Movie Review| Etharkkum Thunindhavan, another male saviour film trips over its own feet- The New Indian Express

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A trauma darkish and deep lies on the foundations of the Kannabiraan (Suriya) household, an occasion so everlasting and painful that it should be inconceivable for the relations—Kannabiran, his father (Sathyaraj), and his mom (Saranya)—to have a traditional life.

The occasion I communicate of is comparable—and maybe even worse—to early demise in Mari Selvaraj’s Karnan (the place the identify Kannabiran, apparently, was used for the villain). In Mari’s movie, we noticed the aftershocks of the trauma; we noticed what it did to Karnan.

Etharkkum Thunindhavan, nonetheless, is from a distinct director—Pandiraj; one who exhibits no actual urge for food for any critical exploration of such emotional baggage.

And so, on this movie, you continuously see Kannabiran goofing about, dancing about, flirting about… Sure, a traumatised particular person can nonetheless do these items, however for a movie to limit the after-effects of a profound, private loss to a framed {photograph} and the occasional wail within the background rating, betrays its insincerity.

You get additional proof of this when Pandiraj paints the Kannabiran household in shades of strawberry pinks and cheery yellows. Worse is when the mom of Kannabiraan—this burly, muscular lawyer—retains enquiring about his urinary schedule, within the identify of cute affection. You understand what, scratch that, worse is definitely when the heroine Aadhini (Priyanka Mohan) finds this worthy of emulation. How are you alleged to take this movie significantly?

On this movie that communicates a lot concern in regards to the welfare of girls, discover the character attributes of its heroine, Aadhini. We get early on that she’s fairly boring and childish when she doesn’t appear to know why a automobile key’s totally different from a motorbike key.

Additionally, this girl’s concept of an attention-grabbing private anecdote is to go on and on in regards to the sorts of meals she sampled without spending a dime in temples. She pouts and smiles and bats eyelids and dances in meaningless songs. Save for a pressured dialogue she will get in a critical scene, by and huge, she’s the embodiment of the same old stupid-is-cute concept, and I actually couldn’t perceive what Kannabiran noticed in her. In your common masala movie, this wouldn’t matter as a lot, however in a movie that’s centred on how vital ladies are…

The unhealthy boys of this movie, a gaggle led by Inba (Vinay, who’s changing into the default face for the delicate perverted antagonist), are seemingly influenced by the perpetrators within the infamous Pollachi case. Inba’s villainy is basically depicted by piano enjoying and maniacal laughter. Sometimes, he tries to be deep and spouts what he’s satisfied is a profound commentary—one thing about how nice males are unhealthy males (no one asks him to develop on this).

My favorite second regarding him is when he tries to say this line once more and somebody shuts him up with a bullet.

Etharkkum Thunindhavan communicates a whole lot of generic love in the direction of ladies, not not like the kind we have now typically seen in masala cinema. Capabilities are organised to rejoice them within the village; bushes get planted. And but, in mentions of abortion and premarital intercourse, I received the sensation that the movie was a bit too prudish to be snug with these concepts. I appreciated although that this movie has a few well-meaning touches.

Like Kannabiran asking Aadhini whether or not, she’s okay with the wedding earlier than he orchestrates it. Like Kannabiraan, in a later scene, disassociating notions of honour a few girl’s physique. It could be yet one more case of a flawless male saviour stepping in to avoid wasting ladies, however I suppose there’s some utility in a star popularising helpful concepts.

I additionally appreciated that the movie treats Aadhini’s father as a joke. Typically, in all our enthusiasm to vilify these with backward notions, we neglect to snigger at them. This movie has a quite distinctive, pleasing angle of two ladies, Aadhini and her mom, Anjumani (Devadarshini), outwitting the dimwitted oppressive patriarch within the family. Anjumani even makes a sneaky reference to him as a joker.

As for Kannabiran himself, Suriya performs him like a wierd, hybrid mixture of the infuriated man he so typically performs in Hari movies and the emotional lawyer he performed in Jai Bhim. Right here although, he communicates some cynical commentary over the problem of executing authorized justice in a corrupt society. Nevertheless, the movie exhibits no real interest in exploring such concepts, and director Pandiraj is basically content material with milking conflicts and victims to emphasize the flawless protagonist’s heroism.

Even when caught in an pressing scenario involving a hostage, Kannabiraan is busy goofing round with the heroine, and even the director can’t assist however discover that this doesn’t fairly match into the narrative. His answer is to have the hero say one thing alongside the strains of, “Veliya dhaan sirikkaren, aana, ulla…” It’s each awkward and insincere.

It is a basic downside in these star automobiles that reel below the burden of getting a number of agendas to meet. They find yourself seeming halfhearted in every single place. Kannabiran wields Murugadoss-esque weapons, however he’s in opposition to killing it appears. His childhood is steeped in trauma, however you see no signal of this in his behaviour.

He’s coping with a grim case regarding ladies victims, however he’s busy dancing and playing around. And very similar to the movie, you too really feel conflicted. You see that this movie cares greater than your common star car, and but, it’s exhausting to shake off the sensation that the delicate problem on the coronary heart of this movie is, once more, fodder for stardom.

• Director: Pandiraj
• Solid: Suriya, Priyanka Arul Mohan, Saranya, Sathyaraj, Soori
• Ranking: 2.5/5