A lot has been told about the delay over Bheema. Some doomsayers even predicted that the movie would not see the light at all. But the team of Bheema was unperturbed. Vikram once said, "Bheema is a sure winner irrespective of when it comes. It is worth waiting for such a film".
Now the movie has seen the light and it has vindicated Vikram's words.
The whole team deserves applaud for providing us a neat entertainer. Lingusamy, Vikram, Prakash Raj, Ashish Vidyarthi, Raghuvaran, Kanal Kannan, Harris Jayaraj, R.D. Rajasekar and S. Ramakrishnan have done their best to make it a smart and stylish action film. And you have the charming Trisha as a gentle breeze amidst a powerful storm.
The story is all about a tug of war between two underworld gangs trying to outsmart each other. Periyavar's (Raghuvaran) group is bigger and more powerful, while Chinna's (Prakash Raj) group is struggling to gain strength.
Enters Shekar (Vikram). The powerful man adds new life to Chinna's gang. He challenges Periyavar's powerful troupe and puts China on top. He is the man who grew up seeing Chinna as his ideal. He is a man of steel - physically and mentally. He, as Chinna tells once, bears everyone on his powerful shoulders like the Bheema of Mahabharatha.
The gangs are targeted by the new police commissioner (Ashish Vidyarthi) and the three pronged hunting begins.
Lingusamy has worked out a strong script and executed it with aplomb. He has excellently handled his cast to make it an entertainer. He has to be commended for not restoring to any gimmicks in the pretext of providing entertainment. He is also bold enough to avoid a comedy track, which would have been an irritant in the script.
The characterization is near perfect. Like the legendary Bheema, Shekar is always ready to attack, unmindful of who stands against him. If he puts a step forward, there is no looking back. Powerful, straight forward, and fearlessness. Lingusamy, with the able support of dialogue writer Ramakrishnan, has shaped the character remarkably well. The relationship between Shekar and China is well portrayed.
Likewise, his handling of the track of gang war, entwined with police action, is quite smart. The climax is something unexpected. The picturisation of the songs is spectacular.
Vikram has lived up to the expectations with a dominant and flawless performance. If his hard work to become physically strong is praise worthy, his efforts to transform himself as the character are stunning. He reflects the essence of the character both physically and mentally. His body language - particularly his eyes - is awesome. He breaths fire in the stunt scenes. The fights in the rain and in the construction site (intermission point) are astonishing.
He also scores in romantic sequences, which are very less in this action packed movie. He brings out the transformation in his character because of love in a lovely manner. Hats off to Vikram.
Trisha gets her share in the action movie and succeeds in adding colour to the film by spreading her charm. She looks ravishingly beautiful in songs. Her eyes and minute facial expressions are pleasing.
Prakash Raj comes through out the movie. His character is so powerful that he looks like a second hero. The versatile actor has brought a new dimension to the character of a gangster.
Ashish Vidyarthi in a small yet significant role is competent. His portrayal of a smart police officer, who means business, is flawless. Raghuvaran as Periyavar impresses but his histrionics have become predictable. Sherin in `Rangu Rangamma' is impressive.
Kanal Kanan (action) and Rajashe
