Kodiyil Oruvan - Sentimental political fantasy that works
Director Anandakrishnan made the impressive 'Metro' starring Bobby Simha and Shirish in 2016 which is one of the most authentic films on chain snatching gangs in Chennai. For his third venture, he has teamed up with the minimum guarantee hero Vijay Antony for a sentimental political fantasy film. Will the film sway the audiences returning to theaters after several months of lockdown remains to be seen.
'Kodiyil Oruvan' opens in Kombai where a local politician makes his maid played by Dhivya Prabha the area councilor with the plan to control her and loot the money allotted by the government for welfare schemes. He is shocked when the lower caste girl and her auto driver husband refuse to do his bidding and instead start doing good for the people. The villain kills the husband of the girl who is now fully pregnant and burns her alive but she not only survives but gives birth to a boy. The mother then brings up her son with the ambition to make him a district collector to help her people and the boy promises her to become something even bigger. The boy grown up as Vijayaraghavan (Vijay Antony) arrives in Chennai to prepare for his IAS but crosses paths with politicians and murderous gangsters just like his mother. Does the son fulfill his mother's dreams for him or will the lone warrior break down under the heavy pressure put on him by his enemies is what the film is all about.
Vijay Antony in his familiar grounds has scored well as the protagonist with multi shades to his character. At first, he is effective as an obedient son and non-violent student who cleans up his slum and refines the wayward youth there, by tutoring them in their studies. With his powerful build and screen presence, it doesn't take much for him to convince when it comes to bashing up opponents beefier than him. It's in the romantic scenes he shows discomfort. Aathmika as the pretty heroine initially serves as a relief from all the violence but later her romantic scenes become a hindrance to the screenplay for no fault of hers. The director has taken a risk by casting a young actress Dhivya Prabha as the hero's mother but it pays off, in the end, thanks to her neat performance. 'KGF' villain Ramachandra Raju, 'Baahubali' villain Prabhakar and Super Subbarayan as the Chennai villains are all menacing in equal measure. It is Prabhakar who scores with a nice twist to his character in the end. Poo Ramu as the Kombai villain also makes his mark. Aditya Kathir provides some comic relief while the actor who plays the tailor with delayed reaction syndrome is a delight to watch.
What works best in 'Kodiyil Oruvan' is the mother sentiment which though goes overboard at times but drives the entire screenplay. The film is an out-and-out commercial fantasy and within its parameters elements such as the mother's dream fulfilled by the son, the councilor turning his ward from slum to urban and finally, the hero ascending to the highest office all fit nicely in the mix. The writer not only sets up the tone of the film in the opening but also sets up the protagonist's character through very well-written scenes that make what follows engaging. The scenes where Vijayraghavan shies away from fights even getting beaten up builds up well and makes every one of his blows after his breaking point hit the mark.
On the downside, the screenplay moves on predictable lines and is also unevenly paced. Some good ideas like the councilor sending details of public money spent through SMS is heartening while the manner in which he gets the senior ruling party politician to help him achieve his plans is childish. Logical loopholes such as these are quite glaring at a few places.
The mother sentiment song "Sila Naal Karuvil" is placed at many crucial scenes in the film to good effect while the other songs by Nivas K Prasanna are pleasing to the ears but misplaced. N.S. Udhayakumar's cinematography, Vijay Antony's editing and C Uthayakumar's art direction work in tandem to elevate the film to a rich viewing experience. Director Anandakumar has once again proved his skill in delving deep into the subjects he chooses and making his films stand out.
Verdict : Go for this impressive sentimental political fantasy
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