Madharaasi

In many ways, Madharaasi is a solid comeback for Murugadoss, who was facing an extended slump in his career. It acts as a showreel for the action avatar of Sivakarthikeyan. It allows Rukmini to make a solid mark in a role that isn’t relegated to being a damsel in distress, and is, in fact, the reason why the wheels of the film are set in motion. And more importantly, Murugadoss gives us a film that nudges at the importance of standing up for what’s right. Through the ‘abnormal’ Raghu, it tells us that ‘normal’ doesn’t always have to be right, and a nobody can become a hero, a warrior, and an immortal if they decide to stand up against the wrong and unfair, even if they are standing alone, and they are just another... Madharaasi.

Because this is a film that boasts some delightful surprises which prove to be its principal merits, ones that successfully overshadow its shortcomings. It's a film that feels more alive as it inches towards the intermission, and attains maximum power afterwards. But one thing I can say for sure: This is the most fun I've had from not just an ARM film, but from a Tamil mainstream action entertainer in a while. A major chunk of this has to do with the sincerity and innocence Sivakarthikeyan brings to his trauma-riddled character, Raghu, and the intensity with which he performs the action. Murugadoss presents him as a character who, in a strange way, is empowered by his trauma. He ends up doing benevolent acts in places where others remain mere spectators. To others, he is "abnormal", but not to Malathi (Rukmini), for whom he ends up doing some of the craziest things.