Thuglaq Darbar Movie Review

Political satires in Kollywood over the recent past have been able to make us laugh and even feel for the characters, but it really isn’t that easy to jot down a storyline that also has a massy touch to it. Reminding us of the classic Amaithi Padai, debutant director Delhi Prasad Deenadayalan’s Thuglaq Darbar is a very engaging tale of a man rising the ranks, with an interesting twist that is better seen than said.

The film starts by introducing us to its two main characters – Singaravelan alias Singam (Vijay Sethupathi) and Rayappan (Parthiepen). The former, a rookie politician, initially takes up the latter as his role model and plays his game to climb up the ladder. However, Singam does not pay heed to his personal life, giving zero attention to his sister. A freak accident at a party changes his life in an interesting way, which then becomes a game of two sides of the same coin.

Director Deenadayalan’s engrossing screenplay is the biggest positive aspect of the film, as he carefully pins down interesting sequences one after the other. Thuglaq Darbar is one of those films that warrant your attention in every scene, as a small miss here or there will make you ask doubts about the proceedings.

Though there are dull moments every 20 minutes, the film manages to gather itself quickly after and moves along at a good pace until the fantastic climax which turns out to be a major high for it.

After a long time, Vijay Sethupathi delivers a solid performance as a lead hero, in a film that gives him tons of acting scope. Scenes like the interval block are those for which we audiences had been waiting for a long time, and he truly rules the roost and has fun playing the witty Singam. Parthiepan’s presence is another huge asset for the film, as his comic counters and dialogue delivery evoke laughter in many places. The film also benefits from the presence of its support casts such as Bagavathi Perumal, Karunakaran, Raashi Khanna, Manjima Mohan and others.

Govind Vasantha’s electrifying score is the single big reason why Thuglaq Darbar would be a major miss for theatres. The composer delivers massy themes for Vijay Sethupathi and shows off that he is ready to compose music for big films. The cinematography and the editing in the film are on point, and there are no complaints whatsoever.

On the whole, Thuglaq Darbar is a largely entertaining political satire that gets many things right. Despite few flaws which are a given in every film, the narrative turns out in green fashion and keeps us pinned for the entire runtime.  Thuglaq Darbar Movie Review by Siddarth Srinivas

Thuglaq Darbar Movie Review Rating: 3.25/5