Aadukalam- A review

For the hardened Tamil cinema goer used to a cinematic experience characterized by larger than life heroes and predictable storylines, certain clichés are immutable - the hero and his associates are always righteous, the villain and his associates always evil and finally the righteous always triumphs over evil. In Aadukalam the director takes these black and white characterizations, fills them with several shades of gray and strings them together in a storyline which in spite of its innumerable twists and turns remains at its core extremely believable. The resulting cocktail keeps you riveted through the end.

The Plot

Set in the rural Madurai milieu, Aadukalam tells the story of Pettaikaran (Played by Jayabalan) the undisputed king of the rooster fight arena, and Rathnasamy (Played by Naren) a wealthy, well connected cop whose devious, determined bids to de-throne Pettaikaran are thwarted by Karuppu (Dhanush) and Durai (Kishore) who are trusted lieutenants to Pettaikaran. The movie then tells the tale of how bravado, wounded pride and intense jealousy wreck havoc on the lives of the protagonists. Interwoven in the story line is the sub plot involving a chance encounter between Karuppu and Irene (Tapasee) an Anglo Indian living in the neighborhood that blossoms (rather predictably) into a full blown poor boy – posh girl romantic relationship with soulful ballads, parental disavowal, failed suicide attempts, et al.

My Take

The biggest strength of Aadukalam is its script. The story consistently surprises with its dramatic “twist in the tale” episodes just when you thought you could foretell the proceedings. Through it all however, it remains coherent, logical and utterly believable. The script is also aided by some splendid acting by the principal protagonists and the entire supporting cast. Whether it is Pettaikaran as the master outdone by his protégé, Rathnasamy as the scheming cop resorting to shenanigans to salvage broken pride or Kishore as the fiercely loyal but easily manipulated Durai, all the actors play their characters perfectly. Ultimately however, this movie belongs to Dhanush, who in his portrayal of Karuppu brings such raw energy to the character that makes for some magical cinematic moments (sample the sequence where Karuppu dances ecstatically after Irene professes her love for him). The only gripe that one had with this movie was for its glorification of rooster fights as a sport in spite of its violence towards animals. Though the episodes involving the actual fights are CG aided, the amount of rooster blood spilt on the screen makes you squirm and wonder if you should call in the SPCA.

The Verdict:

 Aadukalam turns a placid train journey into an unpredictable roller coaster ride. It lunges and lurches, spins and turns with breakneck speed and leaves you feeling giddy at the end.