Petta Review - Tharamana Sambavam
Superstar Rajinikanth who has worked with many legendary directors of all times after two films with Pa. Ranjith has once again joined hands with a new age filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj. The director has made the tall promise that he has brought back the classical mass hero avatar of Thalaivar from the eighties. 'Petta' makes Rajini fans and the general audiences go crazy with adulation for the Thalaivar they missed for so long.
Kaali (Rajinikanth) forces his way into a job as a hostel warden and first straightens things there. He serves as Cupid to young lovers Anwar (Sananth) and Megha Akash while he himself falls for Simran Megha's mother. When the college ruffian Mike (Bobby Simha) tries to hurt the lovers and Kaali comes to their rescue and it results in a North Indian caste leader Singaar( Nawazuddin Siddiqui) and his son Jithu (Vijay Sethupathi) starting a war against him. Who is Kaali and what is his relationship with all these characters forms the rest of the screenplay.
Superstar Rajinikanth proves why he is the longest standing leading man not only in India but the entire world cinema. Playing the mysterious hostel warden Kaali he storms into the frame and keeps dominating with the versatile mix of action, comedy, style, swag and a pinch of romance. He carries the entire film on his shoulders defying age and physique, especially in the long interval block action sequence and the equally demanding climax which are an absolute treat for fans. In the flashback, he is a sheer delight as the kickass Petta. Simran looks stunningly pretty in the couple of scenes she has. For Trisha, it's a personal milestone to play the wife of Rajini and nothing more. Sasikumar and the flashback segment is the key on which the entire screenplay rests. Nawazuddin Siddique one of the most respected actors in the country makes his bow as the villain in Tamil and the one scene in which he does an ecstasy dance after a mass murder is the testimony of his caliber. Vijay Sethupathi's character is a surprise which needs to be savored in theaters and his scenes with Rajini are charged with both conflict and emotions. All the others in the ensemble including Bobby Simha, Sananth, Malavika Mohanan, Megha Akash, Guru Somasundaram and Naren are adequate.
What works in Petta is the comeback of Rajini as the Maharaja of Masala generations of audiences soaked in which the current crowd gets to witness first hand. The stylish presentation and vibrant storytelling keep it interesting till the very end.
On the downside, the story is dated and there are gaping logical loopholes and inconsistencies in most characters except the hero. There are also many dull moments in the second half which picks steam only in the climax.
Anirudh's songs lighten up the proceedings while his background score lends that newage zest to the visuals. Thirru's cinematography and Vivek Harshan's editing are top notches while Sun Pictures have bankrolled a sure-fire winner. Karthik Subbaraj a self-proclaimed Thalaivar veriyan has poured his love for the legend into the scenes and every single mass moment is goosebump-raising. The manner in which he had infused a class into the mass is highly laudable. He should be praised for cleverly embedding his political views in a subtle manner - From condemning culture policing to even advising Thalaivar himself to stop stalling and start doing. As a filmmaker, Karthik has touched a new high stamping his signature in the kickass climax twist. 
Verdict: Go for this kickass true blue Thalaivar movie in which Karthik Subbaraj Rajinifies you.
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