Maaveeran movie review: Sivakarthikeyan-starrer is a cracker of a comedy that revels in orderly chaos

Director: Madonne Ashwin

Cast: Sivakarthikeyan, Vijay Sethupathi, Aditi Shankar, Saritha, Yogi Babu, Mysskin

Language: Tamil

“He will win who knows when to fight, and when not to fight,” said Sun Tzu, and in Sivakarthikeyan-starrer, the lead character Sathya’s journey is wholly about understanding this. In fact, this becomes the crux of the film, for Sathya is not a courageous man. He is not the one that legends are written about, and neither is he your stereotypical hero. The only space where Sathya excels in is at his work as a cartoonist. Initially, even that is behind a mask. So, as the film progresses, Sathya’s character is revealed layer by layer. He is not a plain cowardly man who refuses to fight the system. He understands the consequences of stepping forward to be a part of such fight, or even of leading one.

He cites the example of his father, who passed away during one such fights. He is aware of his shortcomings and like the majority of people in a society, he believes that ‘adjustment’ is the key to being safe and content in life. So when his mother rolls up her sleeves — or rather ties up her hair in a bun — ready for a fight, Sathya is the person who tries to mediate for peace. She calls for blood, he seeks understanding. She stands upright, strong in her principles and belief system. He doesn’t care for any of it as long as he doesn’t have to confront the system, or the man who holds power in the said system. It must be noted that Saritha as Sathya’s mother is one of the only female characters to impress. Aditi Shankar as Sathya’s colleague-slash-love interest is no more than a plot device. This also happened to be one of the only ways in which the film hit a false note for me.

Now, coming back to Maaveeran, or Sathya here, what happens when a situation beyond his control forces him to seek justice? What will he do when his own family member is mistreated, to an extent where seeking understanding or peace stands no chance? Will he cower and take the coward’s route? Obviously not, because that wouldn’t make for a good film now, would it?

Yet, he doesn’t turn brave overnight to put up a courageous fight either. He seeks understanding from a fictional world that he had always escaped into. He seeks support, understanding and even help from the lead character that he had been drawing in his cartoons. This is the gateway to all that is paranormal about the film, and it is ironic that it is through fiction and fantasy that the film also manages to squeeze in a hit of reality.

Now, Sathya is like the majority of people. Ones who prioritise their family over the well-being of the society, ones who prefer to live in a bubble than understand the perils of ignorance, ones who escape into the world of fiction and fantasy when things get really hard. His call for help is perfectly understandable, and the depiction of this is possibly one of the best high points in the film too. It is dramatic, seeks attention but also doesn’t overdo in terms of establishing the conflict. The visuals, the editing and music come together as if like a perfect symphony in this scene. In fact, the film is technically brilliant, especially the background score that is a living, breathing character on screen.

Sathya’s call for help is answered in the most brilliant manner. It is refreshing to see this twist, and it is refreshing to see the role Vijay Sethupathi has played in the film. As much as Sivakarthikeyan steals the show, the rapport between Sathya and the fictional man only he can hear adds buckets of wholesomeness to the film. There is comedy, frustration, heartbreak and grief in this relationship that people closest to him write-off as a mental disorder. He does get it checked by psychiatrist, only to understand that something beyond human understanding is happening in his life.

Director Madonne Ashwin has taken a simple story of a man finding courage during dark times and made it into a comedy that left the theatre echoing rousing cheers and loud laughter. The pace of the film, the comedy that is interwoven seamlessly, the seeming spontaneity of it all is one of the main reasons why the film works in a huge part. This in addition to the performance of Sivakarthikeyan, Yogi Baba, Saritha and Mysskin leaves no stone unturned in keeping us entertained. Sathya evolved during his journey. He understood that standing by as he watched injustice being meted about people would serve no one, especially not him. He understood that sometimes, fighting back is the key to a content life. He understood that a fight requires sacrifices, ones that he shouldn’t fear, but embrace for the greater good. After all, as the world believes, only the brave deserve the fair.

Through Sathya’s journey, Madonne Ashwin portrays how fear is not the enemy, and it is not something to hate. In fact, fear points one to their shortcoming. So it is all about learning to handle the fear while going after what life requires of you. Be it seeking justice, following dreams, or leading a revolution.

Star rating: 3.5 (out of 5 stars)

Maaveeran is playing in cinemas