'Etharkkum Thunindhavan' review: Suriya's vigilante act sadly masks everything else
Etharkkum Thunindhavan or ET hit theaters on Thursday. Directed by Pandiraj, the Tamil film has Suriya in the lead role. Priyanka Mohan, Saranya Ponvannan, and Sathyaraj are featured in other principal characters. The film is loosely based on the 2019 Pollachi sexual assault case. Though ET falters in execution, it has a strong social message that leaves a lasting impact. Here's our detailed review.
Here's what the film is all about
ET is all about Kannabiran (Suriya), a young lawyer, who takes the law into his hands whenever the situation demands. His life takes a drastic turn when a woman intimately connected to him becomes the victim of Inbasekharan's (Vinay Rai) gang that rapes women and makes their videotapes to blackmail them later. How Kannabiran brings down politically-connected Inbasekharan/Inba forms the rest of the plot.
Lead actors get scope, others are wasted
Now, as usual, Suriya gets the lion's share of screen presence, followed closely by Mohan. Other actors are sadly wasted. As far as screentime is concerned, Sathyaraj and Ponvannan get a significant portion, but they don't contribute much to the story and that just seems absurd. Even Rai's characterization is poorly done even though there was a lot to explore there (explained later).
This is the film's major flaw
Inba is so badly sketched that we are left wondering as to why he is even dreaded. Does he do anything besides recording sex tapes or why did he (spoiler alert) kill his wife? Seeing him only laughing devilishly, smoking, and playing piano feels unsatisfactory. Unfortunately, ET spends its major chunk showing how brutally Kannabiran kills and this becomes an overload after a point.
What worked in favor of the social drama?
What this Tamil film gets right, however, is its powerful message: sexual abuse is NOT the victim's fault and they have nothing to be ashamed of. This is unlike what Papanasam (Tamil remake of Drishyam) shows. The clear vision that ET maintains throughout the film should be applauded. Also, the fight scenes, which make Kannabiran look like a mighty and dependable figure, are impressive.
Here's our conclusion
Pandiraj's direction is taut. He scores brownie points for taking up such a tricky subject and handling it with maturity, that too via a commercial vehicle. Well done! All we can say is ET has its heart at the right place, but a well-intended film is not always well-made. It deserves a watch nonetheless! Verdict: Etharkkum Thunindhavan bags 3 out of 5 stars.
