Movie Review: Vijay Sethupathi the MASTER manages to steal the show

REVIEW MASTER

The film  Master sets out to revolve around a young college professor J.D alias John Durairaj (Vijay), who goes to a correctional facility for young criminals, is compelled due to his own conscience to take on the rowdy Bhavani (Vijay Sethupathi), who is exploiting them to further his criminal empire. The fans of both Vijay, as well as Vijay Sethupathi, will be glad to know that the immensely popular stars have been pitted together for the first time in a film of this gigantic dimension, where both the megastars are given prominent roles.  Jyothi Venkatesh

Bhavani is momentarily relieved from the torture and is sent to a juvenile prison

 The film begins in Nagercoil in 1992 with a young Bhavani pleading for his life. His lorry driver-father and mother have been mercilessly killed and torched. Bhavani is momentarily relieved from the torture and is sent to a juvenile prison, where he is tortured every single day. He manifests the anger by punching the walls of his cell, reminding you of a scene from Oldboy.

And on the other hand, though like Vijay Sethupathi, there is no such backstory for Vijay, don’t get the shock of your life to see him play the role of a Professor called JD in a college in Chennai, who carries a hip flask ready in his pocket, advice ready on his lips and a Kada ready in his arm for a fisticuff punch at the slight provocation, between taking his lectures in his classes!

One particular sequence, involving JD and his former classmate Vanathi (Andrea) wielding bow and arrows

The action sequences, which have been a highlight in Lokesh's previous films, look like they are straight out of Lokesh’s earlier films though they are brilliantly executed and dazzle you in terms of their supremacy. One particular sequence, involving JD and his former classmate Vanathi (Andrea) wielding bow and arrows, hardly offers any thrill. In fact, it only reminds you instantly that the director had incorporated a similar night-time chase in his previous film, Kaithi.

The film at times tends to test your patience amply, if you are a fan of either Vijay or for that matter Vijay Sethupathi, with its unending fight sequences as well as long winding scenes which need to be slick. While not giving a flashback for JD seems clever (especially given the already lengthy running time), what the director fails to underline is why the protagonist is addicted to drinking.

It is also to his entire credit that he also manages to sell the moments when he has to offer advice

What ultimately saves the film and makes it watchable are the charismatic performances of both Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi. Vijay dances like a dream and puts his fan craze to good effect in the college scenes. With tailor-made dialogues for him which reminds of his earlier hit films. It is also to his entire credit that he also manages to sell the moments when he has to offer advice, though if there had been any other hero, these portions might have come across as preachy, you end up feeling that they are just right.

Vijay Sethupathi the MASTER manages to steal the show, though there is nothing that is different from his usual casual acting style. We get a whole bunch of supporting characters in this segment (actors like Andrea, Shanthanu, Gouri Kishan, and Sriman make just more than fleeting appearances), but they hardly contribute to the story by any dramatic scene which can be called significant. It is a pity that Malavika Mohanan has been wasted in a fleeting blink and you will miss her appearance in the role of JD’s lead, Charulatha. The highlight of the film is the final confrontation between the two actors that has a couple of rousing moments, helping end the film on a high note and making the cinema halls reverberate with applause galore.

Several songs from the MASTER album are already chart-toppers

Undoubtedly, yet another highlight besides the slick fight sequences in Master is that it is the best-sound tracked big-budget Tamil film in recent memory, and Anirudh Ravichander (who had earlier composed for Dhanush the chartbuster Why This Kola Veri Kola Veri Di) should rightly walk away with all the plaudits. Several songs from the album are already chart-toppers, but Anirudh’s background score is the real winner here, with pulsating rock-heavy themes elevating many of the film’s action sequences and slow-motion moments.

The one master stroke employed by Anirudh (or is it Kanakaraj’s idea) is the incorporation of two olden golden hits from yesteryear though the film is dubbed in Hindi. The film may turn out to be a super-duper hit, but director Kanakaraj does not show his flair as a director like in his earlier films thanks to him stooping down to the level of pandering to his hero Vijay at the cost of the plot

Producer-Xavier Britto

Director-Lokesh Kanakaraj

Star Cast-Vijay, Vijay Sethupathi, Malavika Mohanan, Andrea Jeremiah, Arjun Das, Santhanu Bhagyaraj, Mahanadi Shankar, Nasser, and Arjun Das

Genre-Social

Rating-**1/2 (Two and a half)