanchana Natarajan, and Vadivukkarasi are honestly wasted in minor, flat roles. But of course, Dhanush is spectacular as Suruli and his infectious energy drives Karthik’s bumpy screenplay into an entertaining spot. I am not sure whether it is Karthik’s cue (as a fanboy) for Dhanush to imitate Rajini at many scenes but those moments were quite weird for me especially when you are watching a super-strong actor who has proven his originality.
That said, Jagame Thandhiram offers some nicely choreographed action scenes with excellent, detailed sound design that will definitely excite action lovers. The production design is intricate and the visual treatment is on par with any expensive Hollywood action film that you may bump into. Cinematographer Shreyaas Krishna’s angles ensure that Karthik gets his Tarantino style of visuals and each frame is like an expensive European painting. Watch out for the camera swirls in the excellently staged face-off between Sivadoss and Peter as well as the long confrontational moment between Suruli and Sivadoss' men. Santosh Narayanan - Karthik Subbaraj's deadly combo continues in this flick as well and the 'mafia 'style score will definitely give you goosebumps. Yes, Jagame Thandhiram might not be as gripping as Karthik’s previous films but definitely a fun ride!
VERDICT:
Karthik Subbaraj whips up a blasting gangster action flick that is technically astounding, offering a non-stop fun ride if you ignore its half-baked emotional backing.
CELLULOID METER- 3.25/5:
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