Introduction:
Vikram is a Tamil-hosted action thriller and this movie was directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and is a direct continuation of the 1986s film, Vikram. The film stars Kamal Haasan, Vijay Sethupathi, Fahadh Faasil and along with Special appearance Suriya. Made under the banner of Raaj Kamal Films International the film shares the Lokesh Cinematic Universe with Kanagaraj’s previous films.
The scenes depicted in the film revolve around the character of Vikram, a man who was once a commander of a black-op squad and who is now in the process of tracking down a series of murders regarding drug syndicates. The real-life-like story, amazing stunt scenes and the excellent acting of Kamal Haasan have left the viewers and critics wondering about Vikram.
Release Date:
Vikram has opened theatres on 3rd June 2022. Originally planned to be released several months earlier, the film was subjected to several postponements because of the virus’s spread and the presence of too many big movies worldwide. As soon as it was launched, people responded immensely to it and it rose to be one of the most successful Indian movies of 2022.
Crew:
| Role | Person(s) |
|---|---|
| Director | Lokesh Kanagaraj |
| Screenplay | Lokesh Kanagaraj, Rathna Kumar |
| Writer | Lokesh Kanagaraj, Rathna Kumar |
| Producer | Kamal Haasan, R. Mahendran |
| Editor | Philomin Raj |
| Music Director | Anirudh Ravichander |
Cast:
| Actor/Actress | Character Name |
|---|---|
| Kamal Haasan | Arun Kumar Vikram |
| Vijay Sethupathi | Sandhanam |
| Fahadh Faasil | Agent Amar |
| Arjun Das | Anbu |
| Gayathrie | Gayathri |
| Shivani Narayanan | Santhanam’s second wife |
| Karthi | Dilli |
| Jaffer Sadiq | A member of Vetti Vagaiyara |
| Maya Sundarakrishnan | Escort |
| Kalidas Jayaram | ACP Prabhanjan |
| Swathista Krishnan | Prabhanjan’s wife |
| Myna Nandhini | Santhanam’s third wife |
| Maheshwari Chanakyan | Kausalya |
| Baby Monika Siva | Amudha |
| Santhana Bharathi | Agent Uppiliappan |
| Hareesh Peradi | Stephen Raj |
| Chemban Vinod Jose | Jose |
| Harish Uthaman | Adaikalam |
| Aruldoss | Rudra Prathap |
| Elango Kumaravel | Agent Lawrence |
| Ramesh Thilak | Elango |
| G. Marimuthu | Commissioner of Police |
| Narain | Inspector Bejoy |
| Sampath Ram | Member of Vetti Vagaiyara #2 |
| Gowtham Sundararajan | Veerapandian |
| Pondy Ravi | S. Pandidurai |
| Dheena | Kamatchi |
Story:
It originated with Vikram who is a former black-ops commander wherein due to a series of brutal killings he is forced to work again. These events take him to the villain, Sandhanam (Vijay Sethupathi), the leader of a large drug syndicate. As the story unfolds Vikram gets to know that the case is much deeper than he thought it would be involving corruption, betrayal and violence.
Is not just an undisguised action movie; it is derived from justice, loyalty, and the dilemma of law enforcement. It is about Vikram who is shown as a man still dealing with the aftermath of his wrong deeds, whilst at the same time he tries to safeguard the people close to him. One cannot question the flow of the film; placing tension and action at the right dosages for the viewer’s full attention.
Review:
Vikram has been well-acclaimed by both critics and viewers. This has culminated in the production of an interesting story mounted on high production standards and backed by splendid performances hence positioning it as one of the best films that have come out of India in recent past.
Plus Points:
- Kamal Haasan’s Performance: Kamal Haasan has done a splendid justice to the title role of Vikram; the artist is talented and can easily capture the dynamics of a character. The portrayal where he is an experienced undercover police officer who is struggling to leave behind his previous lifestyle is impressive and can be easily related to.
- Strong Direction: For me, the major strength of the movie is Lokesh Kanagaraj’s direction. He manages to combine Action and drama with suspense and give a perspective that makes the brain work as the story unfolds.
- Cinematography: The movie’s cinematography was done by Girish Gangadharan and his work is commendable because it helps to set the tone of the movie. This aesthetic is in sync with the hardcore action scenes and some of the dramatic episodes too.
- Music and Background Score: The film also boasts of Melodies & rhythms of a vibrant composer Anirudh Ravichander that gives the film a better tempo by elevating the stakes. These are incorporated well into the plots of the films and this adds usually to the feel of the movies.
- Supporting Cast: This is the beauty of the film and the superb acting done by Vijay Sethupathi and Fahadh Faasil gives some more depth to the movie. Their characterizations offer a good foil to Vikram and this is where the emotional tension comes from and gives depth to the plot.
Minus Points:
- Length: Some of the viewers complained that the film was rather long lasting 174 minutes. Some episodes could have been shortened to sustain its fast-paced action-packed scenes, especially in the second part.
- Predictable Elements: The film is watchful for the audience, however, some moments can be quite predictable, particularly for those who are used to watching action movies.
- Character Development: While Vikram and the main baddies are more or less created well, there were a few more shades, more importance could have been given to them so that the movie gains a better depth as a whole.
- Pacing Issues: In terms of the movie’s tempo some episodes seem to be hastily introduced while in others the scenario lingers. This can disrupt the continuity of the story when narrative episodes are presented from one subject, but not the other.
Technical Aspects:
Vikram has very high technical standards as evidenced by numerous aspects of its production which indicate that a lot of effort was put in the technical aspect of the film. The film was made with an estimated budget of about ₹ 120 crore and therefore had the privilege of having exotic sets and perfect VFX.
- Cinematography: The cinematography is well-done with some well-choreographed movements of the camera, which complements the physical movements of the characters and also in the depiction of the feelings of the characters. It is true that through Girish Gangadharan’s work, the tone and feel of the film have been well portrayed.
- Editing: The editing by Philomin Raj is quite effective in maintaining the continuity of the movie, but some of the sequences should have been handled better to make them look more engrossing. There is relatively little problem with the smooth flow from action to drama and vice versa.
- Production Design: The production design of the film, fits perfectly with the theme of the movie to do with drug trafficking as well as the details on sets and costumes vis-à-vis the status of the characters.
Performance:
This truly is Kamal Haasan’s movie as the character Vikram is what defines the movie most of the time. The way he shows the audience the emotions he feels starting from weak aggressiveness up to the strong one is seen and appreciated. It was nice to see Vijay Sethupathi portraying the character of Sandhanam, he gave a good fight to the hero and looked equally dangerous.
Fahadh Faasil, who plays a police officer opposite Vikram, has done a fantastic job and proved the versatility of the actor. The remaining cast such as Narain and Kalidas Jayaram, provide much depth to the story line and all the actors do a good job in making the movie what it is.
MoviePopTime Review:
Vikram is an action thriller that consists of good performances from Kamal Haasan, Fahadh Faasil, and Vijay Sethupathi. What happened in the first half is intense, incorporating police murders and a black ops search. The second one has several weaknesses: it becomes slow and predictable in the second half.
Although one gets to see some good work in the action sequences these are far from being able to provide the much-needed adrenaline kick of what one gets in movies of such high stakes. Some characters do not have the depth they should… Kamal Haasan’s character seems wasted in a way… Some emotions seem forced.
All in all, Vikram bears entertainment value but the story could have been more concise and the progress more oriented. I would recommend it to people who are into action movies and those, who enjoy talented actors and actresses.
Conclusion:
Without a doubt, Vikram is that cinema that not only broke the mould of the conventional storyline but also went a long way in making action drama a good blend of concepts for Indian cinema along with the help of power-packed performances from the star casts. The film was directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj where the film has an interesting plot and brilliant production design, proving Kamal Haasan is a legend in the industry.
Even though the pace and the predictability problems might be seen by some viewers as certain movies’ major flaws, their advantages overshadow them greatly. This third instalment thus turned out to be engaging & packed with fantastic performances, and technical brilliance & hence, should not be missed by any movie enthusiasts.
The movie has created a perfect groundwork for sequels and more exposition involving the characters of this motion picture. In sum, what audiences have experienced is Vikram and the latter is well on its way to be typified as one of the influential films of the concerned period.
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