Pokkiri--Delightful Commercial Movie. Review on Pokkiri - Tamil Movie

It is yet another Vijay-style action flick with all the ingredients that necessarily go into making a commercial pot pouri. Remaking a film itself is a challenge. It is more challenging to remake a blockbuster like "Pokiri" featuring Mahesh Babu whom this film made an icon. Vijay himself chose this film for remaking in

Tamil. So he had to shoulder a heavy burden to prove that he is on a balance and even a cut above the Telugu hero. Both director Prabhu Deva (his Telugu counterpart is Puri Jagannath) and Vijay did their respective parts with complete skill. It is, however, too early to say how the Tamil audiences would rate the

film though the response that the Telugu version received was unbelievable.

'Pokiri" is a story peppered with fast-paced action, humour, romance, and stirring dialogues. Vijay has done similar roles umpteen times in the past. But how his macho role in 'Pokiri' stands apart is his virility and aggressive

independence, which comes into full play all through the long-widing movie (duration 2 hours 50 minutes). The strength of the story lies in maintaining the suspense of the real identity of the hero till the last moment.

Here goes the story...

Thamizh (Vijay) is a youth with a mission. A mafia gang controlled remotely by

international don Ali Bhai (Prakash Raj) operates with impunity. Thamizh is

left with no option but to "fight evil with evil". He joins the gang

on his own terms in order to eliminate them. His love interest Shruthi (Asin)

works as an instructor at an aerobic centre. A lecherous police cop, who is on

the pay rolls of the mafia, sets his eyes on father-less Shruthi and subjects

her mother to terrible torture. This brings Shruthi and Thamizh closer.

However, for Shruthi, Thamizh remains mysterious and his association with the raiding

goons puzzles her. Ali Bhai's men are defeated in their every move by Thamizh

with strong guts and cleverness. The don himself returns from abroad and

launches a witch-hunt for Thamizh who strikes back with all intensity.

How Ali Bhai comes to know who Thamizh is and the violent sequences that follow

form the climax.

Nasser plays Thamizh's father, who runs the

aerobic centre after his retirement as a circle inspector who had to pay with

the life of his wife for his honesty and straightforwardness. That his son,

Satyamoorthy (real name of Thamizh), is an IPS officer who serves as an

undercover cop to get at the mafia, is exposed in a way that gives a surprising

twist to the story towards the end.

Napolean plays a sincere and dedicated police commissioner named Mohideen Khan.

This character symbolizes the duty and self-respect of the police force whose

image has otherwise been muddied by a few black sheep. Tall and burly Napolean

is well suited for the role.

Vadivelu's comedy is subdued. Prakash Raj acts more like a comedian than a harsh

villain in some sequences after his arrest. Why? Photographer Nirav Shah has

done a good job. Notably chasing scenes are well captured by him. Stunts by

Vijayan are thrilling, reinforcing the macho image of the hero.

Mani Sharma has scored seven songs. One of them is a remix of the olden days

hit 'Vasanthamullai Polae.' Some song sequences were filmed in Australia. The "Dol Dol" song and the

item number "Aadungada Ennai Suthi" is well choreographed and it has

the effect of rocking the audience. Another catchy song is "Tamil

Tamil". The peppy dance sequences carry the unmistakable touch of Vijay-

Prabhu Deva combine.

'Pokiri' is attractively packaged and presented.