Review: Mandaadi
Film: Mandaadi
Writer & Director: Mathimaran Pugazhendhi
Cast:Soori, Suhas, Mahima Nambiar, Sathyaraj, Mithun Jai Sankar, Ravindravjay, Bala Saravanan, Stun Siva & Others.
Music Director: GV Prakash Kumar
Producer: Elred Kumar
Cinematographer: S R Kathir ISC
Editor: Pradeep E Ragav
Stunt Directors: Peter Hein, Dhilip Subbarayan, Mahesh Mathew
Rating: 3.5 stars
Synopsis:
Muthukaali (Soori) works as a life guard in a popular amusement park in Chennai. One day, he gets a visitor called Maari (Mithun Jai Shankar), a hot-blooded youngster who has fled from his native place after having a fight with Saata Puli (Suhas), a powerful big wig who owns a popular sailboat racing team in his native place of Mugavai Pattinam.
The fight between Maari and Saata Puli is over whose team will represent the village of Mugavai Pattinam in the sailing competition that is to happen there. While Saata Puli’s team comprises of outsiders, Maari’s team comprises of boys in his village.
The fight turns acrimonious to the point that Saata Puli is now looking to finish off the youngster. It does not take long for Saata Puli’s men to find the place to which Maari has fled. He sends assassins to kill the youngster but Muthukaali saves the boy. When he realises that Saata Puli will kill the boy no matter where he flees to, he decides to accompany the boy back to his own village. When negotiations with Saata Puli in the presence of the village elders don’t work out and a dispute arises as to whose team will represent the village, Muthukaali says he will train the locals and make them win the race. Saata Puli agrees to this suggestion but with conditions. He says that if Muthukaali’s team loses the race, they will not only forfeit the right to represent the village but will also have to give up racing. The race turns into a battle for redemption, justice, lost honour, and the future of the village…
Analysis:
Director Mathimaran Pughazhendhi deserves full marks for attempting to narrate a story based on a waterbased sport. This is a genre that has seldom been explored in Tamil cinema and one can see why it is so. Making a film on sailing is no easy task as a considerable number of sequences in the film have been shot at sea. It is evident from the scenes in the film that the actors, who have portrayed the characters on screen, have not just put in great physical effort to play their parts but have also shown great mental fortitude.
Mathimaran must also get credit for adopting a direct approach while narrating the story. He does not beat around the bush and gets straight to the point. There are no lengthy romantic sequences nor are there lengthy dialogues that appear to be preachy. Brevity is the name of the game and Mathimaran seems to have realised it.
Soori and Suhas — who play the parts of the protagonist and the antagonist — deserve to be richly complimented, simply for the efforts they have put in to portray their characters. While Soori scores handsomely in the racing sequences, which are quite thrilling, Suhas scores in the action sequences. Both actors seem to own their respective characters and effortlessly slip into the skins of their characters. Their convincing performances lend credibility to the plot, making the film that much more engaging.
However, it is Mahima Nambiar as Angel who steals the limelight. She might not appear in every scene but whenever she does, she changes the course of the plot. Mahima owns the screen, lighting up the space with her brilliance. The young actress shows why she is considered a powerhouse performer by easily playing the difficult character of Angel, a married and mature woman who has a grown up son, who is quick to jump to wrong conclusions.
The four of them — Mahima, Soori, Suhas and Mithun Jai Shankar — make Mandaadi an engrossing watch.
On the technical front, cinematographer Kathir’s work is outstanding. In particular, the racing sequences at sea deserve special mention.
In all, Mandaadi is a good sports action drama that is worth a watch.
