Ajith Kumar in a still from ‘Thunivu’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Making a film for superstars like Vijay and Ajith is like walking a tightrope barefoot, isn’t it? in thunivuHis third collaboration with Ajith Kumar, H Vinoth manages to walk this fine line through a tight narration that moves with just two notes – one that lets Ajith do what he is known to do best. goes, and another, which tells a story about corruption in a style the filmmaker is known for – and it works, mostly.
thunivu The Ajith Kumar show is an out and out show – he enters with a bang, often shakes a leg, sends goons flying, and moonwalks through this cakewalk of a film that demands a lot from him. does not do. And, he actually moonwalks in one scene. Ajith plays a private mercenary who is only called Black Devil. When Radha (Veera) and her gang take control of a private bank in Chennai, the Dark Devil, along with Kanmani (Manju Warrier) and her gang, double-crosses them and strikes a deal. Outside the bank, the Commissioner of Police (Samuthirakani) takes over the case. What begins is the story of a bank heist that includes many surprises, disappointments, tons of gunfire action, heroic triumph and redemption. Of course, this means that, like most commercial star vehicles, the protagonist gets a plot twist early on and it’s always important to explain the guy you’re about to kill. Thankfully, it’s easy to look past all this as Vinoth’s screenplay is snappy and tight, or at least for the most part. He keeps the information to himself and gives enough surprises to keep you hooked.
grasp of issues thunivu only after the interval block; First, the way Vinoth uses Spices The iconic intermission sequence of the cinema is novel, but what happens after doesn’t do it justice. The mystery behind Ajit’s gang and their motives is the only real trump card to play, and the screenplay starts to spill the beans, as it should. We feel that they are a highly skilled mercenary gang for hire with an impressive success rate. However, the backstory we get for the gang doesn’t leave much of an impression and there are a lot of unanswered questions. Ambiguity isn’t the issue, but the information provided is unclear and the scenes here lack coherence. For example, suddenly we are expected to support two gang members… simply because their leader says the gang is “his family”.
It was obvious for fans to draw parallels with Ajith’s 2011 film legend Given that this film too has Ajit at the forefront of a bank heist – there are double-crosses here too and… ‘Money, money, money.’ The worry is whether Ajith’s character will take a U-turn as a megalomaniac and the film will suddenly become a sermon of sorts. but in thunivu, Ajit is not Robin Hood; He’s an infuriated anti-hero with little or no redeeming qualities. His morals are skewed; He creates corpses of innocent police officers and only cares about the bigger picture he is chasing. most characters in thunivu There are gray shades, and Vinoth reveals how almost everyone in this world is selfish in some way or the other. It is one thing to say that banks abuse the people’s hunger for money, but it is another to show how corrupt and how real it can be through the private bank hierarchy.
Vinoth also makes sure that the film does not become didactic in telling this. In fact, it’s a victory that we never get dialogue that directly addresses the gallery. every time thunivu Talks about the everyday atrocities of banks and how the system manipulates common people, the cheers get louder and that says a lot. The way he positions the media in this game, while also commenting on their selfish agenda, is also quite interesting. It is a superstar film that talks about real issues that every person faces every day.
We get a second flashback which adds more substance to the story. Interestingly, here, through a very self-aware dialogue, Vinoth questions us, the film watchers, about our aversion to stars who tell a story. karuthu Which limits them to just entertainers. But the answer is simple and lies in thunivu on one’s own; It works when done with the innovation that most of his previous films had. Speaking of which, kudos to Vinoth for adding a sequence that speaks out against the stigma attached to migrant workers.
While it is true that Ajith shoulders the film through his charisma and enigmatic dialogue delivery, he does not pose any real threat in the film. thunivu And we get a villain who asks the hero to promise not to kill him (!). And with him taking up all of the screen time, no other character makes a real impact. Manju Warrier’s Kanmani meets the same fate as Huma Qureshi valimai, She plays a pivotal role in Chori, but did this role of a supporting cast require an actor of Manju’s caliber?
third verb of thunivu It is the weakest section. The lack of innovation aside, it destroys what was established from the start. Even a satisfying all-guns-out blowout could have left a better taste. What’s also disappointing is that despite the noise and spray of gunfire, there isn’t a single memorable action sequence the audience should expect from Vinoth. thunivu Not the filmmaker’s best work, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad film.
Thunivu is now running in theaters