Ajith Kumar’s Arjun isn’t a “hero” by any stretch of the imagination, especially in the Tamil cinema ecosystem. In fact, if the film wasn’t a gripping action drama, Arjun would have been a certified loser with nothing going for him. In fact, even in this movie, for a really long time, Arjun is never a facilitator of action, but just a responder to the consequence. And that’s what makes it all the more special because it is an action film featuring one of the biggest stars of Tamil cinema, and it features a star stripped of all his stardom… almost. Magizh Thirumeni takes the premise of the 1997 film, Breakdown, and remains largely faithful to the plot, giving it a few necessary changes to suit Indian sensibilities. And the most important change is in the relationship dynamics between Arjun and his wife Kayal (Trisha), which adds gravitas to this equation that drives large portions of the film. The movie starts off by establishing the romance between the couple and the gradual falling out that happens over years of marriage. We are shown glimpses of their journey, right from the first meet-cute to falling heads over heels in love to the first cracks in the relationship, and the seemingly irreparable ones. And point to Magizh and editor NB Srikanth for deciding to tell all these through two beautiful Anirudh Ravichander numbers to ensure the pacing isn’t sacrificed for showcasing the romance part.

There are lovely additions Magizh Thirumeni makes to Breakdown (1997) to humanise what was otherwise a straightforward Hollywood action movie. This begins right with the way he re-interprets the title ‘Breakdown’. Not only does this mean that Magizh’s version begins way before Arjun’s (Ajith Kumar) car breaks down in the middle of nowhere as he travels with his wife to Tbilisi, but the title also alludes to the ‘breakdown’ they are experiencing in their marriage. It’s middle of the road in a sense, but the not the kind you’re thinking about. They’ve been together for 12 years and they’ve lost the magic that had once brought them together. In another awkward meet-cute that we’ve now come to expect from Magizh Thirumeni, we’re told that Arjun once sent “Happy Birthday” messages every day to Kayal (Trisha) for six consecutive months. But after 12 years, Arjun doesn’t even remember the date anymore, even when the world stays up to wish Kayal.

Magizh Thirumeni’s Vidaamuyarchi, starring Ajith Kumar, Trisha Krishnan, Arjun Sarja and Regina Cassandra, adapts from Jonathan Mostow’s 1997 film Breakdown. The premise and several plot events are similar, but Magizh’s additions and adornments do stand out as one would expect in an Indian version with a huge star in the lead. Just look at the length of both the films: Breakdown clocks at a crisp 93 minutes. Vidaamuyarchi is 150 minutes. Make of that what you will. This film places itself in the highways, cafes and rest stops of Azerbaijan with Ajith’s Arjun living in Baku with his wife Kayal (Trisha). Their relationship is 12 years old, and we get some quick flashbacks, choppily written, to establish history. Magizh wants to present an adult relationship, something his mentor Gautham Vasudev Menon managed to do in Yennai Arindhaal with the same actors. It works to an extent in the present-day portions when the relationship is crumbling, they deal with slow erosion like mature individuals. But in the flashback, it is unwieldy. The dialogues don’t pop the way adult romantic lines should; it is edited to be concise, but the pattern is shoddy, the cadence is off, and it is clear that the actors are working with mediocre material.

Vidaamuyarchi opens with a long shot of Arjun (Ajith Kumar) casually walking out of his house in Azerbaijan, carrying a bag. He opens his car boot, which provides a chance for a mid-shot of the Tamil superstar. There is no slow-motion nor a close-up. Anirudh Ravichander doesn’t whip out his signature ‘mass’ background score. In fact, the music is almost non-existent. The whole sequence is conspicuously in a matter-of-fact tone, sending a message that Magizh Thirumeni and Ajith Kumar are vehemently steering away from the usual gimmicks of a Tamil superstar film. Within a few minutes into the movie, it becomes certain that Vidaamuyarchi is a story-driven film in every sense of the word, where the superstar embraces a white-collar role that is too subtle for his fans. Every scene screams one thing: There will be no fan service here. And that will be a huge welcome for any Tamil cinema viewer, who has been bombarded with Rockies, Pushpas, Jailers, and Beasts. It is funny how Tamil filmmakers get a pat on the back for not doing the bad things, even if they aren’t doing anything great. That’s telling of the state of affairs.

Ajith Kumar, the man of many talents, made the country proud with his Dubai racing win. But on the film front, his fans have been patiently waiting for over two years, asking for update after update. Finally, February 6 is the day when Vidaamuyarchi hits theatres across the globe. As Magizh Thirumeni promised, Vidaamuyarchi is not the usual run-of-the-mill commercial action entertainer but a full-blown thriller that does justice to the genre. As the title card rolls with Vidaamuyarchi - Perseverance Triumphs on the big screen, you can’t help but ask if perseverance has truly triumphed this time.

In a scene in director Magizh Thirumeni’s Vidaamuyarchi, Ajith Kumar’s character Arjun, trying to move a stalled car from the road to the shoulder, wraps the car’s seat belt around him to push the vehicle safely. That, in a scene, encapsulates the film and the contribution of its lead actor to make it work. Walking out of the film, the biggest takeaway is how Ajith, the star who takes the road less taken when compared to his contemporaries off-screen, also pulls off the same with his choice of scripts. Irrespective of whether the payoff is worth the trade, it’s fun to see the star shed the vanity of stardom and surrender completely to the script in hand and that’s what makes Vidaamuyarchi work… almost. Heavily “inspired” by the 1997 Kurt Russell-starrer Breakdown, Vidaamuyarchi is the story of a couple whose road trip is interfered with by some uninvited guests and it’s up to the husband to save his kidnapped wife. More than a decade after Arjun (Ajith) and Kayal (Trisha) fell in love with each other and decided to tie the knot, the romance seems to have faded. When Kayal breaks the truth of having an affair and wants to file for divorce, Arjun decides to hit the road to drop Kayal at her parent’s place. Magizh layers the narrative by intercutting the journey of two strangers who fell in love 12 years ago, with the one last journey they take through the open roads of Azerbaijan.