Maharaja Movie Synopsis: A barber named Maharaja informs the authorities that 'Lakshmi' is missing. The police officers are confused about who Lakshmi is. What is Maharaja's true wish in the meantime?
In the film Maharaja, directed by Nithilan Swaminathan, Vijay Sethupathi's character Maharaja informs the police when his home's 'Lakshmi' goes missing. Upon arriving at the police station to report a crime, he learns that a thief called Police is already under arrest. The film Maharaja is filled with entertaining paradoxes.
In a straightforward manner, this movie centers on the narratives of two fathers. Vijay Sethupathi plays one of the characters and Anurag Kashyap portrays the other. Divya Bharathi, the man's wife, died while their daughter Jothi was still a child. Simultaneously, he joyfully lives with his wife (Abhirami) and their daughter.
If everything had proceeded as expected, Maharaja could have been a movie with a foreseeable plot for the audience. Nevertheless, the manner in which the story was told clearly made a significant impression. Multiple instances of imperfection and uncertainty occur throughout. Nevertheless, it must be recognized that the movie manages to maintain the audience's interest from beginning to end. Maharaja is a film that captivates your attention. You don't experience that feeling due to explicit on-screen information, but because the creators have skillfully created anticipation for what comes next.
That being said, there are multiple scenes in the film that appear contrived or premeditated. This emotion is particularly evident in a funny moment in the film when Maharaja recounts the tale of Lakshmi vanishing. Lakshmi's identity is supposed to be humorous, and it is genuinely amusing that this person possesses.
One controversial aspect of this movie is its portrayal of violence, particularly violence directed at women. In numerous movies, violence is applied as a superficial enhancement, despite the narrative not necessitating it. One controversial element of Maharaja is its use of violence against women to illustrate the villain's wickedness. For example, there are various methods to portray characters in a film in a negative manner. If a character is physically violent towards women, it's easy for us to dislike them. In this movie, that perspective seems to serve solely as a method to highlight the villainous nature of the antagonists. Alternatively, they could have handled the situation with greater care.
Maharaja also fails in correctly portraying its villains, Anurag Kashyap included. Merely casting a famous actor in your movie doesn't ensure that viewers will form a connection with the character portrayed. The character needs more development, and that's the element lacking in this movie. We are informed and given evidence that the villains are merciless and awful individuals. However, the movie fails to adequately develop their characters. The decision to cast Anurag Kashyap in this role is logical, as the creators likely wanted an actor who could match Vijay Sethupathi's presence as the antagonist. However, both the character and the acting fail to make an impact eventually. When the film stays centered on Maharaja and the detectives looking into his complaint, everything goes smoothly. Unfortunately, there is a fluctuation in events as attention turns towards the antagonists.