Vettaiyan Movie Review

Films with a strong core social subject and the mass aura together are the toughest sub-genre to crack in Kollywood, and they will be misfiring on most occasions rather than the win. However, director TJ Gnanavel succeeds in delivering an entertaining and engaging film in the form of Vettaiyan, where he balances on the thin line between a serious affair and a fan-friendly outing.

Vettaiyan is the story of a ‘hunter’ encounter specialist in the form of Athiyan, a man who does not think twice before shooting down criminals. As he executes his zero-failure record of taking them down, he is forced into a spot, and how he reacts and finds himself coming out of the loop is the force that the film is all about. The first half of the film is well-written and executed, keeping things moving at a gripping pace with the mass moments and interesting investigation scenes working out perfectly. The second half too has its moments, but the film begins to drop down a bit after the introduction of the villain who comes from the done-to-death corporate angle. The film keeps the momentum going however, with impressive dialogues, expressive scenes and scenarios that are not new but deserve attention. Where Vettaiyan succeeds is in blending a very good core with the things that the audience would love to see in a Superstar Rajinikanth film, and TJ Gnanavel needs to be appreciated for that cause.

Superstar Rajinikanth is superb as always, in the lead role, and this is a film where he has a lot of dialogues to bring out, and also battle himself through tough situations which raise the stakes on the protagonist. The film has a very good supporting cast, led by Fahadh Faasil who is excellent and balances the film with his comic timing and his impeccable histrionics. Amitabh Bachchan is good, while Manju, Dushara and Ritika Singh all have their moments in the narrative. Rana’s role is one which could have been sketched out and executed better.

SR Kathir’s cinematography does the job well, however it is not adding a unique visual flavour to the film, and keeps it rolling like a procedural. Anirudh’s music is a great fit to elevate Superstar Rajinikanth’s image, and the man once again does it for his man. The Manasilaayo visuals, emotional songs and the unique mix of Hunter Vantaar make it strike from him.

On the whole, Vettaiyan is an engaging fare that strikes the target right. At 73, Superstar Rajinikanth is showing the way forward on how stars should drive home the right stories with their huge presence.

Vettaiyan Movie Rating: 3.75/5