'Vidudhala Part 1' was released in theatres today. It is the dubbed version of the Tamil movie 'Viduthalai'.

Plot:

The story is set in 1987. Kumaresan (Soori) is a newly-recruited police constable who is posted as a driver in a life-threatening forest area.  He gets the post due to his hill-driving prowess. Once on the job, he is forced to do menial by his boss (Chethan). Kumaresan falls out with his boss after he saves the life of an old woman, whose granddaughter Tamilasaran (Bhavani Sre) strikes a friendship with him that turns to love.

Perumal (Vijay Sethupathi), the leader of a Naxalite group named Praja Dalam, is rebelling against the government's plan to set up a mining operation in the forest area. A special task force is formed to nab him.

Kumaresan becomes the only one to see Perumal's face. This eventually puts him on a collision path with the system. The actual story of this collision will be narrated in the second part of the film, to be released in theatres later this year.

Analysis:

Director Vetri Maaran's 'Visaranai' was a spine-chilling and moving depiction. 'Vidudhala' goes a step further to make the audience feel for its characters. Police brutality makes a comeback, this time in a different avatar and with greater ferocity. Despite pacing issues, the new dubbed film in the town gets its beats and sensibilities right.

Soori's long mountain climb is an episode that has been constantly praised in Tamil. It works like a charm in the Telugu version as well. What works best for the film is the intensity and detailing that goes into every scene. The dig at sensationalizing any random encounter death is another area where the film works well. The first 15 minutes of the film has been touted to give the audience a bang for the buck.

The romance between Soori and Bhavani Sre goes to lengths to impress the audience even in the second half. The romantic track needed to overstay its welcome to let the audience understand that rebellion and state overreach have also overstayed their welcome.

Maestro Ilaiyaraaja's background score is reminiscent of his old style. But the old-school BGM might not impress everyone. Velraj's cinematography is enigmatic. The film gets its authenticity and intensity right despite the problematic political angle at times.

Soori's performance enhances the innocent charm of the film. The best of Vijay Sethupathi will be coming in the second part. For now, we have to make do with an effective epilogue. Bhavani Sre's character is another appealing one. She is subtle in her expressions of love while her emotional outburst when losing a dear one is very touching. Gautham Menon as the DSP gets to do some really no-frills and no-nonsense cop act. His presence in several scenes doesn't sideline the main story even though he gets to be a game-changing cop. Chethan as the sadistic cop and the rest of the cast have performed neatly.

Verdict:

'Vidudhala' is a moving tale with adrenaline-pumping moments.