Superstar Rajinikanth and superstar Amitabh Bachchan come face to face in a Tamil film which has all the makings of a whistle podu entertainer. This is what film lovers dream of, and the most obvious USP of director TJ Gnanavel’s Vettaiyaan is the coming together of these two cinematic giants. But the real story of Vettaiyan is more complex than just the Rajini vs Bachchan appeal. This police procedural of the film is actually a social drama in the guise of a Rajini vehicle. It has complete Thalaivaa packaging, replete with the catchy opening sequence, slo-mo fight sequence, Rajini’s ‘wow’ moments with the sunglasses look, etc. But, at its core, Vettaiyan is a social commentary on two very important aspects of modern society – educational scams and human rights. The Rajini vs Bachchan face-off is just a marketing gimmick. But once you sit in a chair inside the theater, the payoff isn’t bad at all.
Rajinikanth’s Athiyan is a super cop and encounter specialist. His brand of policing is very popular and even his superiors, the media and the government enjoy his quick, bullet-driven justice process. Amitabh Bachchan’s Satyadev on the other hand is a conservative jurist, a retired judge and a human rights lawyer, who openly criticizes Athiyan’s reckless methods. Both men are on the same side of the law, but when it comes to personal morality they are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Athiyan is flamboyant while Satya is conservative. There is tremendous tension between them and it makes for a wonderful setup for the two superstars to face each other on screen. But sadly, Vettaiyan doesn’t offer too many Rajini vs Bachchan scenes. Instead, Sathya starts off as a strong adversary of Athiyaan, but after 2 to 3 fights, both men unite to get justice in a rape/murder case involving Athiyaan’s acquaintance Saranya (Dashara Vijayan) .
I wish TJ Gyanvel had devoted more screen time and scenes to the Rajini-Bachchan clash. It would have been a much more rewarding experience for the fans. Instead, Gnanavel and B Kiruthika’s screenplay focuses more on the police procedural, where good cops, bad cops, bad guys and dirty businessmen solve a case involving rape, murder and corruption. There’s no doubt that it makes for some compelling entertainment. But it’s not as gratifying as the lost possibility of seeing Rajinikanth and Amitabh Bachchan in a Shakti or Vikram Vedha-style drama. This does not happen in Vettaiyan. What happens instead is that a third, younger actor comes into the limelight.
And it’s a testament to Fahadh Faasil’s acting talent, that in a film starring great actors like Rajinikanth and Amitabh Bachchan, he walks away with hosannas. Fahadh’s role as a street smart, hustler named Patrick is pure cinema gold. Fahadh’s performance is impeccable and refreshing. His chemistry with Ritika Singh and his sidekick style friendship with Rajnikanth is pure gold. While Rajinikanth and Amitabh Bachchan excel in dramatic and action sequences, Fahadh steals the spotlight in comedy.
Vettaiyan has its fair share of problems. The Rajini-ism – slo-mo sequences and insistence on paisa fake dialogue delivery entertains, but it also dilutes the impact of a very relatable story. It is not right to kill a human being on the basis of bias and prejudice. Public acceptance of vigilante justice is not good. It is also not right to put pressure on children to study hard and get good marks and a great career. These are the broad strokes of Vettaiyan’s theme and these messages really come across strongly throughout the film. But the plethora of fight sequences and stand-and-deliver dialogues don’t always gel with the ‘core spirit’ of the film.
Despite its flaws, Vettaiyan is a solid entertainer. It has great music by Anirudh Ravichander and an equally good background score. The cinematography and editing aren’t great, but then Rajini’s bravery and Amitabh Bachchan’s intense court-room monologue saves the day. The audience gets a share of the Rajini magic and Bachchan intensity and it is worth the price of the admission ticket. This is old-fashioned entertainment at its best.