Movie: Master
Tamil: Language
Director: Lokesh Kanagaraj
Cast: Vijay, Vijay Sethupathi, Malavika Mohanan, Arjun Das
Rating: 3/5
Get ‘Rajinified’ is what Karthik Subbaraj said when he made Petta (2019) and to a large extent, the film did end the lengthy lean patch of Rajinikanth. Now like Karthik, another new-gen Tamil director Lokesh Kanagaraj is out with his version of celebrating 'Thalapathy'.
It’s heartening to see upcoming filmmakers design commercial cinema for established stars without entirely compromising on their signature touches. Master, the biggest release of the year, is unique and flaws apart, the best Vijay film in a while.
In a refreshing change, the action-thriller begins with a lengthy introduction stretch for the villain, and that sets up the story nicely. In Master, an extremely sadistic goon Bhavani (Vijay Sethupathi) exploits juvenile offenders to further enhance his frightening reputation. What happens when his illegal business is troubled by a fearless teacher (Vijay)?
The first impression of Master is that it’s a stylish interpretation of an actor who was getting repetitive (save a Bigil). Vijay has a lot of fun as professor JD with Anirudh Ravichander’s uber-cool background score and music filled with swagger offering an entertaining experience. The brisk screenplay is sprinkled with good humour and stylishly choreographed action sequences as Master chugs along without a single dull moment.
In the second half, for a brief while, the film hits hard with its realistic depiction of the poor plight of juvenile offenders. But perhaps due to the demands of a star actor’s huge market, Master, in the last hour, transforms into a star-vehicle, with plenty of references to Vijay’s previous blockbusters gamely included in many scenes. It’s not a bad ploy but when overdone, you get detached from the film.
When a film has only action to move the plot forward, it offers a tiresome experience. The content gets diluted and all you hear is the delirious screams of the fans. With a tighter screenplay and engaging drama in the second half, Master could have been a wholesome entertainer.
Lokesh does well to disturb the macho façade of Vijay. Here, there are no long monologues on changing the corrupt system from Vijay. The actor backs his stylish looks with subtle, class acting and many times as a fallen hero, Vijay feels real.
Vijay Sethupathi is unbelievable. He is an enigma yet to be cracked by critics and fans alike. It’s tough to define how, time and again, he becomes a textbook example of getting into the skin of a character. Performing in films of actors more popular than him doesn’t seem to faze him and that, perhaps, is the secret behind Sethupathi’s meteoric rise.