Maharaja Movie Review: In this Nithilan Swaminathan film, a man named Maharaja (Vijay Sethupathi) makes a police report when the 'Lakshmi' in his home disappears. When he goes to the police station to register a report, he discovers that a thief named Police is in detention. Maharaja, the film, is full of such amusing contrasts.
To put it simply, this is a film about the lives of two dads. One is played by Vijay Sethupathi, the other by Anurag Kashyap. The former lost his wife (Divya Bharathi) when their daughter Jothi was still a toddler. Meanwhile, he lives happily with his wife (Abhirami) and daughter.
Maharaja might have been a pretty straightforward or 'we know what's in store' film for the audience if everything went smoothly. However, the way the narrative was conveyed made an undeniable difference. Throughout its duration, there are several errors and disorienting situations. However, to its credit, the picture remains interesting throughout. Maharaja is one of those flicks that holds your attention. You feel this way not because everything on screen is loud and clear, but because the creators have created suspense for what comes next.
Having said that, there are several scenes in the film that appear planned or artificial. This notion is especially true for a comedic scene in the film in which Maharaja describes how Lakshmi went missing. The fact that who/what Lakshmi is is intended to make us chuckle, and it is really amusing that this man has approached the police only because of who/what has gone missing. But the filmmakers exaggerate the responses of individuals who hear his narrative. Yes, the scenario is amusing, but why make it so obvious that we feel like too much is being done.
There appears to be an excessive amount of work being done.
The filmmakers have made it known from the start that this will be a violent picture. With a protagonist named Maharaja, you'd anticipate a massive excursion from the start. However, the film begins with a lighthearted game of Antakshari, and Vijay Sethupathi is not immediately shown as a hero or someone to fear. First, we show him working at a saloon and requesting leave from his boss. The next time we see him, he is at a shop, picking out toys from a nice store.
One source of disagreement with this picture is the way it portrays violence, notably violence against women. Violence is often employed as a finishing touch in many of our films, even when the plot does not call for it. One divisive part of Maharaja is how it uses violence against women to demonstrate how evil the bad characters are. For example, there are several methods to present characters in a film in a bad light. One evident feature that causes us to despise a character is physical abuse against women. In this film, that aspect appears to be employed merely as a tool to demonstrate how horrible the adversaries are.What Maharaja also gets wrong is the portrayal of its opponents, notably Anurag Kashyap. Having a well-known actor in your film does not ensure that the audience will identify with the role they play. The part requires development, which is lacking in this picture. We are informed and shown that the adversaries are vicious and horrible people. However, the film does a poor job of developing the characters. However, Anurag Kashyap's selection for this character makes sense, since the producers would have needed an actor with enough personality to stand up to Vijay Sethupathi as the adversary. However, neither the character nor the performance register beyond a certain point. As long as the attention remains on Maharaja and the police officers who are investigating his complaint, the picture runs smoothly. Unfortunately, things begin to vary when the emphasis moves to the adversaries.
Vijay Sethupathi shines in his 50th film, and he has a well-written part at his disposal. The creators clearly put in additional effort in developing his persona, since practically every move he takes and every phrase he speaks has a purpose. And the actor delivers. However, the other prominent performers' personas do not receive the same level of attention to detail. Abhirami, Mamta Mohandas, Bharathirajaa, and Divyabharathi appear to be there just because the creators sought to bring in recognized personalities.
