Vikram Vedha (2017)
"ஒரு கத சொல்லட்டா சார்?" (Shall I tell you a story, sir?)
So starts the cat-and-mouse game between the cop (Vikram: Madhavan) and gangster (Vedha: Vijay Sethupathi) that never ceases to amaze you with its numerous twists and turns and leaves you in awe even long after the film has ended.
Based on the trailer, you could walk into the cinema expecting a worn-out cop-gangster cliché of a story but (sorry for turning this into clickbait material) what happens next will blow your senses to kingdom come.
Nothing is ever in black or white. Vikram Vedha explores the shades of grey (if anyone mentions fifty, I'll punch you in your nether regions) in all of us and whether we show our Vikram or Vedha personality in any given situation and if we are morally right for doing so. Vikram says he will sleep soundly after shooting a bad guy and won't give it a second thought, but will he always be right? What if he kills an innocent? Would he chalk it up to collateral damage or will he let it affect him?
A gangster too will have emotions the same as any other person. What makes him a bad guy in the eyes of lawmakers? Do the lawmakers understand the circumstances in which one became a good or a bad guy? (ஒரு மெல்லிசான கோடு: a fine line between the good and the bad). One should understand the truth and seek it out instead of deciding the truth and building the narrative around it (முடிவு பண்ணிட்டு தேடாத; தேடிட்டு முடிவு பண்ணு).
I don't know how Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi go about choosing their films, but if any of their recent films are anything to go by, they have the potential to take Tamil cinema to astounding heights. Future leading heroes, heed thy predecessors. The way they play off each other is an absolute delight and one wishes we get more duality like this in Tamil cinema. It would be unfair of me to pick certain scenes as examples, but the initial interrogation scene and the pre-interval scene in the jeep stand out, in my opinion. In actuality, all characters play an essential role in moving the story forward. Shraddha Srinath as Priya is a revelation (that first aid scene). The sizzling romance between her and Madhavan is a treat; the proper grown-up kind. Even though, both Varalaxmi Sarathkumar (Chandra) and Kathir (Pulli) only have a limited screen time, they still make an impact (due credit to the actors and Sam C. S. for "போகாத என்ன விட்டு") in the narrative. (One of my recent favourites) Hareesh Peradi as the menacing Chetta, Achyut Kumar and Prem as Vikram's mentor and best friend respectively, utilise their minimal roles to maximum efficiency. In fact, Vikram's rapport with his colleagues was quite refreshing to see; it were as if they (the actors) had known each other for years if not decades.
P. S. Vinod (who had previously shot Aaranya Kaandam) has brought North Madras to life. The desaturated looks bring the grittiness to the film as well as making it a highly stylish (stylised) neo-noir. As mentioned above, the twists and turns make the movie and Richard Kevin has done an exemplary job. The background score by Sam C. S. is the talk of the town. The "Karuppu Vellai" theme has already gained cult status. It's his first movie to be released (he has previously worked on Mellisai aka Puriyatha Puthir which is yet to see the light of day) and I was awestruck at the orchestral arrangments and different themes he had composed for Vikram and Vedha.
Last but not least, I could not find words to felicitate the director duo Pushkar and Gayatri. They took their time honing the script (their last film was in 2010, Quarter Cutting) and what a script they have come up with! An age-old story it may be, but with the extraordinary screenplay (based on the Vikramadithyan-Vedhalam folklore), they have designed a maze through which they take the audience on a rollicking ride. Certain themes keep re-emerging; remember the fine line between good and evil... It is prevalent throughout the film. Kudos to Sashi (Y Not Studios) for choosing challenging (and quirky) scripts and helping Tamil cinema scale the highest peaks.
Watch Vikram Vedha... Watch it on the big screen... If you don't take anything from the film, at least you will learn how to eat Parotta with mutton curry.
Justice? Or morality? (நியாயமா? தர்மமா?)
So starts the cat-and-mouse game between the cop (Vikram: Madhavan) and gangster (Vedha: Vijay Sethupathi) that never ceases to amaze you with its numerous twists and turns and leaves you in awe even long after the film has ended.
Based on the trailer, you could walk into the cinema expecting a worn-out cop-gangster cliché of a story but (sorry for turning this into clickbait material) what happens next will blow your senses to kingdom come.
Nothing is ever in black or white. Vikram Vedha explores the shades of grey (if anyone mentions fifty, I'll punch you in your nether regions) in all of us and whether we show our Vikram or Vedha personality in any given situation and if we are morally right for doing so. Vikram says he will sleep soundly after shooting a bad guy and won't give it a second thought, but will he always be right? What if he kills an innocent? Would he chalk it up to collateral damage or will he let it affect him?
A gangster too will have emotions the same as any other person. What makes him a bad guy in the eyes of lawmakers? Do the lawmakers understand the circumstances in which one became a good or a bad guy? (ஒரு மெல்லிசான கோடு: a fine line between the good and the bad). One should understand the truth and seek it out instead of deciding the truth and building the narrative around it (முடிவு பண்ணிட்டு தேடாத; தேடிட்டு முடிவு பண்ணு).
I don't know how Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi go about choosing their films, but if any of their recent films are anything to go by, they have the potential to take Tamil cinema to astounding heights. Future leading heroes, heed thy predecessors. The way they play off each other is an absolute delight and one wishes we get more duality like this in Tamil cinema. It would be unfair of me to pick certain scenes as examples, but the initial interrogation scene and the pre-interval scene in the jeep stand out, in my opinion. In actuality, all characters play an essential role in moving the story forward. Shraddha Srinath as Priya is a revelation (that first aid scene). The sizzling romance between her and Madhavan is a treat; the proper grown-up kind. Even though, both Varalaxmi Sarathkumar (Chandra) and Kathir (Pulli) only have a limited screen time, they still make an impact (due credit to the actors and Sam C. S. for "போகாத என்ன விட்டு") in the narrative. (One of my recent favourites) Hareesh Peradi as the menacing Chetta, Achyut Kumar and Prem as Vikram's mentor and best friend respectively, utilise their minimal roles to maximum efficiency. In fact, Vikram's rapport with his colleagues was quite refreshing to see; it were as if they (the actors) had known each other for years if not decades.
P. S. Vinod (who had previously shot Aaranya Kaandam) has brought North Madras to life. The desaturated looks bring the grittiness to the film as well as making it a highly stylish (stylised) neo-noir. As mentioned above, the twists and turns make the movie and Richard Kevin has done an exemplary job. The background score by Sam C. S. is the talk of the town. The "Karuppu Vellai" theme has already gained cult status. It's his first movie to be released (he has previously worked on Mellisai aka Puriyatha Puthir which is yet to see the light of day) and I was awestruck at the orchestral arrangments and different themes he had composed for Vikram and Vedha.
Last but not least, I could not find words to felicitate the director duo Pushkar and Gayatri. They took their time honing the script (their last film was in 2010, Quarter Cutting) and what a script they have come up with! An age-old story it may be, but with the extraordinary screenplay (based on the Vikramadithyan-Vedhalam folklore), they have designed a maze through which they take the audience on a rollicking ride. Certain themes keep re-emerging; remember the fine line between good and evil... It is prevalent throughout the film. Kudos to Sashi (Y Not Studios) for choosing challenging (and quirky) scripts and helping Tamil cinema scale the highest peaks.
Watch Vikram Vedha... Watch it on the big screen... If you don't take anything from the film, at least you will learn how to eat Parotta with mutton curry.
Justice? Or morality? (நியாயமா? தர்மமா?)
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