‘Appavi’ (Tamil, Action)
Director: R Raghuraj
Cast: Gautam, Suhani, Sriranjini, K Bhagyaraj, Mahadevan, Sampatram
The story of the film is very simple — it’s about a vigilante on a killing spree, his main targets being unscrupulous corrupt politicians.
He videographs their confessions on their own cellphones before killing them and then texts it to the public. It’s again a story which has been oft repeated and done to death. The director offers nothing new here — either by way of script or by way of its presentation.
The protagonist is hailed as the messiah but Manimeghalai, the new district collector of the place, is determined to track down the killer. With the identity of the killer revealed in the earlier scene itself, there is no scope for gripping suspense or interest. The motive, a predictable one, is revealed much later by way of a flashback.
‘Silent but Violent’, goes the tag-line of the film, which centers around Bharati a quiet college student (Gautam).
A topper in class, his friends are oblivious of the dark violent side of him. There is romance with college mate Ramya (Suhani) who happens to be the daughter of the main villain (Mahadevan). Each time Bharati learns about a wrongful act by a politician, he sets out to kill them. There are many unanswered questions in the film like, how does the protagonist get to know about these secret wrongdoings of his victims, and how he manages to get to his victims with such ease remains a mystery?
The relationship between Bharati and Manimeghalai (Sriranjini) is kept in suspense for a short while in the film. But for what reason? And in what way has it helped the main plot of the film? It’s incomprehensible.
Gautam as Bharati shows promise, though the role seems to be too heavy for him. Also, a more forceful actress could have made a stronger impact as Manimeghalai. The scenes flow smoothly at an even pace.
The way Bharati brings corruption acts to public notice provides some interest. But apart from that, it’s deja vu all the way.