What Is the Story About?
Taanakkaran is a hard-hitting drama based on a real story in the late nineties in Tamil Nadu. It deals with the trainees at Police Recruit’s School (PRS). The brutal treatment they are met at the hands of the higher officials and how a guy with a dream to become the police, Arivu (Vikram Prabhu), challenge the system is the movie’s basic plot. Did Arivu succeed or failed is the overall story.
Performances?
Vikram Prabhu has, without any doubt, given his best shot for the film. As Arivu, he is a picture of dedication and intensity rolled into one. The movie offers him a mix of great physical demands as well as emotions. The actor does well on both counts, making it a memorable outing.
Analysis
Tamizh writes and directs Taanakkaran. On the surface, it is an underdog winning story, but the subject and setting, where its placed, make it unique and stand out.
We have seen many films in the past depicting the military training process and the trainees’ troubles. The hard taskmasters make life hell, and eventually, the ‘hero’ comes of age. Taanakkaran also has similar elements, but its setting, a Police Recruit School, is very unique. Since real-life events also inspire it, the whole things look even more exciting.
As with many coming of age dramas, or the underdog stories, the bigger the challenge and impossible the situation to surmount, the bigger is the payoff. We have that with Eswara Moorthy’s role. There is nothing grey with him; he is depicted as a straight-up monster, elevating the stakes. His commanding presence and authoritative demeanour make him menacing. To then go against him highlights the hero.
Besides the uniqueness of the subject, the director must also be credited with the smooth screenplay. The fact that the entire movie happens in a single location and it doesn’t bother one bit is a testament to it.
There are only black and white characters in Taanakkaran. It is not just the individuals, but the same applies to the narrative as a group. It is easy to guess who our underdogs are here. While this clarity is acceptable, it also leaves no real space for character development. So, we have the few main guys, and that’s it. The rest of the ‘group’ has members with superficial details.
The director’s clarity lies in that he uses the specific details of supporting parts to further the narrative and enhance the hero’s appeal well. Therefore, despite the lack of depth, the supporting roles serve the purpose like the obese guy, for example.
The sentiment is another aspect that feels overdone. It could have been toned down a little. As it is, we have the high decibel training going on with lots of shouting and screaming. A small but critical flashback highlighting why the hero is desperate to become a police officer is alright. It is placed at a suitable time building to the climax, but at the same time, it slows down the pace considerably.
The climax dealing with the parade has been handled neatly. Psychological play brings a fresh element to the proceedings and avoids going flat. The intensity with which the whole thing happens makes it work.
The ending and the message, while good, should have been neatly integrated into the narrative. It feels cut off from the rest and an extension rather than come across as a seamless flow.
Overall, Taanakkaran is an engaging police training drama that throws light on how they are hardened in the first place. The unique theme, setting and gripping (although loud) narrative make it a good one-time watch. If you like to watch something intriguing this weekend, give Taanakkaran a try.
Other Artists?
Lal plays the quintessential hateful character to perfection. We outrightly hate him, and that’s a job well done. MS Bhaskar has a compelling part that comes into force during the second hour. The finale is as much a victory for him as it is for the hero. Madhusudhan Rao is given a cardboard negative role, and he does it effectively. There is not much scope for female leads here. One must feel relieved that they don’t get abused, though. Anjali Nair gets more of a supporting role than a female lead part, even though she has a montage song. The rest of the actors part of the groups are alright. They fit the respective characters and help in generating the right emotions.
Music and Other Departments?
Ghibran provides the music and the background score. It is unlike his recent works and takes us back to his initial days. The songs are alright, but the background score is good in an understated way (mostly). Madhesh Manickam’s cinematography is neat. The combination of visuals and bgm helps the narrative considerably. The editing by Philomin Raj is right for the most part. It is tough work not to make the proceedings look repetitive since most of the movie happens in a single large location. The writing is adequate and helps keep the intensity throughout the narrative.
Highlights?
Subject
Escalating Tension
Core Conflict
Climax
Drawbacks?
Repetitiveness Of Travesty
Very Loud
Little Lengthy
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes
Taanakkaran Movie Review by Binged Bureau
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