Adirindhi - Movie Review

What’s it about!
Vijay (Vijay), a magician, kills a doctor while performing a magic trick. In Hyderabad, several persons are kidnapped and the police officers suspect doctor Bhargav (Vijay) is behind these kidnaps and arrest him. It is later revealed that Vijay the magician is doing all as he wants to take revenge on a medical businessman Daniel (S J Surya) who killed his father Vijay Bhargav (Vijay) and mother (Nithya Menen).

Analysis

‘Adirindhi’ is a typical mass movie that opens with an interesting episode of kidnaps and hero getting arrested. This scene reminds us of Shankar’s and Murugadoss’s early movies. Then quickly drama moves to Paris where Dr. Bhargav is getting honored for his selfless service in India by serving patients for Rs 5. Then we see the introduction of Kajal Agarwal and a romantic duet. Movie swiftly moves to Hyderabad, and Dr. Bhargav and Samantha’s romance. It is later revealed that Kajal actually fell for the charms of magician Vijay who posed like a doctor. All these episodes are handled in terrific way by director Atlee.

Then he focuses on a hospital episode. A girl is in critical condition after an accident and the hospital management performs the surgery knowing that she won’t survive all for the money. She would have been saved by the doctors if the ambulance driver had brought her to hospital in 10 minutes. So, Vijay kidnaps all the people who are involved in this episode and throws a challenge to police to find those guys in 10 minutes if they can. First half of the movie ends on this high note making it a terrific a masala movie.

Director Atlee has packaged the movie till the interval with all the usual masala movie tropes and mannerisms of Vijay in right proportion. Even if you are not fan of Vijay or an admirer of masala movies, the first half of the movie engages you well. Trouble begins when the director focuses on the story of Vijay Bhargav, designed on the characteristics of NTR/MGR the do-gooder. This lengthy episode must be made for Vijay’s fan base and his future political course. But for us, it doesn’t work. It tires us. The entire second half bores. The film finally turns into a revenge drama like Kamal Haasan’s ‘Vichitra Sodarulu’ – two brothers taking revenge on the murderers of their father.

The much-politicized satirical dialogues on demonetization and GST are muted in the Telugu version. The last speech Vijay gives in the film is entirely beeped.
The film has sequences like how corporate hospitals are looting money from the public for small diseases which definitely will strike chord with everyone in India. Despite many predictable moments, the movie works well for this reason.
Director Atlee is known for making movies lavishly. He has filmed the movie even on bigger scale in terms of production design, camera work, grand locations, etc.
 
Vijay has shown his best side in the film. As an actor he has come up with best performance in ‘Dalapathy’ in the second half but it is too longish. However, his two other roles, magician and doctor are fun and appealing. He makes the movie tick. Both Samantha and Kajal have got money for no role. They have absolutely nothing to do in the film. It is hard to accept Nithya Menen as Punjabi kudi but she makes it up with her performance. Senior comedian Vadivelu, Sathya Raju are okay in their brief roles. S J Suryah has imposing look as villain but his character is underdeveloped.
 
Technically, the film is good. Cinematography stands out. A R Rehman’s songs don’t work but his BG is first rate. Editing has gone haywire in the second half. Production values and production design are first class.
 
Sri Ramakrishna’s dialogues are neat. As director, Atlee has not shown anything novel but he has shown his spark in packaging it well.
 
Bottom-line: ‘Adrindhi’ is an engaging masala movie with many mass moments (designed like Shankar’s old movies), and with a gripping first half. The film works till the first half without much issue. Post-interval the long ‘Dalapathy episode’ makes it tiresome. Overall, it is a neat masala movie.