'Tegimpu' hit the screens today. In this section, we are going to review the latest box office release.

Story:

The film begins with a private bank in Vizag coming under the siege of a gang of robbers led by Veera's character. Much to the gang's shock, there is already a bigger robber waiting in the bank. He is Dark Devil (Ajith), a ganglord with a secret agenda. He brings the system to its knees even as a corrupt cop (Ajay) and the City Police Commissioner (Samuthirakani) try their best to tame him. Meanwhile, the powers-that-be and the bank's owner exert pressure on the police to put Dark Devil in his place. What is the Devil's agenda? Who is he? Will he emerge victorious in the end?

Analysis:

Upon the release of the film's trailer, many assumed that Ajith was back to playing an out-and-out grey role for the first time since 'Mankatha'. When the "hero" is looking at pulling off a bank heist, were they expecting anything less than a moral agenda hidden from plain sight in the trailer? The so-called trump card of the film is not a trump card at all. It was on the expected lines in the age of furious debates around banking frauds. 

Director H Vinoth doesn't quite give us a high when it comes to fleshing out the plot. The first half is action-heavy, while the second half goes for a toss with a simplistic rendition of the real-life issue it deals with. 

The climax, again, is action-heavy. The drama that unfolds in the run-up to the final act is somewhat watchable. For all the film's failure to whip up satire and hard-hitting commentary, it is still watchable. In the hands of a director adept at smart comedy, the second half would have been better than the first hour. 

John Kokken plays a negative role and he just gets by. The caricaturish presentation is supremely bad. Manju Warrier and Bagavathi Perumal fit the bill in tense scenes. GM Sundar is good. The actor who played a senior TV journalist gets to drop some home truths. 

The unnecessary dialogue against the commando operation without the consent of the "Andhra Pradesh police" smacks of political messaging with zero relevance to the Telugu consciousness. One wonders why Tamil films have this urge to make a statement against supposed overreach by the Centre or Hindi imposition. At least security issues must be left out of ideological propaganda. 

Ghibran's music could have been less loud. Nirav Shah's cinematography is good, while the production design leaves much to be desired. The bank looks realistic but the design outside it is artificial. 

Ajith's commanding performance reaches towering heights as the film progresses. His swag is lovely. The 'Viswasam' actor makes us root for his mission with sincerity. Telugu actor Ajay gets to play a relatively well-written part. 

Verdict:

'Tegimpu' is far from a perfect heist action drama. Better staging and choreography of action would have gone a long way. The writing is also average. Ajith is the saving grace.