Maddy the Invisible Mass Hero
- IndiaGlitz, [Saturday,January 30 2016]
There are certain norms mass heroes have to follow to hook their fans and send them into a frenzy to cheer for them. The tool that is used the most is the punch dialogue which demands a close up. The much built up hero entry is another device that generates the whistles and screams. The Mass hero generally treats his women with respect and behave in such a way that the heroine has no other option but to fall head over heels in love with him.
Maddy's towering presence in Irudhi Suttru' is a new lesson in Mass heroism that drowns the artificial with originality. Madhavan's entry in the film is negative in Tamil cinema tradition, he is an unkempt drunk who does not walk in style, his clothes do not compliment him, speaks foul language instead of punch dialogues, treats the women around him with scant respect and above all is immoral.
What drives a bubbly young girl barely out of her teens fall for this guy who is close to her dad's age? This question does not arise when watching Irudhi Suttru' for the charisma and raw sensuality of Madhavan is not explicit but lies beneath the surface. He does not need to flaunt his testosterone like his contemporaries. What passion and understanding of cinema, he should possess to train and modify his physique for a role and to stand by and see somebody else do the action. What the actor Madhavan has achieved in Irudhi Suttru' is daring to be invisible and inhabit the mind of the viewer subconsciously and that is why the viewer lauds the victory of Madhee as that of Prabhu because it is he who wins against all odds including the unlikely love that had eluded him all his life.
If nothing else Maddy deserves the highest honor for believing in a film about women made by a woman and which has women in the fore. If not for him Irudhi Suttru' would not have had a Hindi version and the hectic promotional activities he has involved himself in is not to sell himself or up his asking price but to see a good film reach the most number of people. Doesn't that make Madhavan the true mass hero? Hearing the genuine applause and whistles and watching the standing ovation the film gets one is convinced that Maddy is indeed the silent and invisible mass hero of Kollywood.