Review and rating of the film Vidaamuyarchi: Arjun, played by Ajith Kumar, isn’t a “hero” by any means, particularly in the Tamil film industry. In actuality, Arjun would have been a complete loss with nothing to his credit if the movie hadn’t been an engrossing action drama. For a considerable amount of time, even in this film, Arjun is merely a respondent to the outcome rather than a facilitator of action. And that’s what makes it even more unique—it’s an action movie with one of Tamil cinema’s biggest stars, and it practically shows the star stripped of his fame.
While making some required adjustments to accommodate Indian sensitivities, Magizh Thirumeni generally sticks to the plot of the 1997 movie Breakdown. The most significant shift is in the dynamics of Arjun’s marriage to Kayal (Trisha), which gives the equation that drives a lot of the movie more weight. The romanticism between the pair and their gradual drift apart over the course of years of marriage are established early in the film. From the initial meeting to falling deeply in love to the first relationship rifts and the ones that appear irreversible, we are shown snippets of their journey. And give credit to editor NB Srikanth and Magizh for choosing to convey all of these.
However, Magizh quickly switches to action thriller mode after finishing this section of the novel, and there is no turning back. The other characters in this gripping story are also introduced to us at this point. After Rakshith (Arjun), Deepika (Regena Cassandra), and Michael (Aarav) join Arjun and Kayal’s lives, chaos and intrigue ensue. Additionally, Magizh does the seemingly inconceivable in these scenes by forcing Ajith to be a “normal” guy.
Every character in the movie throws Ajith around like a rag doll, kicks him to the curb, beats him up, and slaps him around. And it makes perfect sense because Ajith hasn’t been portraying a “powerful” part in a very long time. He is not a local leader, a police officer, a gangster, a lawyer, etc. In addition to having a sizable cash account and a white-collar career, he is simply worn out by the hand life has handed him. He doesn’t act like the “hero” you would expect him to, even when everything against him is against him. He doesn’t attack villains without warning. He ponders, responds, waits, and even backs off. He doesn’t just happen to hold of a gun and starts shooting people right away. He responds similarly to Arjun, which makes Vidaamuyarchi a welcome addition to today’s blockbuster movies.
The attention to character detail and a few small narrative touches that give the movie a lot of flavor are unquestionably Magizh’s strongest points. The backstories of Rakshith and Deepika, the way names are spelled in Azerbaijani offices, and all the scenes when Azerbaijani actors speak the local tongue all contribute to Vidaamuyarchi’s authenticity. However, the final act, which is extremely hurried, lacks this same level of detail. The characters are sidelined and information about the villains is thrown in, despite the fact that these parts are heightened by Magizh’s penchant for gore and are truly fascinating and almost purposefully humorous and horrific.
But in the meantime, Magizh and company make sure that we are aware that he is firmly in charge at every moment of the movie. Naturally, there are occasions when the star is being serviced, but this is never the case for the fans, and that is what really makes a difference. Even the music of Anirudh chooses to honor the characters rather than only elevating Ajith. The stunt scenes in Vidaamuyarchi are also executed well, and the filmmakers are able to be creative with their execution because of the minimalist design. The sights of the chase scenes on the vast, deserted, dusty roads of the movie are matched by close-quarters battles and a beautiful fight within the vehicle.
The performances are another element of Vidaamuyarchi that truly succeeds. The movie mostly centers on Ajith, who does a great job of handling suffering and tenacity, but it also strongly relies on Arjun and Regena’s performances. They sell their parts with a conviction that is evident throughout the movie, and they provide a very crazy air to the proceedings. This is also true for Arav. Trisha does a good job, however whenever the plot changes, she doesn’t have anything to do.
In this form, Vidaamuyarchi is an intriguing addition to the changing benchmarks of Tamil cinema’s blockbuster productions. It demonstrates that change must come from the top down. When celebrities like Ajith choose to play parts rather than pictures and give in to the vision of directors like Magizh, who have a unique voice, the outcome is evident to all. The point is that Vidaamuyarchi is neither Mankatha or Viswasam, of course. It is not need to be. It isn’t required to be.
