Indian movies of late have been nothing less than some desperate attempts to mint money at the box office. I was shocked to see a cringe movie like ‘Animal’ creating history at the box office. Seeing a trash like Gadar 2 raking up revenues that way was beyond the imagination of a cinephile like me. I rooted for Jawan as it had its roots grounded and tried not to cash in on the then overflowing emotions of Pakistan bashing or male chauvinism.
I guess the intro is very boring and many of the readers have already left the webpage. Well, that’s intentional. Pun intended. Once you are into ‘Maharaja’ the beginning may just appear to be irregular, irrelevant and you might question why this is being considered by a critic like me as one of the finest movies ever made in India.
Indian audience so far believed that entertainment is nothing but a linear narration told in a flat way with dialogues to give goosebumps, to attract taalis in the theatres, to evoke patriotism in the guise of Pakistan bashing. Revenge concept was limited to man seeking vengeance against a villain for ruining his family. Add a pint of salt in the name of sex (not sensuality) and people will start flocking to the theatre with coins in the purse, taalis in their hearts. And if they are ignorant, silly and FB critics, monkey-gate movies like ‘Kashmir Files ‘ or ‘The Kerala Story’ are their answers to the question of a magic land promised by their patriarchs.
‘Maharaja’ starts questioning you right from the word Go. A simple barber with his cliched story of Laxmi being dacoited from his house is something to intrigue you right from the movie starts its journey. Vijay Sethupathy whom I reckon as one of the best actors in India enchants the audience with his simpleton looks and astonishingly restrained mannerisms. Has Bollywood ever accepted a person with that physique as a ‘Hero’? The answer my friend is blowing in the wind…
I was remembering ‘Pulp Fiction’ by the master Tarantino once I finished this journey of witnessing one of the best Indian movies made ever and perhaps the best revenge story ever made in India. The very concept of ‘Laxmi’ that has been been present throughout the movie was so immaculately revealed in the last scene, I was just left with my jaws open. Have we, Indians become so adept in giving a brilliantly written screenplay come to life so adroitly by means of sheer artistry?
The story is simple. A simple man and his daughter revere a bin box in a way audience like the cops in the movie are also left dumbfounded. The daughter goes to her training camp. And there is a robbery in that house. The man lodges a complaint. People mock him for the complaint and try to exploit him. There were times when even I was questioning the merit or motive of the movie and was in a mood to call it yet another Dravidian trash. There it changed its complexion all of a sudden. Whatever we had witnessed were not what we had thought. The director has played with the timeline and the concept of linearity. Like what the young Tarantino did in Pulp Fiction and what Indian movies have never dared to. Once the last scene appears, you are just spellbound. The maverick director has cast a spell. He has crafted a movie with subplots so much intertwined that even Tarantino would have been proud of.
I am not going to give you any furthet details. Because this is one movie deserving to be the one you want to watch before you die. Everything what seems simple and nothing but over display of South Indian emotions, is a part of the whole puzzle.
Vijay Sethupathy whom I revere as one of India’s finest actors does what only he can do. He plays with your mind. He makes you think of his intentions. His nuanced dialogue delivery, calmness in even the most dangerous of situations make you clap for him in awe. The moments of vulnerability as a doting father or those violent moments where he unleashes his rage against those who had wronged him define his versatility.
But the biggest surprise of this movie is none else but Anurag Kashyap, a genius filmmaker himself. I have watched him acting in other movies but here he outshines all his performances and shines as an actor of masterclass genius. His emotions as the movie cilmaxes are iconic and may be taught in the acting classes of an international acting school. Why does not he act in more movies? As a director he has gifted us classics like Black Friday or Gangs of Wasseypur but I sinecerely believe that he has much more to offer as an actor of sheer class.
As already mentioned, the direction by Nithilan Swaminathan is top-notch and I am already planning to watch his earlier movie Kurangu Bommai. He is a magician who knows how to trick the audiences by sheer talent and not by gimmicks popular these days like cliched drone shots or unnecessary use of black and white scenes. Not for a single moment the twists in the plot appear to be contrived. How he uses cinema as a tool to raise voice against violence against women deserves standing ovation.
I have accepted this as one of the best 5 Indian cinemas I ever watched. You will too, if you have the patience to wait till the end. And do not leave it in the mid-way, the confusions arising are all to be cleared in the climax. This is how cinema should be made. This is filmmaking at its pinnacle.
Where to Watch: Netflix
My Rating : 9.5 out of 10
