'Master', starring Thalapathy Vijay in the lead, has released in theatres today (January 13). In the post-lockdown phase, this is the biggest theatrical release in India. And the bookings are said to be huge in the Telugu States as well. Originally made in Tamil, the film has released all-over India, with dubbed versions playing in Malayalam (an important market for Vijay), Hindi and Kannada. In this section, we are going to review the massive Bogi release.
Story
JD (Vijay) keeps himself busy solving students' problems in a college in Hyderabad. When he fails to curb violence during a students' election, he is sent as a teacher to a children's jail-cum-school in Warangal. There, he realizes that Bhavani (Vijay Sethupathy) has been using innocent kids for criminal activities. How he liberates them from the evil clutches of the rowdy is the crux of the story.
Performances
Tamil superstar Vijay is known for certain antics. He doesn't make us miss them in this film. He looks sophisticated and emotional as per the need of the respective scenes. Vijay Sethupathy, after delivering worthy performances in films like 'Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy', plays a calculated and merciless baddie with ease. His slang and comic timing are authentic. Malavika Mohanan plays the hero's colleague and romantic interest in the later portions. Andrea Jeremiah has a cameo.
Technical aspects
Anirudh Ravichander's music is the soul of several action scenes. His BGM is pulsating and gripping, especially in the scenes involving Vijay Sethupathy. It helps that 'Master Raid' and the theme music are used as montages for hero-elevation moments. The 'Chitti Story' song sounds better in the original, but it is not that bad in the film.
Sathyan Sooryan's cinematography is smart. The muted shades for the scenes in the second half stand out.
Analysis
Much as 'Master' tries to be content-oriented, it is more of a mass hero film. If you don't find Vijay engaging or invigorating enough, it's unlikely that you will be able to sit through this nearly 3-hour-long action-thriller
The first 20 minutes go into establishing Sethupathy's character. It then moves to tell Vijay's story. The hero is introduced as a careless drunkard with a penchant for rectifying everything and correcting bad people. After his banishment from the college, the film becomes formulaic.
The second half moves at a slow pace. It is almost 85-minute long but doesn't have any big reveal. This is why 'Master' is basically a typical mass masala flick meant to show up the hero as a saviour. The climax fight should have been better.
Full marks where due: The songs have been used well and they are not distracting. Brickbats where due: The fights are too many and if you are not enamored by the action genre, this film is not for you.
Closing Remarks
Director Lokesh Kanagaraj, after 'Khaidi' (starring Karthi), tells a less complicated and more straightforward story. Watch it if you think 'Krack' has triggered an interest in action films.
