In Master, the main character participates in a competition in an Observation Home for boys where the only rule is that there are no rules. There are numerous observers and established limits. For the benefit of a few overzealous fans who made a (seriously?) comparison to the David Fincher masterpiece when the Master teaser was released, let's call the competition Fight Club. The "mass" hero is welcomed with a delicious set-up for a "mass" moment. The way Lokesh Kanagaraj accomplishes this, or more specifically, what he does with the scene, prompts you to consider the reasons that he might be a compelling director.
Our hero JD (Vijay) is invited to play kabaddi by the boys, and the moment is a magnificent homage to Ghilli, one of Vijay's wholesome movies and a rare masala movie that is truly enjoyable. Because of the small innovations he makes with the format to get the intended, electrifying effect, Lokesh is an interesting director who works within the constraints of popular cinema. He skillfully inserts appropriate music, such as the Ghilli song "Kabaddi," to elevate what would otherwise be a garish action sequence. Thus, the "mass" scene created for the hero ends up pleasing both the star's supporting cast and the lowly torchbearers of masala cinema.
There are other Ghilli moments as well. A better opportunity presents itself when JD enters the villain's domain and attempts to arm-twist him without realising who he is. Does anyone here miss Prakash Raj? He needs to get a message to his boss Bhavani (Vijay Sethupathi, well, in a Vijay Sethupathi act). It is reasonable to draw a conclusion about the type of Vijay film Lokesh sought to make from these two specific moments; whether that conclusion was correct or not is a different matter. The bigger takeaway from Master is that Lokesh shattered the Vijay formula and the star finally gave him permission.
You might be wondering what the Vijay formula is and how it differs from other "mass" flicks. One is that Vijay has continuously shown a tidy image on television following the Thuppakki period. He carried his off-screen identity around with him almost like luggage, so he never let his guard down or, more accurately, the concept of it. In Master, Vijay appears to have finally let go and emerged from his star-worshipping cocoon to play a character who, contrary to the ideal hero Vijay would support, has flaws and, more significantly, is an alcoholic.
Vijay, Vijay Sethupathi, Malavika Mohanan, Shanthanu Bhagyaraj, Arjun Das, Andrea Jeremiah, and others make up the ensemble cast.
Lokesh Kanagaraj is the director.
Storyline: To teach the boys a lesson, JD (John Durairaj), an alcoholic professor, enters an observation home for boys that is being secretly run and controlled by the former juvenile offender Bhavani.
The way these "mass" scenes are created and interwoven into the movie for the hero, but without his wilful participation, is another Vijay formula that defies the rules of masala entertainers. There are two incredibly strong scenes. Savitha (Gowri Kishan), the victor of the student election, informs professor JD that she is terrified of Bhargav (Shanthanu Bhagyaraj) early on in the college chapters when she claims she wants to share the job with him. What does she do after that? To increase her self-confidence, she takes JD's kada, which is typically associated with guys and virility (credit to Kamal Haasan for Sathya). The key seems to be that she feels secure.
