Maareesan (2025) review

From the time the trailer came out, Maareesan (2025) created a lot of curiosity because of the lead cast of Vadivelu and Fahadh Faasil. Sadly, the film lives up to that excitement only in parts. Till the interval, the screenplay drifts without focus, and only after that does it pick up some pace. Mangoidiots gives the film a Raw rating, but I will still recommend it for fans of Vadivelu.

Vadivelu plays an old man suffering from Alzheimer’s, locked up in his own house. Fahadh, a petty thief, notices him and sets him free. They travel across Tamil Nadu searching for Vadivelu’s long‑lost friends, and a unique bond forms between them. Both, however, are hiding secrets. Up to this point, the film works well, thanks to their brilliant performances and the humour sprinkled through many scenes. But after a while, the journey feels repetitive and tiresome. Only well after the interval does the real game between the two begin, lifting the film to a better level. By then, it feels late, and soon the story slips into heavy emotions with reasons that do not feel convincing. The post‑climax scene where a senior police officer offers sweets to a ‘criminal’ feels out of place and breaks the tone built earlier.

Vivek Prasanna gets a fair amount of space to showcase his acting skills, even in a few action scenes. Kovai Sarala and Renuka handle their smaller roles neatly.

The music by Yuvan Shankar Raja fits well with the mood, and Kalaiselvan Sivaji’s cinematography, especially the outdoor shots, adds life to the film. If only Director Sudheesh Sankar had tightened the screenplay, Maareesan could have turned out to be truly memorable.