Darbar Review: A Thalaivar Extravaganza!

Written and directed by A. R. Murugadoss, Darbar is the first big Pan-Indian release of 2020 and stars Superstar Rajnikanth in the lead role, with Nayanthara, Yogi Babu, Sunil Shetty, and Nivetha Thomas filling in as the supporting cast. The basic premise of Darbar explores Aadhithya Arunachalam’s (Rajni) life as a cop as he takes on a case that involves drugs and women trafficking in a 150-minute action thriller.

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First off, similar to Petta, Darbar is Rajinikanth’s extravaganza through and through. The energy with which he portrays his character is truly astounding. He walks, runs, dances, and fights like a young adult. The amount of dedication he puts in his performance to entertain his fans, irrespective of his age, shows the love and respect towards them. The movie runs high on his spirit and liveliness as he keeps the momentum moving till the very end.

As a writer and director of the film, A. R. Murugadoss offers nothing new storyline wise. He once again uses the tried and tested, cat, and mouse brawl as the primary plot and didn’t offer anything innovative with the screenplay. The plot was dull, especially during the second half of the movie, and furthermore, Murugadoss continues to add a female lead and never uses them in the movie. It is genuinely sickening to watch actresses with potential, stand in a corner, and do nothing. The overall screen presence of Nayanthara would be lesser than ten minutes, and she is not involved even in the tiny bits of the plot.

Anirudh Ravichander’s music is yet another saving grace of the film. His background score was perfect to match Rajniâ€™s potency and increases the excitement level now and then. Technically, Santhosh Sivanâ€™s camera work is commendable as Thalaivar looks young and ever handsome through his lens.

Overall, although A. R. Murugadoss tried his best to give an entertainer with a perfect mix of action, comedy, sentiment, and love, the familiarity of the plot plays the spoilsport. However, the Rajni factor works tremendously in the film as he carries the entire film and helps you forget the underwhelming plot. Darbar delivers to its core audience and settles itself as a commercial entertainer for the festival.