In recent years, the big hero movies in Kollywood have disappointed me. Other than a few exceptions, sequels turn out to be lazy works of the makers. So, I had low expectations for Kamal Hasaan‘s Vikram (2022), a thin sequel to Vikram (1986) and in the same universe as Kaithi (2019). Using a textbook story of a good cop(s) vs drug mafia, but delivering it through high energy and brisk screenplay, Director Lokesh Kanagaraj has surprised me with an entertainer. Mangoidiots rates the film a raw, yet you may want to watch it.
The first half of the film was dominated by two brilliant actors, Fahadh Faasil and Vijay Sethupathi – both of them fit their roles with ease and were a delight to watch. Kamal Hasaan appears in the second half with his presence increasing closer to the climax, he does look bulky but luckily there were not many exerting movements for the Ulaganayagan. In line with the story and the age of the character he was playing, there were no romance scenes or recollection of backstories. Though they have brief roles, Gayathrie Shankar, Kalidas Jayaram, and Narain leave their mark. More than them, it was actress Vasanthi who leaves us flabbergasted with her swift two-minute action sequence, her body language, and the confidence in her eyes during the fight scene was remarkable.
Be prepared, at a running time of three hours, this is a long movie, there are too many characters and there is a lot of blood and bullets flying all around. In Kaithi (2019), the hero’s love for his daughter makes us emotional and root for her well-being, in Vikram, I was not able to feel anything like that for the protagonist and his baby grandson.
For those of us, who watched Vikram (1986), the songs, the screenplay and the characters still remain edged in memory. Vikram (2022) is unlikely to have that effect as it offers nothing exceptional, but Lokesh has ensured a commercial success by opting for a familiar & safe story and kudos to him for not spoiling.
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