Maharaja (Tamil): Intelligent, innovative, impressive, incisive

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When you watch a movie like Maharaja, you realize again that Hindi films are losing originality, interest and content with depth even as regional films (I watch South Indian, Marathi and rarely Gujarati films and am talking about those, but I guess others too must be doing it!) remain true to their ethos, culture, originality and simplicity of story.

Let me amend on that a bit. The story is simple. Not the way it is narrated, but the narrative holds in the final analysis. It is non-linear, spans 15 years and though a couple of points are far-fetched, it comes together in the end to become more of a family film and social despite the (as is trendy nowadays) very strong dose of violence that pervades throughout.

Maharaja (Vijay Sethupathi) is a quiet man working in a saloon. He is often accused by the owner (P.L. Thenappan) of being useless and lazy, but he is a devoted family man. One day, he is buying a toy for his daughter when, accidentally, a truck loses control and crashes into his home, opposite the same shop, killing his wife. However, in the accident, a dustbin protects his infant daughter, Jothi, and soon, Jothi and he revere the dustbin, name it Lakshmi and anoint it like a goddess every week. Soon, Jothi leaves home for some days for a sports camp, and she bids her father to look after Lakshmi.

During this phase, one night, Maharaja returns from work and is attacked by three thieves hiding in the house. They steal Lakshmi. Maharaja goes to complain at the police station. They ridicule him: how can they file a report for a stolen dustbin? But Maharaja offers them seven lakh rupees to find it for sentimental reasons. The police then decide on a ploy: as Maharaja is obsessed, and has also shown them a picture of Lakshmi, they will get a bin like that manufactured and get the booty.

Meanwhile, we, the audience, is shown a two-member gang of thieves who also murder their victims after raping the women. This gang, way back in 2009, had comprised of Selvam (Anurag Kashyap) and Sabari (Vinod Sagar). Selvam loved his wife, Kokila (Abhirami) and tiny daughter and she was shocked when the police arrested Selvam just as the moppet’s birthday was being celebrated. Sabari was gunned down. Selvam, out of jail 14 years later, commissions Dhana (Manikandan) and also Nallasivam (Singhampuli), a corrupt police officer, as his new cohorts.

What is the connection between them and the thieves who steal Lakshmi? Is Lakshmi finally found? What will happen when Jothi returns from her camp?

Writer-director Nithilan Swaminathan (with co-writer Raam Murali) spins a very cerebral yet heartrending tale of human nature. Though I watched the film with a Hindi dub on Netflix (this is another of those movies that keep doing well on the big screen even after it began streaming), I can fathom why this is happening—nothing can stop a good film theatrically even if people have begun to view it at home.

Vijay Sethupathi’s expressions are fantastic in every way and in every mood shown of his. As the unfortunate man who is at the mercy of the cops, and as the person for whom the Herculean effort of complaining of the loss of a dustbin ultimately pays off, he is tremendous. Anurag Kashyap as the amoral and repugnant Selvam with an Achilles Heel—his family—is perfectly cast and pitched.

The support is also excellent, with Singhampuli as Nallasivam and Natarajan Subramaniam as Inspector S. Varadharajan shining most. Technically, the film is upbeat and the writing and direction phenomenal. Such a film needed amazing editing and Philomin Raj rises to the occasion.

Don’t miss this movie, though it has some flaws that would be like spoilers to mention here.

Rating: ****

The Route’s, Think Studios’ and Passion Studios’ Maharaja  Produced by: Sudhan Sundaram  &Jagadish Palanisamy  Directed by: Nithilan Swaminathan Written by: Nithilan Swaminathan & Raam Murali  Music: B. Ajaneesh Loknath Starring: Vijay Sethupathi, Natarajan Subramaniam, Abhirami, Divya Bharathi, Singampuli, Aruldoss, Munishkanth, Sachana Namidass, Baby Shynika, Vinod Sagar, Manikandan, Kalki, P. L. Thenappan, Mohan Raman & others