After India Pakistan (2015) I had limited expectation from Vijay Antony in his new film Pichaikkaran (பிச்சைக்காரன்). To my surprise, he has improved greatly in his acting and has delivered an enjoyable performance in this film.
Pichaikkaran is a mother sentiment story, but thankfully we are shown the mother-son affection through a single growing-up song. The kidnap sequence of hero’s uncle who values money over his own fingers establishes his ruthlessness swiftly sparing us from elaborate flashbacks. Vijay Antony’s character is a son to a kind mother who has single handedly established a multi million dollar textile factories. Following an accident she falls into a coma and the caring son turns into a beggar (Pichaikkaran) for 48 days as an offering to Gods. Rest is how he struggles through in the period, falls in love with heroine Satna Titus and beats the bad guys who cross his path.
Instead of taking the audience intelligence for granted, Director Sollamale fame Sasi has made an earnest attempt to convince on the reasoning for Hero to take the drastic step in his life. In the scene where Vijay Antony gets orientation from a professional beggar on how to do makeup, we hear good dialogue writing by the Director, “Like a new Hero making efforts in his first few movies to establish himself, then audience get used to him and tuned to that mindset”. One more scene was were we see a richman (Mohan Raman) driving a costly Audi Car getting lectured by hero in defense of the heroine. Another one was when hero gets away from a police inspector after getting caught for driving without a license while he is with his girlfriend.
The sound track greatly benefits in having the Music Composer as Vijay Antony who is the producer of the film too. Nooru Samigal and Oru Vellai Sotrukkaga setting the mood for respective happenings, Nenjorathil is a hummable romantic track. Satna Titus has delivered her role believable, it’s difficult to forgive a person and fall back in love with him after knowing he is a beggar.
Though the screenplay had usual elements, rowdies chasing the hero, corrupt police who are also behind the hero, medical malpractices, greedy doctors, heroine severely hurt and fighting for life, we are spared from long scenes thanks to Editor Veera Senthil Raj.
Pichaikkaran is a worthwhile watch, proving how an offbeat storyline and a bit of good screenplay can produce a good entertainment.
