Finally Thalaiva is back & that too, with a bang!!! The much awaited "Jailer" has hit the screens & it is a much desired comeback of the legend & Nelson. It's almost four years since Karthik Subbaraj's "Petta" had released & undoubtedly, the last time that fans like us grooved to the swag of the Superstar in the theatres with gay abandon. So how exactly did Nelson plot his own rise from the ashes & in the process gave us the Thalaiva that we had dearly missed.
ACP Arjun Pandian (Vasanth Ravi) was hot on the trails of Varman (Vinayakan), the kingpin of the idol smuggling racket. But before he could get him behind bars, Arjun goes missing & it is believed that he was murdered by Varman's men, which shatters his family especially his father, Muthuvel (Rajni), a retired jailer who was much respected by the force for his honesty. He sets out to take revenge for his son's death & goes on a rampage against Varman which is essentially the crux of the movie.
After the forgetful "Beast", Nelson is back with a much improved screenplay even though the story that he penned is largely predictable for most parts. Well in a Thalaiva movie, do we even care about logic? Certainly not. It's about ensuring that the screenplay flows & mounting scenes that celebrates the legend's style and swag. In that respect, Nelson has performed impressively as he provide numerous whistle worthy moments and blends it with his quirky humour.
Personally, I felt the movie is a tad too long and there were segments in the second half that could have been handled far better such as Blast Mohan's portions that culminates in a heist as the story over there was far too frail. But the manner in which Nelson has handled the cameos of Lalettan & Sivanna was brilliant as the impact that both of them created in the theatre was thunderous. On the technical side, Vijay Karthik's cinematography was impressive but the highlight of the movie apart from Thalaiva was undoubtedly Anirudh's BGM. It was just fantastic to say the least as the BGM literally elevates most of the sequences.
As Neelambari famously said in "Padayappa", 'Vayasanaalum Un Style-Um Azhagum Innum Unnai Vittu Pogala' & that is what Thalaiva is all about. The style, swag & aura that this legend has on screen is mesmerising and he continues to do that even at this age. It was upto Nelson to give him an apt stage, which he managed to & the Superstar weaved his magic. The level to which the impact of a hero can be enhanced is significantly dependent on the antagonist & in that sense, I felt Vinayakan has done a fine job with the opportunity given to him. But it could have been way better if the writing was better. The much expected combination with Ramya Krishnan unfortunately didn't have much scope in the script though as usual she did her part well. Coming to the much celebrated cameos, both Lalettan & Sivanna were brilliant & being a Malayali, we are reminded of the fact that directors in our state just don't know how to make use of his charisma; while Jackie Shroff & Tamannah did their parts aptly. As for the rest of the cast, Yogi Babu, Sunil (as Blast Mohan), Vasanth Ravi etc were ok.
Verdict: There is no doubt that there are significant shortcomings from Nelson as a writer, but as a director he has showcased Thalaiva in the avatar that we had hoped for. In short, do watch it in theatres to feel the vibe!!!
Rating: 2.75/5
Regards...Ben
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