Madras Review

Quite a number of times we see riots and clashes between groups on grounds of caste, religion, superiority and more. Tamil cinema has seen a number of movies on these elements, set predominantly in North Madras and Ranjith’s Madras goes around a WALL, yes you read it right, a WALL that stands tall amidst a chilling superstitious rumor and as usual two groups that fight around it. With some power packed performances and some gripping moments, the Karthi starrer Madras is here to stay and let’s take a look at how it has panned out.

Storyline:

The story is set completely in North Madras, and Ranjith has done a fabulous job in taking the audience on a journey to make them feel what true Madras is about. There is no big mystery surrounding the plot and the age old formula of two groups that go for the kill at each other’s sight and a wall that signifies more than just brick and batter stops between them. Karthi is the local Chennai guy, the darling of his mom and the most literate person in his gang, he has a happy go lucky life with his best friend Anbuaka Kalairasanand all is well until the issue of the WALL comes up.

The first half of Madras has some unique moments that deserved to be mentioned, which actually sum up the characters, like an overprotective mom who wants a fitting bride for her son and the rare but convincing friendship of Kaali and Anbu, a street loafer who roams around as Johnny! Not to single out the romance that blooms between Karthi and Catherine. The director sets the stage for a blood boiling revenge tale through the second half and springs in some surprises that only seems logical.

What’s good?

To start with Ranjith’s choice of casting and some brilliant locale of North Madras, some power packed performances from the lead cast captivates the audience thoroughly. Karthi has done extensive work in adapting as a local chennaite, be it his body language, dialect and what not. He gives the look of “from rags to the riches”, but credit to the director for etching his role wonderfully. Catherine is fresh and lovely, and has a great talent down the lane for acting, but sure doesn’t give you the Royapuram gal feel.

The romance between the characters “Anbu” and “Mary” almost steals away the original romance of Karthi and Catherine, thanks to some impressive performances from Kalairasan and Ritwika. The tale of two groups, knifes, bloodshed and violence is what “Madras” is about, and adding a pinch of revenge in a more sensible manner saves the movie from being it called stereotypical. Santhosh Narayan’s BGM sticks to its best and there is little scope for the songs.

Why, what and how?

There is little to criticize “Madras” for it sure looks to captivate all sections of moviegoers, a few things that could have been better

1.When a film that spans out for more than 2 hours is up for grabs, songs sometime make it look shorter, the second half of Madras stops still and appears too lengthy missing some music.

2.The climax comes to an end abruptly, with so much build up on the defining WALL, the end scenes do not give enough justification.

The film is a wholesome entertainer with some minor arguable moments, Ranjith has yet again pulled off a blockbuster in reckoning.

Verdict: Walk in to get a hovering feeling of North Madras

Star: 3.25/5