MERSAL-Review

Produced by –Thenandal Studio Limited

Written and Directed by Atlee

Cast-Vijay (in a triple role), Nithya Menen, Kaja Agarwal,Samantha Ruth, Sathyaraj, S.J.Surya, Vadivelu, Yogi Babu, Kovai Sarala, Haresh Paredi etc

Censor Rating-U/A

Running Time-170 minutes

Rating-***

One of the most awaited movies of the times, ‘Mersal’ showcases Vijay in a triple role as seen never before with three heroines to keep him company! Nithya Menen, Kajal Agarwal and Samantha Ruth! It is only reasonable to notify that all the three leading ladies have been given their due share of romantic fun with the lead star and none of them can complaint in that count!

S.J.Surya who had directed Vijay in ‘Kushi’ (Jyothika was the heroine!) soon after his debut film, ‘Vaali’, plays the baddie here punctuating his performance with a style statement each time he appears! He looks fit as the middle aged doctor cum business man in the contemporary scenes but his hair side-locks and wardrobe aren’t that impressive in the flashback scenes involving Vijay, the father of the lads looking alike!

Of the three damsels, Nithya is more daring in performance appearing wholesomely dedicated to the character! But her Punjabi roots do not exactly jell well! Kajal Agarwal has not much of a scope but she looks fetching in those segments shot abroad. Samantha does nothing much but to look sweet and smile sheepishly!

Vadivelu has attempted a comeback as the trusted aid of the heroes (with both the Vijays!) but fails to generate the much needed momentum! For that matter, Yogi Babu is much more impressive just making a two scene appearance!

Atlee, K.V. Vijayendra Prasad and Ramana Girivasan have teamed up as the story board to pen the screenplay. But does it show the efforts? It does to a reasonable extent! Most of the time, the narration and the dialogue appear to have conceived and crafted to boast up the image and star value of the actor. While it passes off most of the time, it does look contrived at places!

Sample this for a taste of it-Vijay, a world famous doctor goes abroad to receive a honor, clad in traditional dhothi and shirt much to the suspicion of the airport officials while he even delivers a sermon that he prefers to keep up his traditional values, dress-wise too, he is seen going about in normal costumes while in his motherland! Maybe, the upholding of traditions will be applicable only while going out of the country!

The theme of the film is worth deliberating as it discusses a burning, contemporary issue of the commercialization of medical profession, a normal delivery turned into delivery through surgery, ambulance drivers getting linked up with hospital brokers who take a cut from the hospitals, so on and so forth!

The film also makes a statement about medical services made free to the needy; it also takes a dig at GST and its applicability!

The screenplay has enough and more scenes to uplift the image of the lead actor-there is a scene where they show an old theatre playing an M.G.R. film (Uzhaikkum Karangal) while Vijay walks about inside the theatre as M.G.R. walks about on the screen!

A couple of well known people from medical profession are either kidnapped or murdered under mysterious circumstances and the investigating officer, Rathnavel (Sathyaraj, unusually, not too impressive as he gets overshadowed by the antics of the hero while the investigations are on!) starts making his moves! The suspect leaves a clue he could be a doctor as well as magician!

We are then introduced to Dr. Maran (Vijay) who is a medical-miracle man charging only Rs. 5 to cure any disease under the sun!

Then we come across Vetri (Vijay again!) who is a magician having learnt the tricks of the trade from the man(Sangili Murugan) who saved him as a child declared dead, brought him up and taught him magic!

Only at the interval block does the director decide to show both the Vijays! These portions have been planned and executed well keeping in mind the pulse of the fans!

Post-interval, we get to meet the biological father of the two (Vijay for a third time!) who is a social crusader, also a wrestler, all in a lengthy flashback, yet again! He falls for the trap laid by Daniel Arokiaraj (S.J.Suryah), a scheming doctor who looks at the profession to generate money! The couple (Vijay and Nithya Menen) dies in due course and Daniel, in course of time expands his operations, the reference here does not pertain to the medical angle!

Cut to the present, Vetri and Maran join hands to settle scores with Daniel.

Unlike in Kaththi were one Vijay was shown to be timid not knowing how to fight, here, both the Vijays fight! Vijay, the ‘doctor’ asks Vijay the ‘magician’-Do you think that a doctor cannot fight!

In all, the film has all the trappings of a workable commercial potboiler, a film that the hard core fans of the star will lap up with both the hands!

A Diwali bonanza for the fans!