Madharaasi movie review: This Sivakarthikeyan starrer is too formulaic and old fashioned for its own good

The film shows glimpses of Murugadoss operating at his full powers, and there is a straight line from Ghajini, with reference to a particular mental health issue that the hero suffers from. Murugadoss is at his strongest when he takes on novel spins on traditional action genre beats and subverts the tropes in the most unexpected of ways. But here, the invention and spark of inspired writing is squandered away in his attempt to shoehorn a romance. Ever since Ghajini, none of the romances in Murugadoss’ films have stood out for either the writing or lasting impact in the narratives. Madharaasi, sadly, continues down that road. The writing is way off focus here, and Murugadoss tries to recapture the tonal hijinx of his best work, where action, romance and intrigue segued seamlessly. The romance feels underwritten and very old school in its affectations. Sivakarthikeyan and Rukmini is not served well by the material, and emotional heft is missing in their interactions. Muragadoss is nudging us towards connecting with their love, but there is only so much heavy lifting the actors can manage with the underdeveloped romance.

The film, in typical Murugadoss fashion, is busy with ongoing tonal variations, where the writing shifts between action, police procedural elements, and the overwrought romance, integrated with the least amount of conviction. Sivakarthikeyan clearly looks out of his element under the weight of Murugadoss’s filmmaking sensibility that is usually catered to bigger stars. This is the first time the actor has paired up with a director of this stature, and there is a clear dissonance in his pitch. But Murugadoss tries to give the star some funny material, considering his onscreen image in the first half, which is largely hit and miss. These stretches hardly work as there is a sense of familiarity and tiredness in the tropes. Luckily, whenever Biju Menon and Vidyut Jamwal appear on screen, there is some focus on the action, and the film manages to stay in its lane. They manage to centre the fumbling drama with their unpredictable ways. The old school writing is balanced off greatly by the steady performances from these two, who provide a good counterweight to Sivakarthikeyan’s hero, who is put through the wringer.

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It’s all downhill from there as the film slogs along ever so predictably in the latter half when Sivakarthikeyan turns into an action hero. Madhraasi deals with issues of gun mafia and other related important social issues that are increasingly becoming footnotes in our news. But the effectiveness of these aspects is watered down by Murugadoss’s script, which is way too comfortable in its dated, diminishing returns structure. Sudeep Elamon’s frames give the film a very lived-in, visceral visual grammar that helps the momentum stay afloat. Sreekar Prasad keeps the events moving seamlessly to a point but the film lacks the energy such an action vehicle demands. Too much is happening and the gradual buildup does not last, like in his previous collaborations with Murugadoss. The latter half draws out for too long. Anirudh Ravichandaran is the saving grace, who single-handedly elevates the stakes and vibes in this one with his eclectic score. The sounding in the movie is a huge plus to the way this film is viewed in a theatre. Anirudh keeps the tired ideas ticking with his thumbing score.

Sivakarthikeyan looks the part and is convincing to a point in the action sequences. However, the actors lack of experience playing similar archetype can be clearly seen throughout as he struggles to carry the over written action blocks and dramatic portions. Madharaasi does not make ample use of Rukmini Vasanth as she is forced to play a one-note love interest who ends up being a pawn in between the villain’s game. She looks radiant on screen and its a shame the writing does not do her any service this time around. The love angle does not blossom in interesting directions and you don’t feel attached to either of them in any meaningful way. Biju Menon too makes a big impact as the particularly sullen officer leading the covert operation. Vidyut Jamwal is menacing and brings his A game to a script that does not meet him at his level. He is performing in a different movie and having lots of fun chewing the scenery, and I wish I was watching that movie all along, while Madharaasi as a whole struggled to live up to his onscreen charm. 

Madharaasi movie cast: Sivakarthikeyan, Rukmini Vasanth, Vidyut Jammwal, Biju Menon, Vikranth and Shabeer Kallarakkal
Madharaasi movie director: A R Murugadoss
Madharaasi movie rating: 2.5 stars

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