Vikram Vedha

Cast	:	R Madhavan, Vijay Sethupathi Shraddha Srinath, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar
Director	:	Pushkar-Gayathri
Cinematographer	:	P S Vinod
Music	:	Sam C S
Editor	:	Richard Kevin
Producer	:	Y NOT Studios
Release Date	:	July 21, 2017
Length	:	2 Hours & 27 Minutes
Language	:	Tamizh

My Thoughts

The third film of the director duo Pushkar-Gayathri is loosely inspired by the Vikramathithan-Vethalam as hinted by the movie title - Vikram Vedha. Here, gangster Vedha (Vijay Sethupathi) always tells a story and ends it with a question to the encounter specialist Vikram (R Madhavan). Of course, needless to say, Vikram is in constant search to arrest Vedha and with gripping tales often evoking questions of what is good and bad, Vedha escapes from Vikram.

What makes Vikram Vedha engaging is the brilliant screenplay which is so inter-woven that it questions audiences’ intelligence. The director duo have ensured that no stones are unturned in their narration; there is a right balance of suspense, mystery, romance, sentiments and of course relationships. The dialogs are comical at times and thought-provoking at times. The relationship between Vikram and his lawyer wife Priya (Shraddha Srinath) is interestingly shown. In a way, that small track has realistically portrayed the modern husband-wife relationship in which both are independent people with strong opinions. So is the depiction of Varalaxmi’s character and her choices – it is progressive and refreshing. Cinematographer’s palette has blacks, whites and shades of grey which sums up the tone of subject addressed in the movie - no one is good or bad. Everything is driven by circumstances and depends on which side you stay. Sam’s background score elevates heroism projected onscreen. Yanji is such a breath of fresh air that it strikes a chord with the audience. Tasakku Tasakku is that typical kuthu song which will run in your head continuously. Editor Richard Kevin has done a commendable job in collating all the action sequences in a gripping manner. However, the movie could have been shorter by 15 minutes at least.

The backbone of Vikram Vedha is not only because it is a clear winner in most of the technical aspects, but also because of great performances. R Madhavan as no-nonsense encounter specialist Vikram is brilliant. Having said that the show stealer however is Vijay Sethupathi who awes us as Vedha. Of course, he gets more screen space and his character has more shades than that of Vikram. Having said that, Vijay Sethupathi’s ease with comedy, emotions or action makes Vedha such a lovable character although we know that he is a bad! Also have to mention that Shraddha and Varalaxmi have convincingly portrayed their roles, although their screen presence is limited. Prem as Vikram’s friend-colleague and also Kathir as Vedha’s brother have done a decent work.

Overall, Vikram Vedha is a delight to watch. It could have been a routine cop-gangster/good-bad movie. But, it is not. And that’s why the movie shines!!! Don’t miss it!!!

Rating

4/5