Thana Serntha Kootam : Enjoy the IT raid

TSK is certainly Vignesh Shivan's litmus test put to test, after the grandly successful Naanum Rowdy Than, all eyes were on him as he teamed up with Suriya. TSK is not exactly a scene by scene remake of Akshay Kumar - Anupan Kher duo's Special26 that itself was inspired by the Opera house heist that shook the government in the 80s. Vignesh Shivan has tweaked the story line to some extent by adding South Indian masala flavors to yet again give a clean commercial entertainer for this festive season.

Vignesh Shivan's strength lies in his light hearted story telling that keeps a regular tab on guaranteed laughs. With IT raids looming across India, the director could not have picked a better subject. Instead of treating it with seriousness, he drafts a screenplay that is fun filled at the same time engaging enough. Suriya is a CBI aspirant, his ambition to become an Intelligent officer is twofold; one to fulfil his father’s dream and the other to put an end to corruption in employment. But fate has other plans for him and all he gets is insult, rejection and what not for a perfect flashback. Given the political, corrupt unrest in Tamil Nadu, Vignesh Shivan has made use of the situation to choke in some motivational dialogues including taking a dig at Sasikala, such moments are director’s special, give him a pat someone!

It's not until you see 1987 cards on the screen you realize the film is set in the 80s, somehow Suriya’s costumes don’t look retro but everything else has been visualized to keep a check on the period. With an unusual team of five likeminded friends, Suriya the acting IT officer continues to raid the rich, corrupt and powerful right under the nose of "real" CBI officers. With a solid plot, Vignesh Shivan shuttles between little family sentiments too. His relationship with his father – Thambi Ramiah is sensitive yet satisfying, the short yet provoking friendship with Kalaiyarasan is also kept on an emotional note. The plot chugs quickly towards a one last heist after which the gang decide to call it quits, do they make it or get caught red handed by the special team headed by Karthik forms the rest of the story.

TSK has large stellar cast, it's however Ramya Krishnan, Nanda and Suresh Chandra Menon who make a definitive mark. While it's a delight to watch Ramya Krishnan, the rest of the cast - Sathyan, Nanda, Senthil too make their mark. Karthik is cast as a ruthless senior police officer, somehow his role is rather underutilized and does justice to what he could in the brief timeline. Vignesh Shivan is known to deal love remarkably well, especially his lead heroines have been the core of his previous movies; however TSK chokes on love portions. Keerthy Suresh's retro image is brilliant, the make-up is remarkable and is almost like she has run away from the sets of her period flick "Mahanati" based on yester year actress Savithri, however her role in TSK is limited. RJ Balaji’s extended cameo in the climax is sure to bring the roof down. Playing a strict police officer is a piece of cake for Suriya, only this time he has to dream of playing an IT officer. Being a honest officer is one thing and trying to be is another, Suriya presents himself rather well as the fake utthaman, a role he can be proud of. Its good break for the actor who has been donning serious roles for a while.

There are some low lying areas in TSK, sometimes trying to drag the screenplay with unnecessary love portions and out of place heroism, but walking into a big hero's movie we know what to expect. The big plus of TSK certainly is the never go serious attitude, just when you think the scene is about to get teary eyed, VS springs in a light hearted joke which reminds us that cinema is all about entertainment. Anirudh's tight BGM during the raids and Dinesh’s work behind the lens cater the color quotient good enough. While the songs hinder the pace of the film, they have been made vibrantly enjoyable.

If you had watched Neeraj's Special26, you might find TSK a little exaggerated and off the track in parts. If not, TSK would surely get your funny bone tickling and get you hooked with smiles to the end.

Verdict :TSK is yet another feather in the cap moment for Vignesh Shivan. The timing of the movie could not have been better with IT raids becoming a routine in TN, a light hearted take on the raids makes the film an enjoyable watch.