'Madharaasi' calls to mind a line from Akira Kurosawa's 'Ran': "In a mad world, only the mad are sane." Imagine a villain threatening to kill the hero, who nonchalantly replies, "Hey, I came here to die only." With a hero like this, the story could lean into a tragic exploration of self-destruction or, despite the darkness faced by the hero and others, unfold as a film ultimately guided by hope.
A. R. Murugadoss has made the latter. But first, a confession. I need to clear a few things. I think it's necessary to mention my feelings about his filmography in general. To put it simply, I'm not a fan. There may be a couple of aspects I found enjoyable in his films, but not in their entirety. I've always found his inclination to dilute what could’ve been a pure, successful action movie with unnecessary detours into cringe-inducing romance territory or attempts at humour irksome. I prefer my action films to be free of unnecessary ingredients that act as speed-breakers. Madharaasi isn't free of these too, but, to me, they aren't as grating as anything as those in, say, 'Ghajini' or 'Thuppakki'. I'm guessing that having an actor like Sivakarthikeyan makes certain inclusions — say, a fan service here and there — unavoidable. Like the dance, for instance, admittedly neat, that immediately follows a thrilling opening.
Or, perhaps, everyone is trying to create the highs Lokesh Kanagaraj achieved in some of his strongest work. I can't say for sure. But, funnily enough, in 'Madharaasi', you'll find situations that feel straight out of a Lokesh film. There is the dicey situation with informants in disguise. There is a loved one being threatened to further a certain goal. There is a sinister group trying to upset the peace of a state. There is a hero with a traumatic past. There is a father who fears for the safety of his son working alongside (the age difference, as in 'Coolie', isn’t convincing). There are explosive action sequences that involve container trucks bearing dangerous cargo. There's hand-to-hand combat with lethal weapons inside a factory. There are dual identities. There are over-the-top villains. There is Vidyut Jammwal with some crazy, astounding moves. There is much more, but why spoil the fun? I can assure you that I haven't given anything away so far.
Because this is a film that boasts some delightful surprises which prove to be its principal merits, ones that successfully overshadow its shortcomings. It's a film that feels more alive as it inches towards the intermission, and attains maximum power afterwards. But one thing I can say for sure: This is the most fun I've had from not just an ARM film, but from a Tamil mainstream action entertainer in a while. A major chunk of this has to do with the sincerity and innocence Sivakarthikeyan brings to his trauma-riddled character, Raghu, and the intensity with which he performs the action. Murugadoss presents him as a character who, in a strange way, is empowered by his trauma. He ends up doing benevolent acts in places where others remain mere spectators. To others, he is "abnormal", but not to Malathi (Rukmini), for whom he ends up doing some of the craziest things.
Oh, the things one would do for love. I must admit that even though I find these aspects of Murugadoss' writing cheesy, I found them manageable. Perhaps it has to do with the casting of an efficient performer like Rukmini, who, thankfully, doesn’t make the mistakes made by other Murugadoss leading ladies. I also have to acknowledge the love story's role in propelling the story forward — a fact admitted by Biju Menon's character, a senior counter-terrorism officer. Speaking of, this is another character whose presence evens out some of the film's rough edges. Let's just say that every time he appears on screen, he brings a sense of calm and stability, even though he is dealing with an extremely chaotic scenario that even claimed the lives of some of his officers. The whole thing is a bit wild when you really think about it. 'Gunaa' meets 'Vikram', essentially. I'm not talking in terms of the quality, but rather the mood.
I also believe Biju Menon's presence serves another purpose: to inform us that the film you're watching may have some logical flaws, but we don’t want to take everything so seriously. Murugadoss illustrates this point by having Biju Menon inform a superior officer that it will take a long time to explain why he even bothered to enlist someone like Raghu, who earlier had no connection to the events involving law enforcement, for a dangerous mission. At one point, Sivakarthikeyan even goes into 'Maaveeran' mode, but then the screenplay allows for a slight modification later to offset the resulting awkwardness. I mean, that hilarious three-way phone conversation in the middle of a fight should be enough as an indicator of the film's self-awareness. These are the sort of scenarios that one usually finds in mainstream Hong Kong or Korean action cinema, but when someone attempts the same in Indian cinema, they run the risk of inviting mockery. I don't know about others, but I had a blast with 'Madharaasi', warts and all.
Film: Madharaasi
Director: A. R. Murugadoss
Cast: Sivakarthikeyan, Biju Menon, Rukmini Vasanth, Shabeer Kallarakkal, Vidyut Jammwal
Rating: 3.5/5
