Tamil Review: 'Marudhavelu' is passable

Chennai: Movie: Marudhavelu

Director: RKR Athimoolam

Cast: Kailash, Aakansha, Nakshatra, Ilavarasu, Sabita Anand, Sami, Rekha

A youngster’s foray into the city, his getting embroiled in the affairs of a thug and its backlash on his near ones form the core of ‘Marudhavelu’.

The influence of similarly plotted films is evident throughout director Athimoolam’s work and very little effort seems to have gone into the script to make it novel or exciting. The narration shuttles between Chennai and Rajapalayam.

It revolves around Velu, who, banned from his village for a period of time for an indiscreet act, comes to Chennai. Circumstances cause him to come into conflict with rowdy Annachi (Sami makes his presence felt) and some cops, who are in nexus with him. How the youth uses his brain and brawn to outwit them forms the rest of the story.

Velu is helped in his effort by a lawyer (Nakshatra, her role not well fleshed out), who has her own score to settle with the gangster. Kailash (a rising actor in Malayalam) has adapted himself well in his debut Tamil film, as he seems to be skillful in the dance-fight routine. The female leads don’t manage to make much of an impression.

The converging of the hero’s life with the thug’s seems forced and contrived. The armed thugs and the cops seem inept. The handling of the various relationships lack emotional depth. There is supposed to be this deep bonding between Velu and his father (Ilavarasu, dependable as usual), but it seems one-sided. For, while there are scenes depicting the father’s great love for his son (the film’s better moments), there is hardly anything to convey Velu’s reciprocation of his father’s love.

Even Velu’s relationship with the woman who has secretly nurtured him as a baby, is barely touched upon. So, when Velu later rushes home on hearing of her demise, shock and grief on his face, it’s far from convincing. Also, the director seems to be in great haste to run through his narration. So much so that even before a shot or a scene ends, he’s rushed on to the next one. The whole saga ends on a predictable note – as predictable as the rest of the scenario.

At the most, ‘Marudhavelu’ is passable work from a debutant filmmaker.