“Madharasi” is a reminder that even big names can serve you reheated leftovers and call it cinema. The story itself is built on Murugadoss’s template of picking unknown “random” issues and throwing them into the blender. First short term memory loss (Ghajini), then sleeper cells (Thuppaki), and now “gun culture.” The first two atleast did connect, this time, the topic does not even connect with the audience. It feels like someone read a random article headline and decided, “Ah, this is my next script.”
Vidyut Jamwal, who could’ve been a menacing villain, is completely wasted here. In Thuppaki he was a proper nemesis, but in Madharasi he looks like a random vadakkan rowdy picked from a Tasmac fight. His “villainism” is so flat you almost wonder why they cast him at all.
The logic defying sequences take the cake. Virat gets riddled with bullets from an SMG at chest and still survives to fight again in second half, no recovery, no physio but magically do pushups and fight, while Chirag is somehow still alive until NIA comes and shoots him again just to finish him off. It is like they have a health meter and painkillers from PUBG Mobile.
NIA’s portrayal is another comedy piece. Their “priority” tasks are outsourced to Sivakarthikeyan’s character, who seems to be on call for anything and everything. It is almost like they run an Uber service for missions. And when he is not doing that, he is leaping off buildings in pure Kuruvi style, landing without a scratch and walking it off casually. Sure, Vijay gave him the Thuppaki in GOAT, but that does not mean Siva suddenly gets Vijay level immunity. Even vijay was roasted for his stunt in kuruvi, btw.
Anirudh is the one I actually feel bad for. He is sweating to pump some energy into scenes that are dead on arrival. His background score screams for attention, but the story is too weak to carry it.
In the bigger picture, it is sad to watch directors like Shankar and Murugadoss, once pioneers, slowly becoming parodies of their own past glory. Reinvent yourselves gentlemen, or retire gracefully before the audience does it for you.
Final note: Thank heavens I watched this through a Tamilrockers download instead of burning 500 rupees at a theatre. At least the pirates saved me from double regret.