‘Vikram’ Review: Kamal, Fahadh & Vijay Sethupathi Shine in Lokesh’s Universe

Filmmaker Lokesh Kanagaraj uses the talent of actors Fahadh Faasil, Vijay Sethupathi and Kamal Haasan brilliantly in his latest venture Vikram.

Vikram is a befitting comeback of Kamal Haasan to satiate his fans’ 4-year-long hunger to see him on the big screen. The title Vikram is borrowed from the actor’s own film which released in 1986. However, the story is set in director Lokesh Kanagaraj’s cinematic universe wherein he has interlinked characters from his previous directorial Kaithi and the old Vikram. The music of the film is composed by Anirudh Ravichander and the dialogues are written by Rathna Kumar along with the director.

Lokesh Kanagaraj has loaded Vikram with a battalion of characters but he has ensured that all of them have their due scope to perform, even though some might have lesser screen time including 'Ulaganaayagan'.

This simply shows his prowess as a writer who values his story over simply paying the fanboy tributes to his guru Kamal Haasan for the sake of it.

But that doesn’t mean there is a dearth of mass moments for his favorite star. Every time Kamal makes his entry, the background music with Anirudh’s voice - ‘Once upon a time, there lived a ghost’ - feels electrifying, quite literally.

Watching Kamal Haasan, who is apparently 67 years old but certainly doesn't look that way on screen in this all new action avatar takes one back in time to the early days of the actor’s career - younger and dapper.

The film is in a way an ode to the veteran actor with umpteen number of references from his older films like Kuruthipunal, Panchatanthiram, and Nayakan. Dark humour to detailing, all departments of Vikram have worked in unison to render a massive salute to the exemplary filmography of the legendary Kamal Haasan.

On the other hand, Vijay Sethupathi is remarkable as Santhanam especially in his whistle worthy and quirky introduction scene. Though it was refreshing to see him try out something new shedding off his usual Sethupathi-ness, his tight-lipped dialogue delivery instead of coming across as an interesting characterization was only a major distraction.

However, Fahadh Faasil steals the show with an all round performance exhibiting passion, love and revenge at perfect levels.

Vikram is not flawless though and there are logical loopholes. However, Lokesh Kanagaraj makes us overlook them with the brilliance in his power packed action sequences.

For instance, You might ask, 'Why would Kamal not leave the baby with a health condition, in the panic room with the mother during a crisis but choose an unsafe option to carry him to the fighting ground? If the room cannot be opened since Agent Tina was dead, why did he have to rely 'only' on her to unlock the panic room? Given that he is an experienced secret agent, why did he not plan to handle an emergency situation like this with an alternate method to ensure the safety of the child, especially when he knows the stakes are so high?

But before you fuel the curiosity to know the answer, you get carried away to the next interesting action set piece, start enjoying it thoroughly and hence you may not really complain.

Talking about the action blocks, we need to credit the stunt directors Anbariv for innovating and contextualizing the fights according to the storyline and not as a generic hypermasculine clash.

One of the killer action sequences in this film is similar to Kamal’s Vishwaroopam transformation scene. However, it doesn’t feature Fahadh, Kamal, Vijay Sethupathi, or even Suriya who features in a cameo. I don’t want to spoil it though, just watch the film to experience the goosebumps yourself.

With references to biriyani, retro music at the perfectly absurd timings, quirky humor peppered throughout and the action plot interlaced with emotional core, just like his previous films, Lokesh Kanagaraj makes a strong trademark for himself.

The best part about the film is that Lokesh Kanagaraj lures the audience into his world, making Vikram an ‘interactive film watching experience' constantly engaging the audience with it. He keeps us guessing what’s next, rewarding us with a surprise at the most unexpected moments and happiness even when we guessed it right.

For instance, you will anticipate what’s coming during the interval block but that will not stop you from experiencing one of the best fan moments in the film. With an open ending and the scope for a potential sequel the film ends with a high note, or rather gears up for a new beginning.

Vikram is running now in theatres.