‘Madraskaaran’ movie review: Shane Nigam and Kalaiyarasan headline an outdated action drama

A still from ‘Madraskaaran’ 
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

One of the oldest tricks in the cinematic book of twists is introducing car accidents. Tamil cinema’s tryst with it has been a long-standing one. Just a small flip through the memory reminds me of films like Kushi, Kovil, Manmadan Ambu and even recent flicks like Star and Thiruchitrambalam. When it results in impending tragedy for our protagonist or those affiliated with them, most films leave us wishing that fateful day never happened. While the conflict in Shane Nigam’s Tamil debut Madraskaaran also happens to be the same, given the number of times it happens, it’s also the first time one might probably feel that the protagonist should never be allowed to take the wheel and his driving license immediately cancelled.

In Madraskaaran, Shane plays Sathya and as the title suggests, he is a Chennaite who returns to his home town Pudhukottai for his marriage. As part of a family that struggled its way to the top, it’s his wish to marry in front of the town that saw their growth and in the presence of his extended family. Trouble comes knocking his way when — instead of paying heed to the advice of elders — Sathya goes for a spin and a minor fender-bender with Durai Singam (Kalaiyarasan) balloons into a full-fledged ego clash that does not see an immediate resolution. Just a few hours later, abiding by his fiancé Meera’s wish to meet him once before their wedding the next day, Sathya sneaks out again and this time, he bumps into Kalyani (Aishwarya Dutta), a pregnant woman, and rightfully earns the wrath of the locals. If you haven’t figured it out already, Kalyani is Singam’s wife and after years of marriage, she’s carrying their first child. Sathya’s reckless driving lands him in a soup and it’s up to him to find out what transpired while carrying the guilt of causing havoc to a couple’s life.

Madraskaaran is one of those classic cases where the story might sound fascinating on paper and with prudent making, can make for a decent action drama. But it’s the making in which the film falters the most and with very little support, it comes down crumbling soon after. In a bid to get to the crux of the story, we have to go through two back-to-back songs with one of them being a remix of the classic ‘Kaadhal Sadugudu’ (Why?) and hear Sathya tell the girl he’s getting married to his backstory because that’s apparently the only way we know why the ‘Madraskaaran’ is not in… Madras. It’s these writing choices that weigh down Madraskaaran’s otherwise decent plot.

Once we get past the character introductions and the dreadful accident, the film shifts to top gear as the lead characters face the repercussions. This is also where the film lets go of its secondary cast including its female lead who completely disappears. When a new character reveals to Sathya a revelation that can release him of his guilt, Sathya goes back to his hometown to right the wrongs and at the fag end of the film we are introduced to newer twists and characters who double as a decoy and add very little to the overall happenings. What could have been an Ayyappanum Koshiyum-esque ego standoff between two men from different walks of life is reduced to a mediocre outing.

A still from ‘Madraskaaran’ 
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Shane Nigam, with films like Kumbalangi Nights, Parava and Bhoothakaalam under his belt, has very little to work with in his role of Sathya, a knobbily-written character. Despite doing his best to translate the pain and angst of a man whose life goes for a toss, his sudden ego-fuelled jolts and spurts of heroism feel inorganic and his Malayalam accent does not help much either. By now, to say that Kalaiyarasan finally stars in a film where his character does not meet a fatal end is aiming for low-hanging fruit, but the climax “twist” that undoes the carefully etched character arc throughout the film’s runtime proves to be the final nail. The women of Madraskaaran, despite being the pivotal forces behind the events, are reduced to secondary characters owing to shoddy writing. With Niharika’s Meera disappearing halfway through the film, I was almost certain Aishwarya’s Kalyani is a character that cannot speak only to be proved wrong well into the halfway mark of the film.

You do see slivers of thoughtfulness peeking their way through and the able supporting cast, especially Karunas, give their best. But convenient writing coupled with plot-holes the size of the eponymous city plays havoc with Madraskaaran along with a lack of emotional connection. Madraskaaran opts for momentary gains and when it unravels its knots, the reveal does not land with the intended impact. On the whole, Shane Nigam and Kalaiyarasan do their best to steer this action drama towards victory, but the contrived writing that results in convenient and predictable revelations makes Madraskaaran drive right into a wall.

Madraskaaran is currently running in theatres