What Is the Story About?
Suruli (Dhanush) is a local goon in Madurai who runs a ‘Parotta’ centre as a legal business. His deadly reputation as a gangster takes him to London to work under Peter (James Cosmo). How Suruli becomes a valuable asset to Peter by eliminating his competition? What happens in his personal life and his conflict comprise the core story of Jagame Thandhiram.
Performance:
Dhanush is charged as always and delivers his best. But the character itself lacks enough meat to make it a memorable outing. More so, considering it is his first film with the highly reputed young talent like Karthik Subbaraj.
The problem lies with the writing and characterisation of Suruli. A villain like part is pushed as a hero, and additionally with a lot of fun. The mix is uneasy, and it reflects in the narrative through forgettable sequences.
Analysis
Karthik Subbaraj of Pizza, Jigarthanda and Petta fame directs the movie. Between Jigarthanda and Petta, he made two more flicks which didn’t get any success. Petta itself floundered the chance with a weak second half. All this is mentioned to highlight the declining graph of the young talent before Jagame Thandhiram.
Still, given the classics Karthik Subbaraj delivered at the start of his career, and a couple of cult moments in Iraivi and Petta, there is a lot of hype surrounding him and his films. Jagame Thandhiram would be a first full-blown disappointment from him.
The basic story of Jagame Thandhiram involving the gang wars is very routine and ordinary. It is the immigrant’s background that provides the edge. The latest refugee crisis and racist and bigoted personalities fuel the narrative.
The problem is the immigrant’s setting which is used in half-baked way to advance a routine gangster drama template. Its potential is not fully explored. The few dialogues related to it offer nothing new. It is a fresh outer packing, and that’s it. What we have inside is the same old wine.
What is even worse is the missing trademark moments or blocks of director Karthik Subbaraj. In a short span, he has created such an impact that people expect something unusual, but that is missing. Yes, the hero seems to have no morals, but that is also already used.
The stylish execution with Dhanush’s remarkable presence and the background score by Santhosh Narayanan is the saving grace here. By the time one reaches the climax, they too couldn’t do anything to hold the attention.
Overall, Jagame Thandhiram is a big disappointment coming from the first time combination of Dhanush with Karthik Subbaraj. It is a routine gangster drama that tries to reinvent the wheel using a new setting but falls flat.
Other Artists?
Aishwarya Lekshmi has a small role, but a crucial one nonetheless. She does well in the few portions that offer her the scope to perform. James Cosmo is the second biggest character after Dhanush. He is the main antagonist. Cosmo overacts to the hilt and gets irritating as the narrative progresses. And despite all the loudness and gruesome violence, he never feels menacing.
Joju George has got a good role, but it feels wasted in the end. He could have been better utilised to add to the drama. The rest of the actors don’t have much and are easily forgettable.
Music and Other Departments?
Santhosh Narayanan provides the music and the background score. The former doesn’t impress, but the latter has parts where it works well. The cinematography by Shreyaas Krishna is good. The visuals add to the overall quality. The editing by Vivek Harshan could have been better. The writing lacks the depth seen in some previous flicks of Karthik Subbaraj.
Highlights?
Dhanush
Visuals
BGM
Drawbacks?
Routine Story
Length
Not Enough Thrills
Weak Drama
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, But Very Few Parts
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, But With Huge Reservations
Jagame Thandhiram Movie Review by Binged Bureau
We’re hiring!
We are hiring two full-time junior to mid-level writers with the option to work remotely. You need to work a 5-hour shift and be available to write. Interested candidates should email their sample articles to [email protected]. Applications without a sample article will not be considered.
