'Thaandavam' (Tamil)
Director: AL Vijay
Cast: Vikram, Jagapati Babu, Anushka Shetty, Amy Jackson
Vikram’s penchant for essaying differently-abled characters is well known. His earlier venture with director Vijay had him playing a mentally-challenged person who fights for the custody of his daughter. In the duo’s second teaming in 'Thaandavam', Vikram essays a visually-impaired man who has the ability to echolocate.
The first half is neatly crafted. But it’s in the second half that the script takes a downslide. The film opens with a series of bomb blasts in London and then shifts to a year later where a series of killings take place. The audience can guess that the killer is Kenny (Vikram), a visually-impaired man. The cops too catch on soon enough. The narration shifts back and forth in time, to explain who Kenny was, and the motive behind his killings. Love, friendship,intrigue and betrayal, all form part of the scenario.
The first half of the movie moves at a steady pace, each segment fairly well crafted. The earlier episodes in Delhi have Shiva and Sharath (Vikram and Jagapathy), part of the elite intelligence wing, on the trail of terrorist elements. The scene shifts to his village, where Shiva meets his future bride Meena (Anushka).
The director reveals sensitivity in his depiction of human relationships. But it’s in the terrorist versus cops scenario, and the intrigue after the action shifts to London, that he loses his grip. There are shades of 'Blind Fury' at several places. Vikram plays his role with quiet efficiency. There’s not a wrong step he takes, the actor curbing his tendency to overdo his act. He makes for a convincing Kenny who echolocating, takes on his tormentors.
Incidentally Daniel Kish a real -life visually impaired trainer, skilled in echolocating, makes a brief appearance playing himself. The women characters in director Vijay’s films have always got better deals. Here too Anushka as Shiva’s wife, Rai as the helper in his cause, and Amy as the woman who admires him, get a fair amount of screen space. Santhanam’s comedy integrates well with the plot. There is sensitivty towards the differently-abled. Though, at times, one feels these elements are forced in, like the mute neighbour of the Shivas, or the mention of the brain damaged son of Sharath.
While the first part is easy viewing, the second part drags on endlessly with no clarity or focus. The thrusting in of a song only worsens matters. The film is more of a drag than a pleasure.