Vijay Antony has once again chosen a gripping crime thriller to act in. Maargan is about solving a brutal series of murders of women with no clear motive. The mystery element works well and keeps us guessing, which is where the film succeeds. At the same time, even though the screenplay is smart and neatly put together, it somehow doesn’t fully convince. Mangoidiots gives it a Raw.
Vijay Antony plays a police officer who is emotionally scarred from a past horror tragedy. He moves from Mumbai to Chennai to investigate a series of murders that seem connected to his earlier case. Whether he manages to crack the case and uncover the motive forms the core of the story. Thankfully, the film avoids dragging us through lengthy flashbacks, romantic angles or family melodrama. That was a relief.
Antony’s nephew Ajay Dhishan makes his debut here, and he does well in the role of Tamilarivu, a youngster with photographic memory. He stands out in the swimming and underwater sequences. Best wishes to him for a good future.
The first hour of the film moves briskly and keeps you engaged. But after that, it starts overplaying its hand a bit, especially with the underwater scenes and the sudden inclusion of mythical powers. Still, the runtime is just a little over two hours, which keeps it tight and watchable.
The climax is rushed. The culprit is revealed quickly, and while all the threads are neatly tied up, the background and personality of the villain felt half-baked. I understand the director wanted to keep the identity hidden till the end, but the result is that the final reveal feels a bit hollow. Without a better understanding of the antagonist, the ending lacked emotional depth.
In all, Maargan is a decent watch if you’re into the crime thriller genre. Just don’t go in expecting too much in terms of clever twists or deep psychological drama.
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