Mersal... Not much of an astonishment!!!

It's Diwali. Play it safe!!. A definite celebration for hardcore Thalapathy fans. For others, a mere masala pot boiler with a message on healthcare.

Mersal is like watching a mash up of the best scenes and screen play from Moondru Mugam+ Aboorva Sagothargal + Sivaji + Anniyan. The story line from MM, some of the "killing" scenes from AS, intro scene from Sivaji and the punishment scenes of Anniyan.

Screenplay - Racy

Romance scenes - Cute

Action scenes - Fire

Message - Good

Story - Leaves a lot to think about

But for the racy screenplay the movie would be a damp squib. 3 heroines, of which 2 are just there for a few scenes. Only Nithya Menon has anything of substance to deliver. And she does. Kajol and Samantha are the usual glamour dolls.

In the first half, all of the songs are thrust in with no need. And this unnecessarily drags the movie. The second half is full of cliche scenes. No element of suspense or surprise. The movie keeps going ahead with just the presence of Vijay's on screen. A definite crowd puller. However, even he falters in his delivery of the message at the end. Too much resemblance to the message scene in ARM's Katthi. Thalapathy has to get better at this.

So, what makes this a crowd puller? In spite of all the deterrents, the movie is still engaging. Not engrossing, however, better than most others. If only the dragging portions were left out, some of the loose ends tied up properly, this could have been made to be a better movie.

Vikram Vedha - Vedalam sonna Kadhai

Vedalam sonna Kadhai

Many a movies "attempt" a different treatment but seldom excel. Director duo Pushkar-Gayathri, excel in this department in their latest, Vikram Vedha. The graphical introduction scene sets the tone for the rest of the film to come, for those not familiar with the Vikramaadityan-Vedaalam stories or the much viewed Vikram Aur Betal soap on DD, this is a must see.

From a story line it is in reality a very straightforward good cop, corrupt cop, gangster(s) story. But then the screen play, narrative style and the treatment that the movie gets is what makes it stand out. Madhavan as Vikram the straightforward cop and Vijay Sethupathy as Vedha the gangster who has a keen sense of right and wrong are just superb. Their power house performance dominates the movie.

Who killed Simon? Who killed Chandra? And why?

Every single time they meet, Vedha weaves a story and leaves Vikram with a question. And by finding the answer to each question, Vikram moves closer and closer to finding out the real culprits. An interesting narrative.

Vikram, Simon and others are part of an elite police team that are encounter specialists and are tracking down the elusive Vedha, a notorious gangster wanted for 16 murders. The opening encounter scene sets the stage for the rest of the movie. The treatment of the encounter scene in itself is very different with a Vikram casually waltzing in and talking to his colleagues as if visiting a friends house, pulling one others legs with no signs of what is to come. Even during the encounter itself, the casual walk and talk is a refreshing take on how these scenes are usually depicted.

Post the shoot out, Vedha is introduced to us. And what an introduction scene. While the whole police force is seen mobilizing to capture him, he very coolly walks in to the commissioners office, with a keera vadai in hand, yes keera vadai, throws it to a dog, walks past the metal detector and pulls out his gun and then surrenders!!!

While everyone is questioning him, the only question that Vikram has is, why? Why has Vedha come out of hiding? Why surrender?

And when he asks Vedha these questions, the first story unfolds. How Vedha became what he is. How a commoner like Vedha who was loading boxes at the harbor transform to Vedha the gangster? At the end of the story, Vedha poses a question to Vikram and also gets bailed out by Vikram's wife, a lawyer.

Why Vedha chooses her as his lawyer is also a question that gets answered in due course. Post this initial meet, Vikram and Vedha keep clashing and at every clash a story, followed by a question. And the whole movie unfolds in this manner.

Kudos to the director couple. From a intense Oram Po to an immensely enjoyable comedy in Va (Va Quarter Cutting) to a cop tale. Great going.