Maharaja is a 2024 Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by Nithilan Saminathan which is dubbed into Telugu with the same title. The film has Vijay Sethupathi playing the lead role while Anurag Kashyap, Mamta Mohandas, Natty, Abhirami, Divya Bharathi, Sachana Namidass, Bharathiraja, Vinod Sagar, Aruldoss, Singampuli, Munishkanth, Vinoth Sagar, Boys Manikandan, Kalki, Sachana Namidass, & others are seen in important supporting roles. The music is composed by B. Ajaneesh Loknath and the film is produced by Sudhan Sundaram & Jagadish P under Passion Studios, The Route & Think Studios banners.
Story:
Maharaja (Vijay Sethupathi) is a small-time barber who leads a normal life with his daughter (Sachana Namidass) after losing his wife (Divya Bharathi) in an accident. One day, he files a missing complaint after his home is burglarized, cryptically telling police his “Lakshmi” has been taken, leaving them uncertain if it’s a person or object. This mystery leaves the police confused and curious. What or who is this Lakshmi? How is it related to Maharaja’s life? Needs to be seen in the film.
What about on-screen performances?
Vijay Sethupathi is wonderful in his 50th film and literally shoulders the film as a single father who is desperate to get back something important for him. He doesn’t come across as a typical mass hero here but also has a relatable character with relatable emotions. This is surely a strong comeback for him as a solo hero.
Anurag Kashyap is a surprise package in the film and does an amazing job with his performance. He is especially good towards the end and fits in perfectly as the menacing robber.
Natarajan Subramanian aka Natty, who is usually seen in the typical corrupted cop roles, gets a superb positive cop role in this film with a banger of a twist in the second half which is one of the biggest highlights of the film.
Special mention to Sachana Namidass who plays the hero’s daughter. She does a very good job in her key role.
Divya Bharathi is neat in her little cameo as the hero’s wife while Abhirami leaves a fine mark with her emotional act as the villain’s wife.
Singampuli is also given a contrasting role which one will definitely hate and he does a decent job with it.
Aruldoss, Bharathiraja, Munishkanth, and Mamta Mohandas only appear in a few scenes but they have their moments while Vinod Sagar, Boys Manikandan, Kalki & others are fine in their parts.
What about off-screen talents?
The story by Nithilan Saminathan had an interesting core idea that deals with a very sensitive topic along with a fun-filled Lakshmi track. The plot more or less looks like a visual puzzle to mislead the audience and when everything falls in order, the story is a regular revenge drama.
The screenplay is good in parts. There are parallel tracks that are narrated and there is a back-and-forth narrative also happening which is used smartly. The writers tried to bring in all the things needed for an action drama around that core idea and make it look like a well-structured film. The purpose of all this is to deliberately surprise the audience at every key juncture of the narrative and they fairly succeed in it, especially the twist related to the cops and the climax twist are well thought out.
Director Nithilan Saminathan does an excellent job with his presentation. The way he extracts performances from all his cast is also appreciable. Also, he prepares the audience for the twists and turns by placing the necessary cues at important junctures in the film. What is laudable about the director’s work is that his brilliance is not self-indulgent; it only helps the film establish high moments whenever required. The scene where Sethupathi holds the iron rod and breaks the ceiling in the school Principal’s room is one such good example that elevates the heroism.
The Telugu dialogues by Vasanth are well written and the Telugu dubbing is also neatly done.
There aren’t any songs in the film although the ‘Thaaye Thaaye’ song seems to be edited out. But the background score by B. Ajaneesh Loknath stands out and lifts the film whenever required.
The cinematography by Dinesh Purushothaman is superb. He sets the mood of the film right with perfect lighting and good framing.
The edit by Philomin Raj is on point in the first half but it should have been more crisper in the latter half, especially in the climax portions.
The production values of Passion Studios, The Route & Think Studios are top-notch.
What’s Hot?
* Vijay Sethupathi’s Intense Performance
* Anurag Kashyap’s Performance
* Sachana Namidass’s Performance
* Funny Track Involving Lakshmi & The Cops
* Intense & Emotional Second Half
* Pre-Climax Twist Of The Cops & Climax Twist
* Cinematography & Background Score
* Direction & Production Values
What’s Not?
* Few Flat Scenes In Middle Portions
* Dragged Out Climax Sequence
* Too Much Gore At Places
* The Villain Characterizations
Verdict: Overall, Maharaja is an intense action drama with superb performances, good entertainment in the first half, deep emotions in the latter half, and a shocking climax twist. Apart from the few flat scenes in middle portions it is a perfect 50th film for an actor like Vijay Sethupathi where he gets to take his acting prowess a notch higher.
Telugubulletin.com Rating: 2.75/5