In the much-anticipated wait for Thalaiva,
director Vijay remarked that he felt masses
might begin referring to ‘Ilayathalapathy’
Vijay as “Thalaiva” Vijay instead of his long
held moniker. Upon watching the film this
perspective is not hard to understand as his
latest, reveals a Vijay different from what
we’ve ever seen before. Helmed as a more
serious action flick, reminiscent of Godfather
tones in its trailers, Thalaiva took on the bold
task of marrying commercial action with a
grittier look at how those without means
seek justice for a myriad of social issues.
Was the combo of Vijay & Vijay successful in
delivering a balance of mass and meaning?
The film begins in beautifully picturized
locales of Sydney, Australia where we meet
typically talented and charming lover-boy
Vishwa, played by Vijay, who along with a
gaggle of dancers run a successful business
while also pursuing fame in major dance
competitions. The premise is the perfect
excuse for Vijay to steal the scene with his
youthful moves, and fulfill the comedy track
of the film in combination with the always-
entertaining Santhanam. A cute but at times
silly & slow love story ensues between
Vishwa and lead female character Meera,
played by Amala Paul in her first pairing
opposite Vijay. We learn early on of Vishwa’s
close relationship with his father who resides
in Mumbai, played by Sathyaraj who is
depicted in an elusive but clearly powerful
role, and through a plausible cause & effect
the film shifts to India where the real story
takes place. What follows is a portrayal of
don-leadership for the good of the less
fortunate, mixed in with familial politics and
your typical revenge & good versus evil
scenarios, but told in a stylized manner.
The first half of the film drags a bit given
the lack of plot development. An hour into
the film there is no real conflict at hand,
however, within the few minutes immediately
before the intermission the audience is
rattled with shocking plot & character twists.
There are several ‘gasp-worthy’ scenes soon
after the break, based on Vijay’s portrayal
and stunning cinematography of some raw
(but not overtly gory) violence. Although the
overarching revenge conflict & final climax
scenes are not incredibly unique ideas, they
are shot very well and add to the overall
style quotient of the film.
Despite a large number of supporting stars
the film primarily relies on a few strong
performances to maintain the drama and
suspense. Sathyaraj perfectly portrays and
resembles the strong & silent elder type.
Santhanam’s comedy is enjoyable as usual,
but he evokes quite a few laughs particularly
for referencing some of Vijay’s classic lines
(“I am waiting”) & working hard for a chance
to play the hero himself. Bollywood’s
Abimanyu Singh as the key antagonist could
have done a better job; given the intensity of
Vijay’s character & the dark-running
‘Nayagan’ tones, a more legitimately
frightening villain would have helped add to
the serious tones of the film. Amala Paul
does a decent job in a fairly interesting lead
female character in a male-dominated story.
And of course when it comes to
Ilayathalapathy, Thalaiva Vijay the film lives
up to its selling point as his “time to lead”.
His ever-present lover boy charm and
penchant romantic-comedy is seen in
abundance in the first half, but his true
talent comes through after the break when
we watch him so realistically portray someone
whose innocence is erased with a few brief
realizations and who takes to the ‘dark’ side
with such ease. There are several moments
when his character is vulnerable and
unsuspecting, and that is refreshing as we
witness true human weakness & then watch
how he overcomes it. Although we have seen
him in roles of authority or don-like symbols
before (ie. Bhagavathy) Thalaiva shows us a
quieter and more pensive hero who only
flexes his muscles when necessary, but emits
that intimidation from the moment he
decides to lead. And his action & stunt work
is superb as always, and with his well-
maintained physique he looks great in both
his avatars as a happy go lucky youth and as
a leader. Credits also to Director Vijay in
trying to present a different ‘Ilayathalapathy’
to his fans.
The song videos were a true highlight, not
only for Vijay’s dance moves & the fresh
choreography, but also for the beautiful
cinematography. The melody of “Yaar Indha
Saalai “ was made sweeter with a cute video
weaving together plot development with
beautiful Sydney sights, but the “Thalapathy”
and “Vanaganna” videos stood out for their
colorful and grand portrayals, amidst the dark
shades of the second half of the film. The
BGM stands out more in the second half.
Technically the film is a real feat, with the
kind of camera work & fast paced editing by
Nirav Shah and Anthony, respectively, which
capture the raw nature of the non-urbanized
sections of Mumbai. The film emits a
generally sober tone in its colors and
costumes while in India, except for the
songs, and that coupled with generally
realistic looking action sequences by Silva
make for a more adult entertainer. Kudos
should also go to the costume designer/
makeup artist who takes Vijay’s hair & looks
subtly from boyfriend to don, leaving us with
a mature and powerful looking VJ.
Overall, although slow at the start and
missing in some of its character backstories,
the film makes up for it with few unexpected
turns of events. It is not an overtly
commercial film made for those who expect
equal parts romance, comedy and action, but
a more commercially lighter look at the
‘Godfather’ genre.
Verdict: A different Vijay offering with
enough impactful scenes, which takes its
time to build up.
Credit:-3.5/5
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