The husband and wife duo Pushkar and Gayathri have given 'Oram Po' and 'Quarter Cutting' which may not have had universal appeal, but they made their distinct mark by ushering in new genres to Tamil cinema. Their third outing 'Vikram Vedha' is an intriguing work of excellence in many aspects that might need a second viewing to fully comprehend.
Like the King Vikramaditya and his quest to best the Vedhalam, encounter specialist Vikram (Madhavan) is hot on the heels of a dreaded gangster Vedha (Vijay Sethupathi) who literally walks into his hands a couple of times only to pose a puzzle and then escape from his clutches. What the cop deciphers from Vedha’s stories or puzzles forms the crux of the multi layered story which culminate into an extremely satisfying climax that stamps the theme the makers set out to convey.
Madhavan as Vikram has put in a lot of efforts to get the body language of the seasoned encounter cop to perfection. He is a class act in the way he handles the gun, the casual manner in which he dresses up a crime scene to suit his team, the seething rage he displays when hunting the criminals or starting to break down bit by bit as Vedha shakes up his beliefs - Hats off. Vijay Sethupathi has once again proven that he is way ahead of his contemporaries has taken one more difficult role and played it as if it's just another walk in the park. There are very few scenes to establish who he his but by his acting alone he fills in the rest. He is at his vulnerable best when interacting with his loving brother and ruthless when slaughtering or stabbing his enemies and also manages the tightrope walk of the guy the audience root for with his many hard hitting existential anecdotes. Watch out for a shot in the police jeep when Maddy is talking over the phone with his colleagues implying he is going to finish Vijay and by just opening one eye the latter conveys that he has other plans for the cop. Kathir as Vijay Sethupathi’s brother is a key character in the film and is a perfect fit. Varalakshmi as the childhood sweetheart of Kathir gives the impression of being miscast. Shraddha Srinath as Madhavan’s wife is just about ok while Prem, George, Ramadoss and others playing the cops are good. ‘NKPK’ Rajkumar and the actor playing Ravi the traitorous gangster has put in very convincing performances.
The strength of 'Vikram Vedha' lies firstly in the exemplary performances of Maddy and Vijay Sethupathi and next comes the dialogues that are strewn all over the screenplay posing relevant questions about good and evil and the choices one makes in situations that everyone can relate. The reverse chronology screenplay and attention to the minutest detail by Pushkar and Gayathri keeps the audience guessing till the very end until the killer payoff at the climax.
On the downside the screenplay calls for raw telling, but the commercial coating is a let down and the ‘Yanji and ‘Tasakku ‘ songs serve as major speed breakers. Making the cop's wife Shraddha Srinanth the lawyer of Vijay Sethupathi does not fire up any drama in the script and is counterproductive. The screenplay nosedives in the second half where the film loses the attention of the viewer for a noticeable period of time, but thankfully salvaged by the pre-climax setup. The average moviegoer may not be too pleased with the generally slow pace of the film.
Cinematographer P.S. Vinod, music director Sam C.S and editor Richard Kevin have combined beautifully to bring Pushkar Gayathri’s vision on celluloid. It's been a long time since a writer –director has set out to make a movie with a deep rooted theme and conveyed it without a glitch and the husband and wife deserve the crown. After 'Irudhi Suttru' this is another worthy addition to YKnot Studios Sashikanth's stable.
Verdict: Go for it to witness two great actors in exemplary form and a director duo who give your brains a much needed exercise.
