Venthu Thaninthathu Kaadu (VTK) is a unique attempt from Gautam Vasudev Menon (GVM), unlike his past films. At first, the film begins with some shots in a very rural village in South Tamilnadu. The protagonist is not a flashy hero (from the upper middle class) but someone from a poor background, struggling to make ends meet. The film takes its own time in setting up the conflict. There are no abrupt cuts to take us to a different world as done by the director in some of his earlier films like Acham Enbadhu Madamayada, Ennai Nokki Paayum Thotta or even Pachaikilli Muthucharam. Except for some romantic touches and neatly crafted action sequences, one will doubt if this was really directed by GVM. Honestly, it is a welcome change.
The movie tracks the life of Muthu Veeran. He has just finished graduation but is shown doing odd jobs in the village for an earning. With no other options available for the family, listening to his mother's advice, he decides to move to Mumbai. With his uncle's reference, he gets a job in Isaki Parotta Kadai (which is nothing but a gangster den in disguise as a restaurant). He slowly realizes what he is getting into and as you expect, he becomes the most sought-after man after a few incidents. At the same time, his inner conflict wants him out of this madness. What happens in his life from there is VTK in nutshell.
Thanks to a wonderfully shot interval action sequence, the transformation to a gangster seems to be more genuine and acceptable. With a predictable storyline like this, the only thing which can keep you glued to the screen is the presentation and performance of the lead actors. Throw a bit of romance here and there and a few twists towards the end, and you get an entertaining gangster flick. But this is exactly where the movie stands apart. The film is shot in a very rustic fashion. There is chaos everywhere. These are not the posh residences we see in a GVM film. All characters in the film have some negative shades or thoughts.
Muthu is a very delicate character and Silambarasan nails it. He underplays the role very well not catering to his regular histrionics and fans' expectations. Even the mild transformations in the character are emoted very well adding authenticity to the entire film. It's a welcome change from a lead actor. The supporting actors do their bit, especially Appukutty's role was interesting. Neeraj Madhav makes his debut in Tamil with VTK, but it does not create a big impact.
AR Rahman seems to have enjoyed composing the BGM for this film. He is in full form right from the title credits. Marakumma Nenjam keeps coming up at regular intervals in the first half and lifts the entire film to a different experience. Mallipoo was shot and choreographed beautifully and makes you fall in love instantly with all those bloody gangsters and their lives. The cinematography and stunts are very apt for the film… it's not over the top and stylish but very simple and natural in sync with the mood of the film.
On the negative, the story is a tried and tested formula for gangster films. You can refer to any films like Nayagan, Thalaiva, Company, or even the recently released Pushpa and KGF and will find some inferences. In fact the director pays his tribute to Nayagan by showing a photo frame of Velunaicker (Kamal Hassan) in the background. The major difference I found between these films and VTK was the purpose of the protagonist. In most gangster flicks we see the protagonist with a heart of gold and does all this for the sake of his people. But in VTK, these are guys who don’t have any reason for what they are doing and they don't even know why they are doing it.
While the romantic portions do have a typical GVM touch (ignore the pathetic lip sync), it seems forced into the narration and only adds to the length of the film. The role of Paavai also gave a mixed feeling. For the turmoil her life gets into within a few days, we don’t see any such panic around her. Blame it on the screenplay and the way the character has been written, we take her for granted. The rival gang headed by Siddique is not given any importance, neither we get to know much about their activities.
For those who like slow-burn gangster flicks, VTK will be a good watch. But the lack of new and interesting subplots makes it an average watch for the rest of us.
Rating 2.75/5
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