Review : Arul

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Director
Hari
Music
Harris Jayaraj
Cast
Vikram, Jyothika, Pasupathy, Vadivelu

Arul, Vikram and Hari’s summer special is full of gore and has turned out to be a revenge drama. In comparison to Hari’s earlier Tamizh and Saamy, this mass entertainer looks rehashed and re-worked.

The one line plot - Good guys are treated to his everlasting friendship and bad guys get his fist on their face and are battered to submission. Meet Arul Kumaran a goldsmith-turned-factory worker and one-man-army who rises against the tyranny of two powerful politicians, a kingmaker and his brother, a local MLA who runs the city as their personal fiefdom.

Arul Kumaran's favourite warning to anyone who calls him bad words - Anniyayam pannal Aandavanu pudikkathu… Asingam pesinal Arulukku pudikkathu (God does not like bad deeds and Arul does not like bad words!) And he gives the opponent two chances- Enne pathu sollu..en kanne pattu sollu before he attacks them!!

Hari and Vikram manage to get the claps for these punchline dialogues, but sadly the film otherwise lacks a new story or presentation. The main idea behind the film is to cash on Vikram’s action hero image. Hari’s idea of the hero cleaning up a corrupt system single-handedly is repeated here.

Arulkumaran (Vikram) is a goldsmith who is highly independent and cannot stand injustice. When his father (Vinu Chakavarthy) wrongly accuses him of theft, Arul leaves the family profession to join a mill as a worker. Gajapathy (Pasupathy) is the local MLA whose only obsession is to acquire property by using muscle power with the blessings of his elder brother Senapathy (Kollam Thulasi) a political kingmaker.

In a tussle Gajapathy is battered to death by Arul who surrenders to the local police. But our man is helped by the police department and doctors who attended on the MLA by changing the murder into a natural death. Arul thus takes up the responsibility of cleaning up the city and becomes the kingmaker of Coimbatore. In between there is Kanmani (Jyothika) whom Arul romances and later marries.

The narration is marred by songs that come at regular intervals - some shot abroad and others in sets. Harris Jayaraj has come up with his quota of mass songs that will not disappoint you. Priyan’s camera is pedestrian and old fashioned. One of the main drawbacks of Arul is the hero Vikram who looks too thin and tired. But he has tried to bring conviction to the role with his screen presence and dialogues. Jyothika is chirpy and bubbly as Mani. Vadivel’s comedy track is a damp squib. Pasupathy and Kollam Thulasi ham like the usual politician villains in Tamil films.

But if you like “Rambo” style action movies where you don’t care a hoot for a believable story the ‘Kill Bill` Arul is worth investing in a movie ticket.

Verdict: Action adventure