Film: Puli
Director: Chimbudevan
Cast: Vijay, Shruti Haasan, Hansika, Sridevi, Sudeep, Prabhu
It’s the maiden teaming of Vijay and Chimbudeven, an unlikely combination, one would think. For a long time, Vijay was the quintessential masala hero, and Chimbudevan’s forte was fantasy-fiction sagas ever since his debut venture, Imsai Arasan 23-am Pulikesi (2006). Therefore you’d expect the director to showcase Vijay in a hitherto unseen light, which would reveal a new dimension to the actor’s performance.
But no such luck! Whether its body language, expressions or dialogue delivery, in Puli, we see the same Vijay we’ve seen in innumerable films before. And despite rich production value and visually stunning special effects, the biggest drawback of the film is the lack of original and focused screenplay.
Puli centers on the on-going strife between Vedhalakottai and its neighbouring regions, the latter affected by the constant intrusion and harassment by the armies of the former. The film opens with an abandoned baby boy in a river found by a tribe and raised by the chief (Prabhu neatly fits in). It’s difficult not to draw comparisons between Bahubali and Puli, especially during the opening scene and a few other stages in the plot....and that’s where similarities end.
Fast forward a years later, and we see a strapping young Marudheeran (Vijay) who is hailed as the savior of the villagers. Preditably, Marudu falls for Malli (Shruti Haasan) his childhood companion. The romantic interludes set against exotic landscapes, and a ravishing Shruti is a treat for sore eyes. Marudu would soon get to take a trip to Vedhala kingdom and learn the truth about his past. The whole journey by Marudu and his gang has many touch points.
If it’s Gulliver’s tryst with the Lilliputs in one, it’s an ugly frog and a turtle in another. There is a one eyed cyclops-like monster who seems quite confused whether he is on the side of the right or the wrong. And a touch of the Twilight Saga in the fight with the snarling bear, where Marudu rescues Mandakini (Hansika) the daughter of the Vedhala queen Yavana Rani (Sridevi). And finally, the tyrant queen herself, baring her fangs and sliding up the walls like the vampires in Van Helsing. Despite actors like Sathyan and Ramaiah, mercifully, the comedy is limited.
Sridevi, returning to the Tamil screen after a long hiatus, revels in her role. Her costume, make-up and the total look is stunning; she is perhaps the only one in the film having a lot of fun. Sudeep is sufficiently menacing as the vicious dhalapathi. Eye catching locations blend with imaginatively designed sets, the real and the graphic merging splendidly. Undoubtedly, a key strength is Nataraj Subramaniam’s cinematography.
Vijay breezes through his role with effortless ease, ofcourse! It looks like he could well have been playing one of his routine characters. His second avatar as Pulivendhan does not have any variation either except for the longer hair and a slightly different costume.
A couple of political innuendos are thrown in occasionally, but they seem forced-in and out of place. The second half, particularly towards the end, tends to slacken. At best, Puli is a fairly ‘pleasant’ watch. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and probably doesn’t expect the viewers to either.
But with a saggy screenplay, at 154 minutes, a crisper, tighter narration, with a more refreshing and an original plot could have elevated the film’s entertainment quotient.