Recent Reviews by Sudhir Srinivasan
The New Indian Express
Amaran
An emotional triumph, but some questions linger
Love and loyalty shine in this film, even if the conflict feels simplified
The situation isn’t entirely new for a Tamil film: a Tamil man, Mukund (Sivakarthikeyan), enters a Malayali household to seek the hand of their daughter, Indhu (Sai Pallavi). In Tamil cinema lore, such scenes often signal trouble. In Autograph, Cheran’s character faces a quick rejection, a violent ejection. In Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa, Simbu’s character meets a similar fate. But in Amaran, the hero cannot be quickly insulted or rejected, for Mukund arrives cloaked in the authority of an army uniform, a symbol that tempers resistance with respect. Where once Indhu’s father opposed the relationship, now he’s disarmed by the unspoken reverence for a man in uniform. This scene is restrained, absent of cinematic exaggeration; instead, director Rajkumar Periasamy allows these moments to revel in soft, unspoken gestures, where relationships get organically forged.
All 6 reviews of Amaran here
Vettaiyan
Much to be happy about, despite some misgivings
This Rajinikanth film attempts the tight-rope walk of aiming to entertain while tackling past wrongs
In among the best stretches of Vettaiyan, the friend of an accused—both hailing from the slums—is being interrogated for his assistance in facilitating the latter’s escape, and the police eagerly slap their biases on them. Director TJ Gnanavel quietly, and subtly captures the indignation of these two young men at various times, as they square up to the police forces. It takes a great line about friendship from Athiyan (Rajinikanth) to restore a bit of faith in the young man’s eyes.