By Our Staff Correspondent / Film Critic
Ranikanth’s latest offering to Indian Cinema, “Jailer” was released yesterday the 10th of August 2023 to an all India audience. The movie was also simultaneously released at Kumily and is currently running to jam packed audiences.
If bloodbaths by the dinner table aren’t a common occurrence in your home, you’re in for a bloody awakening with the new Superstar starrer, Jailer. Director, Nelson Dilipkumar’s latest black comedy is an action-packed thrill ride with a star-studded cast that is successful in catering to the whims of a pan-India audience, for the most part.
What begins as the tale of a patient grandpa and a bratty grandchild, moonlighting as a youtuber with a grand 96-subscriber-count, soon turns into the story of a man on the hunt for justice.
Rajinikanth as Muthuvel Pandian is a retired jailer who devotes his time to happily polishing his son Arjun’s (Vasanth Ravi) shoes, running the occasional errand, and begrudgingly trying his hand as an amateur videographer.
In the film, Ramya Krishnan is a dedicated housewife and homebody named Vijaya. One would imagine Neelambari finally being able to experience her happy ending with her long-awaited beau in the story’s initial setting, but her screen time and character progression are unfortunately sidelined to make way for more important things; such as hammers and no happy endings.
Vasanth Ravi plays the role of a supposedly honest Assistant Commissioner of Police, tailing a mafia gang, in the business of smuggling expensive temple sculptures. When the Jailer’s son Arjun digs his heels into the dirt, he goes missing, and all hell breaks loose; quite literally.
What follows is a revenge plot turned on its head; alongside scattered pieces of dark humor, headless men, and a whole lot of guns.
Filled to the brim, with all the trappings of a commercial hit, Jailer picks up pace in the second half, taking its sweet time to establish the core storyline.
Varma (Vinayakan), the movie’s prime villain, makes a compelling case for his presence as a striking antagonist.
The magnificent Mohanlal, Shiva Rajkumar, Tamannaah Bhatia, Jackie Shroff, and Mirna Menon are small yet vital puzzle pieces of the iconic big picture that is Jailer.
Yogi Babu’s penchant for rephrasing classic Bharathiyar quotes and his not-so-gentle jabs add some much needed flavor to the film’s comedic realm. Anirudh Ravichander’s punchy tunes, on the other hand, efficiently underline Muthuvel’s ultimate transition from docile cat to blood-thirsty Tiger. Surrounded by his trusty group of snipers and friends in high places, Muthuvel Pandian is not merely a shadow of Rajinikanth’s Alex Pandian, but a captivating and relatively realistic 21st-century upgrade.
While the protagonist’s characterization is not short on its share of imperfections, Rajinikanth’s undeniable charisma and charm as a seasoned veteran are sure to win you over.
The film’s flashback has a younger Muthuvel proudly stating, “Inga na thaan kingu, naan vetchadhu thaan rules-u (I’m the king here. I make the rules).” And rightfully so. The king of Indian cinema is back and he’s not here to play, he’s out to win.
All in all Jailer is a must watch film for our Kumily audience…
