The film can’t decide whether to be a hero-oriented action drama or an ensemble comedy. The latter portions work far better than the former. The rest of the review contains spoilers.
In 2012, there was a news item that Madha Gaja Raja (MGR) would be a Pongal release the following year. This information has finally come true. MGR is a Pongal release – only, it’s 12 years later. And this makes for some genuinely strange moments. For instance, Anjali is a glam heroine here. Now, in this year’s other Pongal release, Game Changer, she has been promoted to mother. What a reminder that time flies! But for us viewers, the delay is a not-bad thing. Had MGR been released right back then, it would have been yet another Sundar C entertainer, with yet another Santhanam comedy track harnessed to yet another generic hero-versus-villain story. But now, these “harmless, passable entertainers” have become rare. Stomach-churning violence is the norm. Issue-based cinema is the norm. Gigantic star vehicles with barely any space for comedy are the norm. Heck, what does it say when we haven’t had a breakout comedy star since Yogi Babu became one?
Sundar C himself has moved on. He now gives us the Aranmanai films. Action was, well, an action movie. Vanthaa Rajavathaan Varuven and Coffee with Kaadhal couldn’t decide whether they wanted to be comedies or drama. With all this, MGR feels like a kinda-sorta return to form. The first (and better) half puts together Vishal, Santhanam, Nithin Sathya, and Sadagoppan Ramesh as four friends who reunite at a former teacher’s house. The screenplay is super-clean. We first learn about the problems faced by the Vishal and Santhanam characters, and then we get to know about the problems faced by the other two, which leads to the interval point and then the second half. From the time we see his head bowed down, Santhanam is in crackling form. Seen today, a lot of the objectification and mother-in-law bashing is going to feel off, but the one-liners and the dialogue delivery work big-time.
This is the kind of movie where there’s an additional heroine, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, just because… the hero can open a soda bottle and the marble can fall into her blouse. In Dhool fashion, Anjali is meant to be the homely type, while Varalaxmi’s character is the hottie, introduced in a scene that has her in short shorts and a skimpy top. Naturally, for no reason, both of them fall for the hero – but this is also the kind of film where nothing is supposed to make sense. As much as I laughed at Santhanam’s comedy, I laughed even more when the hero catches the heroine’s hip in the middle of a fight scene and we get some romantic “la la la la” music. Oh man, those days! And then the villain, played by Sonu Sood, is introduced, and the film takes an unfortunate U-turn.
The first half is an ensemble comedy. The second half turns into an action drama, with a series of uninspired hero-versus-villain scenes. When Manivannan showed up, I thought he would introduce some much-needed laughs, but he gets stranded in a semi-serious role that has him make a sacrifice. Much later, we even get scenes with communal riots. Luckily, after a while, Santhanam returns and Manobala turns up with some slapstick as a corpse. Amidst the generic action drama, the comedy saves the day. Throughout MGR, I had this question: “Why didn’t they ditch the action and make this an all-out comedy?” That, probably, had to do with Vishal’s image. The climax has him showing off his six-pack abs. I am sure he worked his butt off at the gym, but seen today, the film stands out as a showcase for Santhanam, when he was at the top. He is MGR’s real hero. Truly, absence makes the heart grow fonder.
