Pen is mightier than sword. It's sure. But some times against venal and violent forces, you need elements more potent than pen as combat weapon. For, pen represents the might of truth. It can be used as a battering ram, for pulverizing opponents you need good old brawn power.
Sarath, as actor and director, brings to fore both in Thalaimagan. The film is an age-old tale of good vs evil, with the former triumphing after many ordeals. This time-less tale is lifted and well padded through some adroit mix of spunky action, simple comedy and cool romance. Sarath mixes it all well and does not suffer from any pretensions of artistic exposition. There is no ambiguity in his approach.
A good, entertaining masala movie is his aim. He gives them.
The story is set around the bulwark of honest and public good institution of everest. A journalistic anachronism at a time when media houses have become mouthpieces for corporate houses. It is helmed by the fearless Ayya (Vijaykumar), it has among its ranks an intrepid scribe Dheeran (Sarath Kumar). He is no journeyman journalist. He is writer as well as a doer. When the power of the pen looks like slackening, he uses the hands that push the pen, so to say. And then there is harried colleague Erimalai (Vadivelu), who is just a step away from trouble. Meghala (Nayantra) is an enterprising intern who drives Dheeran distraction.
Dheeran runs into the evil axis of politico and police web as represented by the corrupt Minister Shanmuga Sundaram (Mukesh Tiwari) and a venal cop Alanakaram (Seema Biswas). Dheeran through his mixed ways frustrate all the evil plans of the duo. But a new water bottling plant of an MNC becomes a major confrontation issue. Dheeran goes hammer and tongs against the project, as it would be harmful to villagers. Dheeran painstakingly exposes all the chinks in the project. Shanmugasundaram has to come with a violent reprisal and he sure does and thinks he has done away with Dheeran.
Did he? But Dheeran comes back from dead as a new man with renewed force. In the two years, Shanmugha Sundaram and Alankaram had come a long way. But Dheeran, slowly but stealthily, exposes them with a cunning of a mountain fox. He exposes all their bad deeds with clinching evidence. How? Well, it all leads to an action-packed climax.
Sarath Kumar dominates the movie from the word go. He has laid himself a good platform nd delivers what is expected of him. He looks refreshed and is very agile in action sequences. Some of his dialogues will be seen through the prism of politics. The issue of water bottling plants is also a very contextual one.
Nayantra as his lover looks good and glamorous. Vadivelu does his typical comedy work.
Mukesh Tiwari oozes cool vileness while Seema Biswas brings a rare menace in khaki on screen.
The film has a good technical backdrop and Srikanth Deva's music, though over the top at places, is not a let down.
With Cheran's script, the narration flows smoothly like a newly-oiled machine.
Sarath the director has worked hard in giving voice to a burning issue. Though slightly preachy in its tone, its relevance cannot be missed.
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