Detail Review ‘Vikram’: If you want to learn direction from Lokesh Kanakraj, watch ‘Vikram’

Detail Review ‘Vikram’: There is a saying that Poot’s feet are seen in the cradle and something similar happened with Tamil film director Lokesh Kanakraj. Graduation in Fashion Technology, then after MBA, after a job in a bank, one day Lokesh sends a short film “Acham Thaveer” made by him for Kanakraj Clubes Short Film Festival where he gets the title of Best Director, Best Film and Best Actor. Encouraged by the success, he sends his next short film “Customer Delight” to the All India Corporate Film Competition and again gets the title of Best Film.

There is a judge in this competition Mr. Karthik Subbaraj who is only three years older than Lokesh but his films like Pizza, Jigarthanda, Petta, Jagme Thandiram and Mahan tell their success stories in themselves. Karthik recognized Lokesh’s talent and advised him that he should now make a feature film. Lokesh started working on this advice and directed a short film named “Kalam” in Karthik Subbaraj’s own anthology film “Aviyal”.

It might take a while for luck to change, but it doesn’t take any time for talent to emerge. In the same year he presented an excellent film “Managaram”. The story of the film runs on several tracks simultaneously but ends only after coming to the center point. No name of any of the main actors is mentioned in the film, but the audience remains attached to each one. The film was successful. After this he directed the superhit film Qaidi. After this came his another superhit film “Master”. Now his latest film “Vikram” which has been released on Disney+ Hotstar after making a splash at the box office, is a fine example of his art of showing complex stories in an entertaining way. Vikram is the most successful Tamil film of this year.

Vikram, which released on 3 June 2022 at the box office, vowed to break several box office records, but was released on Disney+ Hotstar even before the theatrical run was over. The story is very simple but there are some such qualities in it which should be seen by those who are learning film direction. The plot has been conveyed to the audience through events in the story, that is, with the help of a voice-over or with the help of a narrator, the gist of the story is not told in advance. Many films and successful web series have been given tribute in the story, so that everyone, from young viewers to Kamal Haasan’s fans, can completely connect with this film.

Very little work has been done on black ops or secret department operations in Indian films, but black ops have been shown in Vikram very well. In 1986, Kamal Haasan did a film named “Vikram”. There were many special things in that film too. The film was also Dimple Kapadia’s first Tamil film. In the old Vikram too, Kamal Haasan was shown in the role of a RAW commander and in this Vikram, he is the head of the black ops team formed in 1987. Nayi Wali Vikram, Purani Wali Vikram can be called a salute to director Lokesh Kanakraj.

Kamal Haasan is amazing in the film but the two actors who have rocked the screen are Malayalam superstar Fahadh and Tamil-Telugu-Malayalam actor Vijay Sethupathi. It is wrong to say something about Kamal Haasan’s acting, but what a wonderful impact the success of the film has made on Kamal’s life. After the film became a hit, Kamal said in an interview that with the money he would earn as a producer, he would repay all his debts and eat good food. Everyone knows that many of Kamal’s previous films were big. budget Has been a super flop just like Dev Anand in Hindi films.

Regarding Fahad, Kamal says that he doesn’t know how he chooses the best script and consumes the entire screen, no matter how small the role in the film. Fahad’s acting talent cannot be explained better than this. Vijay Sethupathi is also wonderful like Fahad. His screen presence itself seems dangerous. Even in this film, he never gives up, but in the end, even his gruesome face gives up in front of the truth. Kamal, his mentor director K. Remembering Balachander, he says that it is not necessary to keep appearing on the screen in the film. It is necessary to present the film like a great meal in which the ability of all the artists has been found so that the stomach and mind of the viewer is completely filled.

Cinematography in the film is done by talented and successful Girish Gangadharan. Girish has shown his camera skills in wonderful films like Jallikattu, Cold Case, Sarkar and Angamaly Diaries. In this film, Girish’s camera once again registers its presence in action sequences and chase sequences. After Jai Bheem, the editor of all Lokesh’s films, Philomin Raj (Managaram, Qaidi, Master) has once again linked a huge story with his excellent editing. There are many tracks in the film but it was a herculean task to connect all the side stories with the story of Vikram by bringing them to the center point but the editor did not let the film get off track or become cumbersome for a moment.

The film is completely commercial but all the departments in the film are at par with international level films. The action choreographer twin brothers Anbu and Arivu have shown the scale of action in this film, you can understand where the level of action has reached in South India. The arrival of Tamil superstar Suriya in the film gives a different direction to the film. The manner in which the post climax shot of the film has been taken on the arrival of Surya, it is clear that many sequels will be made of this film and Kamal himself has envisioned Surya in the third part of Vikram. The film also stars Arjun Das who was in Lokesh’s films Qaidi and Master. Although his role is small in this film, but he will get a big role in the sequels of the film, it is guaranteed.

In one scene in Vikram, the scene of taking the prisoner to the police van has been shot and included in such a way that the audience will be reminded of Lokesh’s old film “Prisoner”. In the climax of the film, the main character Delhi (Karthi) of the film Qaidi is mentioned. Anyway, it is being said that just like Marvel Cinematic Universe, Lokesh Cinematic Universe is also being made and all the films of Lokesh are being written in such a way that they look connected with each other. The screenplay of Vikram is written by Lokesh and his partner Ratna Kumar (Master).

The film has music by Anirudh and is excellent as always. The very first song has been shot on Kamal and Kamal has also sung it. Suddenly I remembered Kamal Haasan’s films of the 80’s and 90’s. Seeing 68-year-old Kamal dancing, one remembers that Kamal has worked as an assistant choreographer for many years and has acted in many such films where his choreography was the basis of the film. His charm is still intact. The two English songs are “Wasted” and “Once Upon a Time”. Vikram’s high energy title track is sung by Anirudh and Siddharth Mahadevan. The song Ek Sher Ho Tum in the Hindi version of the film is sung by Zubin Nautiyal and what a wonderful song. The amazing thing is that Lokesh’s assistant Vishnu has written two songs of this film.

After a long time, such a film has come which is not only making a big splash at the box office, but the audience is watching it on OTT as well. This film has been made to compete with Hollywood films. All Lokesh’s films have been successful so far because he does not forget his purpose of making a film, that is entertainment, but he puts only as many formulas in the film as the audience can bear. The magnificence of the film can be gauged by seeing Kamal Haasan’s scene with a Russian machine gun with butterfly trigger. South Indian directors are continuously presenting more than one film where amazing synergy of story and entertainment is seen. Vikram is an amazing thriller, watch it once again you will appreciate Lokesh’s directorial ability and if you haven’t seen it, you will be inspired to watch his old films.

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Tags: movie review, Kamal Haasan