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Vettaiyan Review

PUBLISHED DATE : 09/Oct/2024

Vettaiyan Review

Vettaiyan Review: A Social Justice Tale with Star Power

 

Superstar Rajinikanth's Vettaiyan is built on a compelling core that explores the themes of justice and the moral dilemmas surrounding its delivery. Directed by T.J. Gnanavel, known for Jai Bhim, the film delves into these topics with his signature depth.

Story : We are witnessing a golden era of social justice films, exploring nuances from various perspectives across multiple genres. Vettaiyan reinforces the belief in the legal system over vigilante justice. While the hero forms the crux of the story and the character structures are intelligently designed, the situations and scenes lack novelty. The half-hearted commercial treatment further detracts from the film’s potential. What could have been a classic follow-up to Jai Bhim ends up as a middling effort.

Casting : The film boasts an ensemble cast, including Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Fahadh Faasil, Rana Daggubati, and Manju Warrier. It’s clear that this star-studded lineup aims to expand the film's commercial reach. Interestingly, the absence of a Kannada actor may have been a deliberate decision to suggest that business interests didn’t solely drive casting choices.

Rajinikanth delivers a solid performance, though it doesn’t achieve the same mass appeal as Jailer. Among the supporting cast, Dushara Vijayan plays a pivotal role around which the story revolves, while FaFa (Fahadh Faasil) provides comic relief, shining in one of the film’s standout scenes. Amitabh Bachchan’s towering presence is a perfect complement to Rajini’s.

Direction : TJ Gnanavel blends commercial elements with social justice & human bias in the investigative part in the first half. However, T.J. Gnanavel’s discomfort with commercial cinema is apparent, as the conviction in Rajini’s mass scenes feels noticeably absent.

Technicals : Anirudh’s background score, especially the Hunter title track, makes the most significant contribution to creating the "Rajini effect." The cinematography and art direction reveal that Vettaiyan was produced on a medium budget in terms of production value.

Final Word for TJ Gnanavel
In the world of instant gratification, police encounters may feel like the right thing. The movie beautifully highlights the importance of trust in law and order is necessary for long term justice in a thriving democracy. This movie is a engaging civic lesson, despite being a bit preachy.

What is the point in showing Dushara's gruesome violent murder at least 8 times in the movie through multiple flash cuts scenes. Why? It is totally unnecessary and serves no purpose. The movie deserves an "A" certification just for that one reason. 

Tamil cinema has no shortage of commercial directors. T.J. Gnanavel returning to his roots and staying true to his style would better serve the industry, allowing it to regain a thoughtful, sensible filmmaker.

Rating: 3.25 out of 5


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