Etharkkum Thunindhavan movie review: Suriya's performance is the saving grace of this formulaic family drama

3/5

Story: A do-gooder lawyer, whose life revolves around the happiness of his parents and villagers, takes on a menacing womanizer after the former learns that the latter has been spoiling the lives of many young women. As a law-abiding citizen, he approaches the court for justice when his wife was targeted. But the unexpected verdict from the court left him disappointed. How does he fight for the cause? 

Review: There are certain things one expects from a Pandiraj film - engaging emotional sequences, convincing character developments and neatly created conflicts which elevate the main plot. No matter who the hero is, high-octane action scenes and electrifying twists and turns aren't his cup of tea, and seldom do viewers expect those from him.

His last two outings, Kadaikutty Singam and Namma Veetu Pillai, were lapped up by family audiences, thanks to the slew of emotional scenes in those which had instant connect with the target audience. With Suriya headlining the director's latest project Etharkkum Thunindhavan, there were good expectations among movie lovers.

The movie begins with Kannabiran (Suriya), a lawyer who unleashes the vigilante mode in him by punishing a few criminals for their cruel deeds. His mother (Saranya) gets the shock of his life after learning that his son, a law abiding and responsible citizen, has taken law into his hands.

Though she sounds overwhelmed and disappointed, his father (Sathyaraj) reacts callously as if he was anticipating the incident. We are then taken to a time period a few months back, where two villagers are divided over the suicide of a married woman. Post the unfortunate incident, both the villagers decided not to maintain any relationships with each other.

However, Kannabiran falls in love with Aadhini (Priyanka Mohan) who is from the neighbouring village. Despite their mutual liking for each other, the latter's parents express disinterest in building a relationship with villagers from the other side. Meanwhile, Kannabiran gets to know about the lecherous behaviour of Inba (Vinay Rai), a successful businessman from the adjacent village.

Kannabiran hatches a plan to expose him legally, but Inba threatens to release the explicit videos of several women. Little did the former know that Aadhini would be the latter's next target. He approaches court with all the evidence, but in vain.

The role of a caring, family-bound man is tailor-made for Suriya. This is the actor's theatrical release after more than two-and-a-half years, he has put his best foot forward as he returns to the big screen as a slick commercial hero post two direct-to-OTT releases. Be it in the neatly designed fight sequences composed by Ram-Laxman and Anbarivu, or the simple, but efficient dance sequences, he comes across as the pillar of the movie.

Vinay Rai, as the antagonist is convincing, thanks to his devilish expressions and killer looks. But the character from his previous outing, Doctor, still remains his best as a villain.

Sathyaraj and Saranya are apt in the roles of protagonist's parents, and the veteran artists pull off their roles effortlessly. Though Priyanka Mohan's character appears as the damsel in distress in the beginning, it has an unusual character arc, which makes the role stand apart when compared to regular female leads in big ticket films.

The performances of Ilavarasu and Devadarshini are enjoyable, but the one-liners of Soori and Pugazh seldom evoke laughter. Rathnavelu's cinematography is one of the prime attractions of the movie, while the background score and VFX aren't impressive. Etharkkum Thunindhavan is targeted at the family audience, and the film has sequences that are likely to cater to them, but the emotional depth some of the characters had in the director's last two outings is missing this time. 

The movie is quite generic and emotions fall flat in some of the scenes. The story also becomes predictable after a point and ends up as a regular family drama from Pandiraj with comparatively extra dose of action and revenge. What makes the movie appealing to a certain extent is the involvement of actors who played significant characters. 

Some of the scenes and dialogues that are progressive in nature, are quite relevant in today's times, but a few of them become forced after a point. The message the filmmaker tries to deliver is on point, though.

Verdict: The movie, despite its flaws, is a one-time watch fare. Fans of Suriya and those who love watching family drama may find it entertaining. 

Etharkkum Thunindhavan is streaming on Netflix and Sun NXT