Plot
Info
Cast & Crew
Thoroughly frustrated with Industrialists and politicians ruining the nation by denying the availability of cheap medicines, IPS officer Mithran is on a self-conceived quest to find the head of this medicine-mafia to channel all his anger towards him. But the ultimate villain who is a decorated Scientist, Siddharth Abhimanyu, proves to be a ruthless and indomitable adversary.
Language:
Tamil
Running Time:
159 min
Rating:
U
Release date:
28 August 2015
Directed by:
Mohan Raja
Produced by:
Kalpathi S. Aghoram
Kalpathi S. Ganesh
Kalpathi S. Suresh
Written by:
Mohan Raja
Subha
Starring:
Jayam Ravi
Arvind Swamy
Nayantara
Vamsi Krishna
Nassar
Ganesh Venkatraman
Thambi Ramaiah
Harish Uthaman
Music by:
Hiphop Tamizha
Shot by:
Ramji
Editing by:
Gopikrishna.V
Distributed by:
Sun Pictures
What’s Hot
It is unethical to value a film or even a person based on past records. However, even then there is a sort of expectation that sets in the subconscious inadvertently. As if to shake the very foundations of that notion, 8 film old Mohan Raja, who has rarely set the stage alight until now in spite of some feel-good & commercial entertainers, presents a socially conscious ORIGINAL action thriller that is almost Director Shankar-like except without the quintessential pathos-inducing flashback.
Casting an eye-catchy hero as a villain can be a master-stroke but that has been done before on numerous occasions in Tamizh Cinema. More than just the casting, in fact more than even the writing, the possibility of seeing something new in the Hero-material labeled attracts people to such roles. In that sense, Aravind Swamy as Siddharth Abhimanyu shows something that is so rare among such antagonists who take it as a chance to over-play their freedom. The man is a complete package oozing class, swag and all that jazz in his dialogue delivery, modulation & body-language. Wow is an understatement!
It is no mean feat to agree to play second fiddle to a classy villain but Jayam Ravi accomplishes that brilliantly shining in all the right moments. As the angry Indian citizen he brings earnestness to the table last seen in Peranmai & Nimirndhu Nil. As the strategic IPS officer he shows his competence and conviction through effective emotions & voice modulation, never going overboard.
Nayanthara is more than just an arm candy and effortlessly brings out the performer in her in a limited role. It is refreshing to see a heroine character who thinks and does not hesitate to correct her lover when he is in the wrong. Mugha Godse too, in a miniscule role has a purpose and is not just used as an item song glam doll.
Veterans Nassar & Thambi Ramiah glide thought their roles but not before making a significant impact. Particularly, Thambi Ramiah as the comical father of Aravind Swamy is a casting masterstroke & the effective writing behind his character brings out shades of the talent that this National Award Winner holds. The supporting cast of Ganesh Venkatraman, Sricharan, Harish Uthaman, the mallu officer & the henchman Vamsi Krishna add value and believability to the script.
Hats off to the films writers Subha & Mohan Raja for the unwavering script that keeps us guessing & hooked throughout the 175 minute long cat and mouse game between the protagonist & the antagonist. The dialogues are razor sharp (Sample this, “Love at First Sight, Kill at First Betrayal.”) and never sound preachy even when the hero talks about the irrelevance of a flashback in his quest. The pleasing songs exquisitely shot by Ramji are placed aptly not hampering the flow too much.
Hiphop Tamizha’s racy background score and theme song add to the vibrant, vigorous script. While we habitually but incorrectly blame the editor for a long run-time, praise to them for allowing this duration for this film. There is also some wonderful usage of the Split screen technique to show parallel events. Kudos to the cinematographer, Ramji and editor, Gopikrishna for this. With such macho actors on show, it is easy to go over-the-top with stunts but thankfully it is kept at a leash and all the stunts are believable.
What’s Not
It is unfair to Jayam Ravi but the point has to be made that a better actor (in spite of the tremendous improvement in Ravi’s voice modulation & acting) would have raised the bar even more and enabled the movie to reach wider than it has & can currently.
Badges
Verdict
Thani Oruvan is one of those rare Good vs Evil films that manages to toe the line between Commercial and Masala exceedingly well. Even if the taut script and the impactful dialogues do not impress you, it is guaranteed that Aravind Swamy’s superlative performance will bowl you over!
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