Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu Review: The Enthralling Journey of Muthu!

I have always been fascinated by stories and films which take us into the life of an individual. The excitement of diving into the world of a person and what’s happening around them has thrilled me. In Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu, director Gautham Vasudev Menon captures the life of a small-town boy, in the streets of Bombay. Starring #Atman Silambarasan aka STR in the lead, Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu has an ensemble of supporting cast including debutant Siddhi Idnani, Radhika Sarathkumar, Siddique, and Jaffar.

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Moving away from the generic gangster film template, Gautham Menon decides to narrate the ordeal of a youngster and how his life choices take him to where he is now. Coming from a humble, debt-ridden background, Muthu (STR) decides to move to Bombay in search of fortune and finds himself in the clutches of the city’s infamous underworld, all by his choice. For the 160-plus runtime, the screenplay does not rush and takes its own sweet time to settle and keeps us hooked to the screen. Writing the screenplay, from a story by Jaya Mohan, Menon provides us with a refreshing and gratifying experience of realistic cinema with the first half of the film being novel, deep and elaborate.

Former Indian Cricket and current Chennai Super Kings Team Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni famously said that “The comeback is always bigger than the setback.” #Atman STR has given one of the best comebacks by an actor with back-to-back blockbusters after facing numerous controversies, trolls, and body shaming. He proves that with proper discipline, characterized by obedience, subservience, or readiness to accept instruction or direction from the universe, anyone can prosper.

Every actor aspires to see themselves in the shoes of Marlon Brando and do a “Godfather” like film in their career. Only a very few were able to pull the Messiah role and earn a name for themselves. Be it Mani Ratnam’s masterpiece Nayakan for Kamal Haasan or the blockbuster Baasha for Superstar Rajinikanth — these movies gather their primary inspiration from The Godfather. With Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu, STR joins the elite list of Bombay Dons. The amount of hard work he has put in to look younger for the character Muthu Veeran is evident on screen and proves that he is one of the most proficient actors in the Kollywood industry.

A. R. Rahman gives the necessary boost to Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu through his captivating music and songs, which blends with the needs of the film. But I felt the picturization of the romance songs between STR and Siddhi Idani to be awkward with both the leads mouthing the lyrics. On the other hand, the sequence of the song ‘Mallipoo’ was unconventional and a new attempt.

Looking from a commercial perspective, the situation in which the song was placed, it could have easily been an item number with women-objectifying lyrics and men ogling her, yet in this song, there was the voice of the women and men, in a completely new setup which made it aesthetically appealing. The camera work of Siddhartha Nuni make the film look more balanced and transfers you to the locale of Bombay with more indoor spots.

On the downside, Gautham Vasudev Menon succumbs to the pressure of the recent Pan-Indian Movies trend and decides to make the film into two parts. He gave an open ending with lead to a possible sequel, a hint of incorporating Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu into Mani Ratnam’s Nayakan Universe, with STR in borrowed look of Yash from KGF. A near-perfect film, which was close to reality in making was spoiled by five minutes footage in the post-climax. Nevertheless, VTK will find its place in the Best Gangster Movies of Kollywood.

‘Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu’ Rating – 3.5/5