Sakthi Thirumagan Review - No Brainer, yet quite an Engaging Political Ride! 

Ashwin Ram

Premise: Vijay Antony is a political mediator who legally finishes a lot of illegal deals for a brokerage fee in favour of Government officials and politicians. He gets exposed after being involved in an ex-MLA’s murder case, the consequences he faces form the remaining story.

Writing/ Direction: The setting is solid with apt casting, perfect language specific dialogues and production value that showcases the canvas. The hero accomplishes something unbelievable, the director has worked with conviction to bring it on-screen. The detailing in the establishments was essential, which became information-heavy in the latter. The pacing is racy, hence the engagement factor exists in many parts. Especially the sequences that exhibit the activities of the hero are cleverly shown, the intense mood is always present despite no action. But the involvement in the subject deteriorates in the second half as it becomes over ambitious. While the first half deals with the cinematic liberty aspect within a certain boundary, it is taken for granted towards the end. Absolutely no logic, the hero is set out to achieve anything and everything across countries. The detachment expands as the film progresses, bringing a presidential candidate down and casually kidnapping one of the wealthiest persons of India, these situations lack smartness in smartness. The flashback is convincing, which adds an additional layer to the Robinhood homage. The lengthy documentation of public sufferings was randomly placed with no staging whatsoever and Vijay Antony in the monologue zone makes the final act very preachy. One thing that kept the momentum alive despite the logic issues is something cinematic is constantly happening. However, the climax is abruptly cut and a proper closure is missing.

Performances: Vijay Antony’s presence is solid, he leads the pack with sufficient mass appeal. Heroine Trupti Ravindra has portrayed her innocent character neatly, but her role was never necessary for the story in the first place, thankfully she does not consume much screen time. Vagai Chandrasekhar’s role had a good purpose in the flashback, but more depth was required for a stronger impact. Cell Murugan in a focused role with no scope for comedy and he has given his best. Many splendid casting choices, all the unknown actors in the politician roles were ideal and added a lot of value to the flow. The artist who led the case in the second half did a great job. Despite the villain being apt for his kingpin role, his role was single-dimensional and thus he ended up being underwhelming.

Technicalities: Sakthi Thirumagan is probably one of the most technically sound films from the company. Vijay Antony’s music is powerful, the songs and his score elevated the film to next level. Shelley Callist’s camera work was such a delight to watch, he has made the film a biggie with his thoughtful frames and he has presented the star superbly on screen. Raymond Derrick Crasta’s editing has helped to hide many flaws in the flow, he has packed the film with racy transitions and jump cuts that don’t disturb the visuals.

Verdict: Such a refreshing storyworld that had great potential to shine bright. Limitless logical issues overtake the cinematic liberty when the treatment becomes preachy in the second half. The racy screenplay and several gripping stretches save the day.

SAKTHI THIRUMAGAN - No Brainer, yet quite an Engaging Political Ride!