In his debut directorial, Tamizh tried to implore the adverse effects of herd mentality when it is intertwined with power and a reward-based system. Though as earnest as it might sound, the script lacks the engagement that it tries to achieve, in spite of the hard work that went behind it.
Prelude
It was more than a year since the first look poster was out on the internet; my eyes literally clung to the movie because of two major reasons - its unique name - Taanakkaran - that basically means the person-in-charge of a police station, and the way Vikram Prabhu was holding the arms - It felt strong, honest, where the arms and uniform were embraced with pride. Tamizh announced himself as a no-nonsense person. It might sound dramatic but I had a gut feeling (a pretty huge one!) that this film will deliver.
Vikram Prabhu - The Taanakkaran
Despite hailing from a family with a strong film background, Vikram Prabhu had to toil his way through, just like a cadre in the Police Training Academy as showcased in this film. A feature was long due from him, which could showcase his potential, which will voice out the actor in him, and a film that is true to his nature. I think Taanakkaran answered that. Be it his physique, his voice, his expressions, they graced the film just like the outfit he adored in the first look poster.
It is so rewarding whenever an actor, especially the lead actor, strives hard to make the film viewing experience as close as possible to the audience. The performer in Vikram Prabhu made him do the squat jumps, and march on the ground with utmost sincerity with a cloud of dust surrounding him. I was surprised by the influence he had on the movie with his mere presence.
The Ordered and the Disordered
Beginning with a short prelude about what should be expected out of the movie, Tamizh made it clear that he is the real Taanakkaran - the person in charge. His intention was quite clear in showcasing how failed the police system actually is. There is this brilliant scene involving a constable, a neem tree, and a guard, that easily explains the underlying problem rooted in our society. It transcends the police force to the society we live in - we keep on doing things in an orderly manner without even knowing the reason for that. It is almost similar to what was discussed in Mahaan, with various themes of power, hierarchy, and herd mentality.
When it comes to crucial characters, the casting choices were pretty much spot on, especially Lal as Eshwaramurthy. He was what the doctor ordered for - fierce, unapologetic, cruel, and of course, the integral part of the "system". On second thought, the film resembled a spiritual twin of Writer, a 2021 Tamil crime thriller. Both these films showcased the weaker side of a community that was thought of as brave, and cruel, showing no leniency whatsoever. Both these films brought the police force much closer to society on a philosophical level, saying that they are not so different after all. Even a supposedly light-hearted scene involving a female officer, a tree, and a superior's office, says about how the "system" works.
As positive as it might sound, the honesty that was there in the intention behind Taanakkaran did not properly translate onto the script, which is reflected in the execution as well. Tamizh might have achieved the target he had in his mind, but it seemed he settled for a level than leaping for it.
With an intense story unfolding inside a closed compound, Taanakkaran required several moments that could engage the audience throughout its runtime. Though certain moments did work, especially the first ED involving Arivu (Vikram Prabhu) and Eeswara Moorthy (Lal), the script failed to cash on other occasions, which could've improved the result.
For a narration covering more than a few months of training, I was surprised that I could not feel the transition in time. Though there are several callback moments, especially the ones between the lead characters, it felt as if everything unfolded in a matter of a week or so. This in turn had an adverse effect on a feature with a runtime of 140 minutes.
The background score from Ghibran, though intense during certain moments, was overwhelming on many occasions that it overlapped the actors on screen. However, I feel it was required in order to convey the seriousness of the film, as well as its commercial viability, to a large section of the audience.
Having said that, the sound design of the film was pretty impressive. Be it the blades rustling against each other to remove every inch of hair (self-respect), the drilling environment, and the lathis earning for human contact, the sound design was brilliant in instigating the fear and a sort of creepiness into our minds. My wishes to M. R. Raja Krishnan (Sound mixing), M. Ilayaraja (Associate - Sound Production).
The Honesty
The most interesting part of the film lies in the climax, where Director Tamizh shied away from a traditional ending and depicted the nature of the system and how cruel it might seem. Adding to the answer of why Arivu wishes to be a police officer, Taanakkaran mentions a different approach to "clean" up the dirt. The extremely brief role of Bose Venkat as Inspector Mathi had a better impact in this regard than I imagined.
Taanakkaran is not a genius film for sure. But it never let down its guard of sincerity. It is so honest that it did not even try to cover its mistakes. With a film of such a magnitude, Tamizh achieved something great that many falter at the word go! Handling such a big crowd, under tough environmental conditions is not an easy joke. I should say Tamizh did his best in making Taanakkaran an earnest and honest attempt.
The movie is like a middle bench student, who strives hard to get the best mark possible. He indeed gets the best possible mark, but could not be the topper. Nevertheless, its a best for him, and we all know, he has the potential to break it through. We see the honesty behind it, an earnest attempt, despite the flaws. Just like Ruettiger in the 1993 film - Rudy.
It is not making the strong the strongest, but the importance lies in empowering the weaker, which Arivu tried to do with his batch. Though a baby step, Taanakkaran is for sure, a step ahead in quality and earnest filmmaking.
Prelude
It was more than a year since the first look poster was out on the internet; my eyes literally clung to the movie because of two major reasons - its unique name - Taanakkaran - that basically means the person-in-charge of a police station, and the way Vikram Prabhu was holding the arms - It felt strong, honest, where the arms and uniform were embraced with pride. Tamizh announced himself as a no-nonsense person. It might sound dramatic but I had a gut feeling (a pretty huge one!) that this film will deliver.
Vikram Prabhu - The Taanakkaran
Despite hailing from a family with a strong film background, Vikram Prabhu had to toil his way through, just like a cadre in the Police Training Academy as showcased in this film. A feature was long due from him, which could showcase his potential, which will voice out the actor in him, and a film that is true to his nature. I think Taanakkaran answered that. Be it his physique, his voice, his expressions, they graced the film just like the outfit he adored in the first look poster.
It is so rewarding whenever an actor, especially the lead actor, strives hard to make the film viewing experience as close as possible to the audience. The performer in Vikram Prabhu made him do the squat jumps, and march on the ground with utmost sincerity with a cloud of dust surrounding him. I was surprised by the influence he had on the movie with his mere presence.
The Ordered and the Disordered
Beginning with a short prelude about what should be expected out of the movie, Tamizh made it clear that he is the real Taanakkaran - the person in charge. His intention was quite clear in showcasing how failed the police system actually is. There is this brilliant scene involving a constable, a neem tree, and a guard, that easily explains the underlying problem rooted in our society. It transcends the police force to the society we live in - we keep on doing things in an orderly manner without even knowing the reason for that. It is almost similar to what was discussed in Mahaan, with various themes of power, hierarchy, and herd mentality.
When it comes to crucial characters, the casting choices were pretty much spot on, especially Lal as Eshwaramurthy. He was what the doctor ordered for - fierce, unapologetic, cruel, and of course, the integral part of the "system". On second thought, the film resembled a spiritual twin of Writer, a 2021 Tamil crime thriller. Both these films showcased the weaker side of a community that was thought of as brave, and cruel, showing no leniency whatsoever. Both these films brought the police force much closer to society on a philosophical level, saying that they are not so different after all. Even a supposedly light-hearted scene involving a female officer, a tree, and a superior's office, says about how the "system" works.
As positive as it might sound, the honesty that was there in the intention behind Taanakkaran did not properly translate onto the script, which is reflected in the execution as well. Tamizh might have achieved the target he had in his mind, but it seemed he settled for a level than leaping for it.
With an intense story unfolding inside a closed compound, Taanakkaran required several moments that could engage the audience throughout its runtime. Though certain moments did work, especially the first ED involving Arivu (Vikram Prabhu) and Eeswara Moorthy (Lal), the script failed to cash on other occasions, which could've improved the result.
For a narration covering more than a few months of training, I was surprised that I could not feel the transition in time. Though there are several callback moments, especially the ones between the lead characters, it felt as if everything unfolded in a matter of a week or so. This in turn had an adverse effect on a feature with a runtime of 140 minutes.
The background score from Ghibran, though intense during certain moments, was overwhelming on many occasions that it overlapped the actors on screen. However, I feel it was required in order to convey the seriousness of the film, as well as its commercial viability, to a large section of the audience.
Having said that, the sound design of the film was pretty impressive. Be it the blades rustling against each other to remove every inch of hair (self-respect), the drilling environment, and the lathis earning for human contact, the sound design was brilliant in instigating the fear and a sort of creepiness into our minds. My wishes to M. R. Raja Krishnan (Sound mixing), M. Ilayaraja (Associate - Sound Production).
The Honesty
The most interesting part of the film lies in the climax, where Director Tamizh shied away from a traditional ending and depicted the nature of the system and how cruel it might seem. Adding to the answer of why Arivu wishes to be a police officer, Taanakkaran mentions a different approach to "clean" up the dirt. The extremely brief role of Bose Venkat as Inspector Mathi had a better impact in this regard than I imagined.
Taanakkaran is not a genius film for sure. But it never let down its guard of sincerity. It is so honest that it did not even try to cover its mistakes. With a film of such a magnitude, Tamizh achieved something great that many falter at the word go! Handling such a big crowd, under tough environmental conditions is not an easy joke. I should say Tamizh did his best in making Taanakkaran an earnest and honest attempt.
The movie is like a middle bench student, who strives hard to get the best mark possible. He indeed gets the best possible mark, but could not be the topper. Nevertheless, its a best for him, and we all know, he has the potential to break it through. We see the honesty behind it, an earnest attempt, despite the flaws. Just like Ruettiger in the 1993 film - Rudy.
It is not making the strong the strongest, but the importance lies in empowering the weaker, which Arivu tried to do with his batch. Though a baby step, Taanakkaran is for sure, a step ahead in quality and earnest filmmaking.