Vikram Vedha

There is a theological belief that says Jesus was not of flesh. Gnosticism tries to substantiate that belief and says; since Jesus was not of flesh, he didn't die in the cross. It was indeed Simon of the cyrene who got crucified for Jesus. I am not an advocate of any of these beliefs but what is enthralling is all these stories gives you questions which shakes you. If you are questioned "If Gandhi's father was Gandhi? Or Is Godse's son a Godse?", then you are in the never ending tale of Good vs Bad or God vs Devil. This goes on from Generation to generation. From childhood, we might have heard a lot of stories on moral values and principles. One of the intriguing things in listening all those stories is; how to attain the wisdom to decide between good vs bad. Some of the stories end with a verdict so you need not really bother about the process of deciding the evil. The ambulimama stories of Vikramadhithan-Vedaal never end with a verdict. They always question you. So, the process of judging\comprehending\concluding is left to you. Vikram-vedha gives you the same experience in big screen; of questioning yourself with few tales and lot of questions. Most importantly, you enjoy it a lot like all the granny stories. The canvas is big and you could see lot of colors. The story tellers or the grannies are enamoring and very wise to make you think. Vikram-vedha has the x-factor in it because the art of story-telling is at its finesse. Surprisingly, it is both deductive and detective. If it is an investigative story where you are searching something , it is not the object that gets found or the result you achieve it is all about the ride. It is the hermeneutics that gives you the satisfaction. There are stories that cancel themselves. A good example would be Yuvan's "Naankavuthu Kanavu" (Fourth dream) in Tamil. One common thing about such stories is that they switch back and forth between time. They create a world in your mind and bring you back to your senses. They question you how that world was. Then they will tell you another tale and then ask questions. Sometimes it will be tales within tales. The idea is just to engross you and present you the alternate realism. Then they will connect the dots within all these tales slowly revealing the canvass. The devil will be in the details. Exactly, what Vikram-Vedha does to you.

Madhavan plays the role of Vikram. The straight as an arrow, who considers himself having the wisdom of seeing right and wrong. Its zero or one for him and so he is in peace. Enters, Vijay Sethupathi, Vedha@Vedaal, who questions Vikram's wisdom. Vikram slowly realizes that its not always black or white and truth gets hidden somewhere in between. Vijay Sethupathi scores easily. Madhavan is good but somehow reminds me of a grown-up Anbarasu of Anbe Sivam times. He is spontaneous, charming, good and straight. In many aspects, we as audience are in the world of Vikram. We associate ourselves to his character. Vedha gets him into a ride. Vedha knows the truth. He asks you tough questions. Slowly, you acknowledge that Vedha has a superior intellect. You stick out to him. You listen to him. He mocks you, burdens you sitting at your back. He bedevils you with ease and poise. Vijay Sethupathy scores easily because of his usual cool, calm way of living the character. Vijay Sethupathy easily strikes a chord because he had arrived and mastered the art of matching the traits of a character with dialogue delivery, looks and walk. Simple copybook approach. In the world of tamil cinema, where the likes of Kamalahasan doing a lot at the age of 60+ to live a character, Vijay Sethpuathy does it with real ease. May be the ease is what stands apart!

Metaphors and images from folklore and mythologies are spread over the film including the title. There is this character called Simon, who just lives as gnostics' belief. He has a son named Alex. He was made to carry the cross. He is confused, he can't bear it and he can't refuse it. He just falls back to the lord. A bullet abandoned by Vikram's father, gets the much need chain sprocket from Vedha just like the clues. Vedha has a brother whom Vedha protects a lot and thus loses him. He is the crux of the story and nicknamed as pulli. A money minded kid Chandra grows up exactly as she was earlier. Vikram's wife is another tool in the tale. She plays an advocate. Advocate and cop inside same house creates lot of dilemmas in the personal and professional front.

Dialogues are crisp and sharp. There are notoriously comical dialogues in Orampo. Pushkar and Gayathri the director couple are really good at dialogues. My urge to watch the film is mainly due to the dialogues of Orampo. A cop with pride says that his to be brother-in-law is an engineer. Vikram responds "What is the pride being an engineer?". His wife confronts him that "in lawyer's world cops are wrong!". Vedha says we have to cease the opportunity. For him, a cop gets a name by being a cop, but he has to do something to be a hero. He says its nauseating to have blood stains and so buys pistols. His policy is not to worry about losing an egg but to make an omelet out of it. The punch soundtrack is too good. Music at times is very loud. Screenplay stands apart and the neatly woven details gives you the embroidered image in the climax. Vikram-vedha a must watch!

Vikram Vedha is a neo-noir crime thriller that transcends the typical cop-versus-gangster narrative. It's a gripping tale of morality, destiny, and the blurred lines between good and evil.

The film revolves around Vikram, a police officer, and Vedha, a cunning gangster. Their paths collide when Vedha voluntarily surrenders to the police, only to challenge Vikram's beliefs through a series of folktales. This unconventional approach to storytelling sets the stage for a thought-provoking exploration of justice, fate, and the complexities of human nature.

Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi deliver powerhouse performances as Vikram and Vedha, respectively. Their on-screen chemistry is palpable, adding depth to their complex characters. The screenplay is intelligent, weaving together action, suspense, and philosophical dialogues seamlessly.

The film's exploration of morality is its standout feature. Vedha's folktales force Vikram to question his own beliefs and the nature of his actions. The narrative delves into themes of destiny, free will, and the consequences of choices, making it a film that lingers in the mind long after the credits roll.

The film's cinematography is visually striking, capturing the gritty underworld while maintaining a stylish aesthetic. The background score complements the narrative effectively, enhancing the emotional impact of the scenes.

A pivotal moment is when Vedha reveals his involvement in the killing of a corrupt police officer. He justifies his actions by claiming it was necessary to protect innocent lives. This forces Vikram to confront the complexities of his own profession and the blurred lines between law and morality.

The climax of the film is a tense standoff between Vikram and Vedha, where the lines between hero and villain become increasingly blurred. The ending is deliberately ambiguous, leaving the audience to decide who is the true protagonist.

Vedha's final words, "Kaun kisko sikha raha hai?" (Who is teaching whom?), echo throughout the film, challenging the audience to question their own perspectives on morality and justice.

Vikram Vedha is a thought-provoking exploration of human nature, and its ending invites multiple interpretations. Film is a cinematic masterpiece that transcends the genre of crime thrillers. It's a film that challenges, provokes, and entertains, making it a must-watch for anyone who appreciates intelligent storytelling and complex characters. It's a film that stays with you long after the credits roll, prompting discussions about the complexities of good and evil.

Pushkar Gayatri the husband wife duo directors hits the right chord to present an engaging, entertaining, gripping thriller. This is a Neo Noir movie which happens rarely in Tamil.

Story is simple straight forward police and gangster cat and mouse or I could say hide seek game.

The wow factor is the screenplay which is well crafted and characterisations are well etched. The perfect pace stands out first kept the audience thrilled and guessing till the end. Dialogues are sharp as knife and powerful as the gun shots in the movie. The BGM was rock solid which had added the feel to the play.

Coming to the performances Madhavan as Vikram the protagonist a perfect police maintains his grip and emotes intensive emotions particularly when he feels he was used. Vijay Sethupathy on the other hand essays antagonist Vedha a most wanted leader of local gang pulling it off effortlessly seriously effortlessly like so much of assaultness the way he carries himself stands out unique particularly. Loved the in between short stories he threw. Both Madhavan and VJS with their exposed grey carried on their roles picture perfect. They present raw psychological thriller duo. All the other support characters were picked perfect. Varalakshmi's plays an extended cameo but stands out as well the new face lady who plays the lawyer and wife of Vikram.

Subtle messages on guilt - revenge - emotions of gangster or the police were the special catch.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this Neo-Noir flick.

Verdict : Don't miss it. Hats off to the team Vikram Vedha. Easy 8.5 on 10

As a westerner I have grown extremely unsatisfied with the plot and charachter development in western cinema. I have been watching Indian movies and Vikram Vedha strikes a cord that misses in western cinema. It asks questions vital to our urge to rationalize the world arounf us. What is ethical and what is not? The screenwriter leaves the question to each of us in the ending standoff scene, so that it is up to us to decide on what is right and wrong. The cast is wonderful giving their best. There are no unrealistic action scenes and the cinematography is on a high level. The only thing that would make the movie better is some better music, the choice of songs was pretty poor.

First , I got to know about the movie from IMDB , which showed some posters for highest rated current Indian movies. Since, I got too late to the party I did not get to see the movie in theaters and after looking long and hard found the movie with eng subtitle which was great. (because I can only understand hindi and eng).

About the movie, amazing acting by Madhvan as always but the 'Betaal' (Vedha) of the move is awesome. His acting is so natural, he is the highlight of the movie. Though movie never tries to give any actor/character more time or importance but the guy just shins like a diamond. I must admit, I did not know anything about the actor before this movie and after writing this I will have to look him up..Also, his character's aging process in flashbacks are awesome as well (i don't know who to praise for that).

I got hooked from the first shot of the movie about Vikram & Betaal story , which i loved as a child by the way, and after 15 min in the movie you get the reason for the name.

I have seen few South Indian movies before which shows the real standing of this industry compare to Hindi cinema. If Hindi cinema is to copy trends from there, I believe it should be movies like this not the ninja fighting sequence where people hit villains like hulk and they fly for 10 meters.

Finally, this movie is a must watch for people who appreciate good cinema but beware "Hero do not fly in this movie and are not as powerful as Bahubali".