Madharaasi movie review: Sivakarthikeyan powers through AR Murugadoss’ passable action thriller

Madharaasi movie review: It blends action, rage and heroism with Sivakarthikeyan in top form, but fumbles in writing. A passable Murugadoss thriller that works in parts, yet misses emotional depth

Madharaasi

Madharaasi movie plot:

Prem (Biju Menon) of the NIA along with his team is looking to carry out a suicide mission assignment to eradicate the smuggling of guns by Virat (Vidyut Jammwal) and Chirag (Shabeer Kallarakkal) into Tamil Nadu. That is when he stumbles upon Raghuram (Sivakarthikeyan) who is looking out to die after his girlfriend Malathi (Rukmini Vasanth) breaks up with him. As Prem assigns Raghuram to infiltrate into the terrorists’ premise, what ensues is a rage-filled battle between good and evil forces, fuelled by Raghuram’s deeply affected personality trait.

Madharaasi movie review:

For nearly the first half of Madharaasi, Raghuram, a man of immense will power and integrity, seeks out every method to die. It is because the man, who has lost everyone of whom he could call possibly family, just saw his relationship with his girlfriend broken in no time. And for nearly the second half of Madharaasi, the same man channels his rage into extreme violence, in what to be called a country-saving mission. Throw in AR Murugadoss’ nation saving heroism, some commercial stunts, terror attacks, and plethora of gunshots, you get Madharaasi, a film that neither makes you enjoy every bit but is too safe to make sure it does not hit the lowest points after all.

Also read: Sivakarthikeyan: Madharaasi will speak about thuppakki; it will not have slow-motion action

Sivakarthikeyan, who not to long ago had the ‘thuppakki’ in his hands, picks up the battle to stop gun culture entering Tamil Nadu. We get a couple of mentions on how the state is one of the peaceful ones in the country, and no prizes to guess that the villains are north Indians who want to disrupt the peace. A sample of what it would for gun culture to enter our society is shown through a school incident, and it is hard not to remember similar happenings in quite a few first world countries. But back to the story, Madharaasi marries Raghuram, a delusional patient whose personal tragedy made him who is now, to a police assignment that is need of heroism. AR Murugadoss’ films which until now for most has managed to create a charm, nearly gets it, but takes the first half to reach to the point.

Also read: Madharaasi 2025: Release date, cast, crew, trailer, plot and everything you need to know about Sivakarthikeyan-AR Murugadoss action thriller

Madharaasi is a film that seems to be solely relying on its screenplay, and that’s okay. It is only that it takes random detours and time of first half to get into the story. The back and forth writing that swings between action and Raghuram’s love story, could have been neatly written, that it could have made more effective than being a compilation of rushed moments. It also takes a while to understand a certain trait that Raghuram has which is deeply entrenched in his psyche to make him delusional. The fumbles are evident, but the film nearly tries to finish on a neat note with the second half. Loaded with action, rage, and bloodshed, Sivakarthikeyan does the heavy lifting to face off Vidyut Jammwal who for most carries his ease on shoulders and makes it commendable with sleek action. As for Rukmini, who is yet again caught in a damsel in distress situation, has little to offer even as her character comes through the screenplay. It is not her performance that we see little of, but her character that does not go beyond being an innocent caught amid firings.

Had Madharaasi pursued a little more drama, exploring the issue it wants to warn and made a humanly connection beyond the bullets and firings, the film could have become more solidified and streamlined. Murugadoss who is no new face when it comes to telling message-oriented stories packaged as mass entertainers, seems to have gotten almost but fumbles only when he places hardcore action over humanly drama.

Madharaasi movie verdict:

Madharaasi is a passable action thriller which has its moments. Sivakarthikeyan is convincing as an angry young man who adapts to Murugadoss’ style of filmmaking. The collaboration comes off well at the execution, but a little more time spent at the writing room, would have made Madharaasi a solid comeback to the filmmaker and a continued success for Sivakarthikeyan after Amaran.

FAQs

Q. Who is the heroine of Sivakarthikeyan's Madharaasi?

A. Rukmini Vasanth plays the female lead in Madharaasi starring Sivakarthikeyan.

Q. How much Sivakarthikeyan's salary in Madharaasi?

A. As per reports, Sivakarthikeyan got paid Rs 40 crore for Madharaasi.

Q. What is Madharaasi release date?

A. Madharaasi released in theatres on September 5.

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