In his debut directorial film, Dharanidharan ventures into a subject largely unexplored on the Tamil screen. He takes a peek into the world of private car financiers and the methods employed by their recovery agents to retrieve cars from defaulters. With its interlinking story-lines, smartly written screenplay and slick narration, the film keeps one engaged through the crisp 96 minutes.
Dharanidharan’s characters are interesting and colourful. Like Guna, who executes the best seizure of cars; Burma, his protege, who with his street smart ways usurps Guna’s position when he’s away; Burma’s buddy and partner Boomer; Maran, a cop; and Seth, the financier.
Michael plays Burma with flair, infusing the character with the right amount of grit and audacity. The film should prove a career booster for the young actor. Sabesh as Boomer provides the lighter moments. Reshmi’s Kalpana may not have anything substantial to do. But the actress (of Inidhu Inidhu fame) cuts a pretty picture and at least gets more to do than being just relegated to the song-dance routine. A consummate actor, Kulkarni, within the limited space given to him, makes an impact as the merciless financier. Madhu’s Maran is well played, but could have been given some challenging moments. In his flashy outfits, Sampath as Guna fits in suitably.
With interlinking stories and characters, the director takes us through the fast lane of crime, intrigue, cool violence and some twists. There are shades of Gone in 60 Seconds at times. Revealing are the various methods used by Burma and gang to hoodwink the defaulters and steal away the cars. As Burma reaches his final seizure on the list, his well-laid plans go haywire. The film ends on a note amusing and unexpected. As the end titles roll, splashed on the screen is some information that fans would find interesting.
Verdict: With it’s quintessential modern take, Burma is a rollicking, breezy roller-coaster ride.