Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Vikram is the kind of experiment that Tamil cinema hasn’t seen in a long time. While Mani Ratnam has managed to pull off quite a few multi-starrers, thanks to many in the industry wanting to tick the ‘worked in a Mani sir film’ box, it’s unusual for big male stars to share screen space generously otherwise. Not only does it inflate the budget too much, it’s difficult to please their respective fanbases. But let’s look at the names in Vikram’s cast: Kamal Haasan, Vijay Sethupathi, Fahadh Faasil and Suriya (in a cameo). All of these actors have demonstrated in their previous body of work that they’re more interested in being performers than stars. They’ve broken rules, tried out new things, stepped out of their comfort zone, even if they were not always successful. What a great idea to bring them together, breaking the tedious assembly line of star vehicles that we have been enduring!
The title of the film harks back to the 1986 film Vikram and borrows the broad profile of Kamal’s character from it. But the story, as Lokesh has reiterated multiple times ahead of the film’s release, is closely connected to his 2019 blockbuster Kaithi, which was loosely inspired by Assault on Precinct 13. A curious coincidence is that Tom Cruise’s Top Gun released a few days before the first Vikram came out, and the same is true of their respective sequels too (Top Gun: Maverick came out last week). Like Top Gun’s Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell, Vikram also belongs to a top secret government agency. They’re both considered to be relics but hey, the old men still have it in them. If Top Gun is all about jets, Lokesh’s universe is grounded in trucks and beautiful shots of biriyani. Who’s complaining?
Lokesh must be applauded for not wasting time on fanboy tributes to the superstar on board, and sticking to telling the story. This is a big plus for the film, but it’s not all smooth going.
Lokesh cuts to the chase from the opening scene. Quickly, we know that this film too revolves around a large consignment of drugs. Gory murders are staged by a mysterious gang of masked men, and it’s unclear why they’re doing it. Kalidas Jayaram plays Prabhanjan, one of the murdered officers. His adoptive father, known as Karnan (Kamal), is also believed to have been one of the later victims. He’s projected as a drinker, smoker and womaniser, a man who turns to vices to forget the grief of his son’s death. Fahadh Faasil’s Amar, an agent with the government’s secret Black Squad, is called upon to investigate the crimes, and thus begins the game. Fahadh gets the lion’s share of screen time in the first half and the actor, as always, delivers.
In Kaithi, all that Dilli (Karthi) wants is to reunite with his daughter Amudha. Though the action-packed film had little room for emotion, the fragile thread connecting father and daughter managed to tug at our hearts at the right moments. Lokesh tries to do the same in Vikram with Karnan’s grandson, a baby born with a heart condition that makes it dangerous for him to hear loud noises. It is a superb conceit that could have paved the way for some really innovative sequences – a man who must fight a ruthless gang without making any noise. But the writing doesn’t exploit the potential of the premise so much.
The breakneck pacing of the film doesn’t allow for our feelings to sink in; Lokesh overstuffs the storyline with too many players and their ambitions, undermining the emotional core of the plot in the process. The bond between Karnan and his grandchild needed more screen time, or at least a few moments that are not generic. Kamal is an actor who can make you cry just by lifting his eyebrows (I still can’t watch the song ‘Unna Nenachen Paatu Padichen’ without weeping myself), so when you’re left feeling unmoved by what’s happening on screen, a good part of the blame should go to the script. Instead of indulgent dialogues on what happens in the jungle, how about focusing on what goes on within human beings? Yes, action movies demand guns but when the bullets rain down on someone, we need to feel something. Lokesh is a talented director but I wish he would also explore the ‘whys’ of a character and not only the ‘hows’. The good people do what they do for ‘society’ and the bad people do what they do for ‘money’. But human beings are far more complex than that, and I’m going to be greedy and ask that our filmmakers think beyond these simplistic boxes.
Gayathri appears as Amar’s girlfriend, and here too, Lokesh squanders away the opportunity to write a scene that should have delivered a sucker punch to the gut by building it on a flimsy, juvenile romance (the ‘baby-baby’ dialogues made me wonder if I was watching a Vignesh Shivn film). Narain’s Bejoy, such a vital role in Kaithi, is reduced to a footnote in Vikram and the treatment is way too hurried (a big part of the character’s story arc is casually summed up).
Vijay Sethupathi plays Sandhanam, a brute with three wives (of course, this is presented as comedy; we’re in an entirely male cinematic universe) and 67 members in his family. Though his mannerisms on screen are starting to feel repetitive, Vijay Sethupathi is quite fun to watch as Sandhanam. Kamal’s tongue-in-cheek one-liners land well too (just how good is he in that scene when he asks a minor goon if he can tell him a story?), and as in Kaithi, the placement of old songs in absurd contexts draws out some effective black comedy.
The interval block with the catchy ‘Vikram’ song from the 1986 film is gold. The old film hasn’t aged well and is quite cringe-inducing when watched now. But there’s no doubt that the title song has remained evergreen. Kamal’s transformation in Vikram isn’t as jaw-dropping as it was in Vishwaroopam but you’re certainly guaranteed goosebumps. If Vikram looks and feels like a proper, unapologetic action movie, credit must go to Girish Gangadharan (cinematography) and Philomin Raj (editing). The slick packaging ensures that we’re never bored all through the lengthy runtime of nearly three hours. Anirudh’s background score becomes over-the-top towards the end, but it works for most of the film.
Suriya’s cameo sets the stage for Lokesh’s next which will also feature Karthi’s Dilli. That’s a film that’s going to combine the fairly straightforward story of Kaithi with the more crowded world of Vikram. To make the collision spark, Lokesh must focus more on the emotional quality of the script. He has already shown that he can be audacious in his imagination and ambition, and as one of Tamil cinema’s smartest directors of this generation he certainly has it within him to pull it off. Aarambikalamey!
Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither TNM nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the film's producers or any other members of its cast and crew.