'Thambi Arjuna' (Tamil, Action, 2010)
Director: Vijay R Anand
Cast: Ramana, Feroz Khan, Asheema, Suman and others
Sibling bonding set against the backdrop of the underworld forms the core of the plot.
The elder brother Dharma is a gangster. Protective about his younger sibling Arjuna, Dharma tries to shield him from the backlash of his violent lifestyle. But circumstances drive Arjuna to take the law in his own hands, when his loved ones are threatened by a vindictive cop and his brother’s rivals.
The debutant director keeps the narration at a fast pace, the script is fairly, neatly etched and engaging in the earlier part. Dharma’s split from his mentor Mani (a menacing Rajendran) who had brought him into the fold when he and Arjuna were orphaned and homeless as kids; his nexus with senior cop Vedagiri (Suman) who uses him for undercover work; the growing attraction between Arjuna and Radhika, the cop’s daughter (Asheema of Ramana), all form the earlier part.
Arjuna who has returned from Australia after a two year absence, reminisces about the events that had led him to leave the country. Ramana as Arjuna is vibrant and energetic. Feroz Khan (a karate black belt holder, and actor in couple of Malayalam films) gets a power packed role as Dharma. He fits in comfortably, and plays it like a seasoned veteran. Adequate support is provided by Balasingh as Kaakka the mediator between the rival gangsters.
The first half had a tangible script to back all the sound and fury of the musical score. There are some ably choreographed chase scenes, like the one where the brothers with the family escape when the police surround their house.
In the latter part, the situations loose out on conviction, the logic lop-sides and the motivation and behaviour of the characters are confusing. Particularly the manner in which Vedagiri plans and carries out his vendetta against Arjuna for publicly humiliating him earlier was ambiguous.
As a debutant’s work, 'Thambi Arjuna' is a promising effort.