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After the disastrous results of his last 2 flicks Kaatru Veliyidai/Cheliya and Kaashmora, the talented Karthi is back to grace screens for the second time this year, and this time around, he's here to entertain donning the Khaki, for the real crime investigation thriller Khakee / Theeran. Coming from H.Vinoth, the director of 2014 hit con drama Sathuranga Vettai (Tamil), much has been expected from Khakee / Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru. Has the director passed the test? Here's team AP Herald's exclusive FDFS review of Khakee / Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru.
Khakee / Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru is all about an honest cop Theeran Thirumaran (Karthi), who faces the toughest challenge of his career, when he gets into the long pending case of a ruthless, barbaric dacoit group which has been escaping from the hands of law, taking toll of many lives as well. What happens when Theeran takes charge, and whether he was able to hunt down the powerful crime gang is what the brutally exciting flick is all about.
As Theeran Thirumaran, Karthi is top notch, and his performance filled with varied expressions (in stark contrast to his Cheliyaa/Kaatru Veliyidai act where he was criticized for his inability to be expressive), makes Khakee / Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru an interesting experience, and he shoes extreme variety and difference from his cop act in Siruthai, with a subtle, mellowed down act as the sincere cop. Rakul Preet Singh for the first time gets to play a lead role that doesn't disturb the pace of the movie, and her track serves as the brighter side of the otherwise dark and intense movie and delivers a fine performance as Theeran's wife Priya. Abhimanyu Singh is menacing as the antagonist, and his violent nature depicted on screen with unpredictable, raw and brutal moves enhance the impact of the character. The rest of the cast including Bose Venkat, Sathyan fit their roles perfectly.
This November totally belongs to Ghibran, as he has scored a terrific background score yet again after last week's release Aramm. The sevatha pulla and oru veetil numbers are hum-worthy, while the BGM helps the film maintain its tempo. Ghibran proves yet again that Re-recording and background music are his forte, and his music serves to be an asset for this pacy, violent flick. Cinematography by Sathyan Sooriyan is impressive, and be it the colorful songs or the sand filled locales of the Rajasthan desert zone, the lensman has done his job to perfection in transporting the audience to the milieu where Theeran is set. Editing by Shivanandeeswaran is tight for the most part, while he could he have certainly chopped off several sequences.
For any director who scores a success, impressing the audience and critics alike, the real test is always the second flick, as that's the real acid test where many expected makers have failed, becoming one film wonders. However, Director H.Vinoth has proved with his second outing Khakee / Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru that the success of Sathuranga Vettai was not a flash in the pan, and that he's a genuine talent.
With a plot inspired from real crime events, Vinoth has weaved a gripping tale of cops against a barbaric dacoit group (based on a real crime case that spanned a decade, between 1995- 2005), and with an uncompromising effort, presents the brutality of the crimes in its raw Glory, making Khakee / Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru a shocking and impacting experience.
Karthi perfectly fits as the cop and Vinoth's success began with his casting itself. Except for a few hiccups like extended Rakul Preet Singh portions in the first half and few songs which could have been done away with, Khakee / Theeran is a tightly packed thriller. With Ghibran's stunning background score serving to be an asset for Khakee / Theeran, the film has everything going for it.
All said, Khakee / Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru is one of the best investigation thrillers in south cinema, and the way the screenplay is presented in a raw, natural way and still engages in the police procedural drama shows the kind of effort Vinoth has taken and research that has gone into the Making, proving that he's here to stay. Kudos to producer SR Prabhu for making this flick, which is sure to be a milestone in Karthi's career.
