Performances
Story & Narration
Technical Aspects & Music
An absorbing, meditative drama!
8 years ago, Santhakumar made a very surprising and heavy debut in Mouna Guru. Reasons for the delay of his second film are many, but let’s keep that aside for now because what has come has more than usual to talk about. Magamuni is an in-depth, increasingly intense drama that brings a lot of characters to the fore and demands your fullest attention, leading to a patient yet gritty end product.
Magamuni borrows its storyline from many double-barrel films we have seen in the past, but what it does differently is in the writing approach used by Santhakumar to get his thoughts across. Making use of many topics such as spirituality, politics, thugs and the circle of life, Santhakumar carefully narrates the tale of his varying characters who all come down from different backgrounds and converge at multiple points. Santhakumar smartly makes use of powerful dialogues that are relevant to real-life situations, adding a dash of philosophy as well. The first half takes its own sweet time to make us understand the plight of the people in the film, while the second half unties the knots, one after the other. With the right skill sets, Santhakumar converts a basic drama to a slow burn thriller in the final hour of the film, which strikes the right chord despite a convenient stunt scene and a couple of logical loopholes.
It is safe to say that Magamuni will go down as one of Arya’s best choices and performances in his long career that has spanned many different kinds of films. Films like Naan Kadavul, Madrasapattinam and now Magamuni have brought out another dimension of the actor in him, showcasing his versatility and ability to pull off such terrific roles.
There’s also lots to like in how Indhuja and Mahima Nambiar have very good roles with a lot to do in the film. Amongst the supporting actor, Jayaprakash stands out.
Thaman’s music is the second hero of the film, upping the ante on various occasions. It’s also very nice to see a single song being put to use in two different ways, which also helps in the narrative. The cinematography by debutant Arun Padmanabhan scales many wonderful locales, with a special mention to the night shots at the end. Technically, a strong film with Sabu Joseph’s cuts too working in the right fashion.
In totality, Magamuni is an engrossing watch that will give you something to invest your attention on, provided you have the patience to address and appreciate the meditative thriller that it tries to be. The film deserves a watch for Arya’s terrific performance, and some scenes which are truly riveting to say the least. Siddarth Srinivas