Vettaiyan movie review: Good message with mixed narrative

Movie: Vettaiyan
Judgement: 2.5/5
Banner: Lyca productions
Form: Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Fahadh Faasil, Rana Daggubati, Manju Warrier, Kishore, Ritika Singh, Dushara Vijayan, GM Sundar, Abirami, Rohini, Rao Ramesh, Ramesh Thilak, Rakshan and others
Music: Anirudh Ravichander
CAP: SR Kathir
Editor: Philomin Raj
Production designer: K. Kadhir
Stunts: Anbariv
Written and directed by: TJ Gnanavel
Release date: October 10, 2024

Rajinikanth’s collaboration with the Jai Bhim director for a pan-India project has generated a lot of interest. Moreover, the casting of Amitabh Bachchan, Fahadh Faasil and Rana Daggubati has added to the excitement. Despite minimal promotion, like all Rajinikanth films, this one has already created significant expectations.

Let’s explore its strengths and weaknesses.

Story:
The story is set in Tamil Nadu. Athiyan (Rajinikanth) is the Superintendent of Police in Kanyakumari district and an encounter specialist. Satyadev (Amitabh Bachchan) opposes the practice of encounter killings.

Athiyan takes down the Ganja mafia in the district after receiving a tip-off from Saranya (Dushara Vijayan), a teacher at a government school.

After Saranya’s rape and murder, Athiyan is determined to kill the perpetrator. When police officers (Kishore and Rithika) suspect that a technical engineer is responsible, Athiyan prepares for and carries out an encounter. However, after the operation, Athiyan and his team realize that they have killed an innocent person.

Who really killed Saranya, why did it happen and how does Athiyan try to make amends?

Artist performances:
Rajinikanth plays the role of an encounter specialist with his signature swag. His performance during the interval sequence, in which he faces a moral dilemma, is excellent.

Amitabh Bachchan’s character and presence adds depth to the story.

Fahadh Faasil plays a comic role, and it works to an extent.

Rana Daggubati is passable as the main villain, although his character is somewhat limited.

Dushara Vijayan, who plays a government teacher, leaves a strong impression.

Technical Excellence:
Recently, Anirudh Ravichander has taken on the additional responsibility of providing a strong background score for Rajinikanth’s films.

However, this film lacks the catchy songs from Jailer, and Anirudh’s background score feels rather ordinary. He also appears in one of the songs.

The cinematography and editing are well done.

Highlights:
Interesting interval block
Rajinikanth’s swag
Drama surrounding encounter murders

Disadvantage:
Weak last hour
Rana’s characterization
Becomes routine after a point

Analysis
Vettaiyan addresses two different but relevant issues: the use of police encounters and the scams perpetrated by Edutech companies.

Director TJ Gnanavel, who achieved great success with Jai Bhim, once again shows his talent by approaching a social issue in a moving way.

The film starts by portraying superstar Rajinikanth as an encounter specialist, who is hailed as a hero by the audience. Soon, Amitabh Bachchan’s character is introduced, questioning the legality of these encounters and challenging the police to evade legal proceedings.

Rajinikanth dominates the first half with his powerful performance and convinces the audience with his perspective. The break ends with an unexpected twist.

In the first half, Gnanavel seems to deliver yet another excellent film, on par with Jai Bhim. However, in an attempt to appeal to a wider audience and meet the expectations of a star-studded film, Gnanavel waters down the story in the second half.

The focus shifts to the scams involving Edutech companies. While both topics could have been a strong basis for the film, Gnanavel struggles to combine them effectively. As a result, the film becomes too simplistic, predictable and preachy towards the end.

The characterization of the main villain, played by Rana Daggubati, and the morally upright Amitabh Bachchan could have been developed further. Manju Warrier’s role feels minimal and unremarkable. The climax of the film feels rushed and Anirudh Ravichander’s music doesn’t add much value either.

Despite the director’s efforts to appeal to a large audience, the film lacks exciting moments that would normally captivate mainstream viewers.

Despite the shortcomings and a less compelling second half, Vettaiyan manages to keep the audience’s attention. It offers a reasonably well-crafted watch with a clear message: police officers should be protectors, not hunters.

In short: Reformed Hunter