Iru Mugan

Iru Mugan, the long awaited sci-fi thriller from Vikram is finally here and this film has many reasons to be a game changer. This is also the first time Vikram has done a dual role. Directed by Anand Shankar, the film is produced by Shibu Thameens under his Thameens Film banner. Apart from Chiyaan, the film stars Nayanthara, Nithya Menen, Thambi Ramiah, Karunakaran and Nasser in pivotal roles.

RAW agents of the Indian Army Akilan (Vikram) and Meera (Nayanthara), go after Love (Vikram) who’s a mad scientist on loose. Post a battle, they assume they’ve taken down Love but in due process Akilan loses Meera to whom he would’ve gotten married to by then. Fast forward four years, Akilan, now an ex- agent, gets called back into service and that’s when he realizes that Love isn’t dead yet. RAW head Maliq (Nasser) sends Akilan and Aarushi (Nithya Menon) to Malaysia and Akilan takes the assignment only to get his hands on the one who killed his wife. Whether he succeeds in this and if he can save Love’s drugs from reaching the wrong hands forms the story of Iru Mugan.

With looks that yells machismo, Vikram fits the bill perfectly as the raw and rugged agent who would stop at nothing from succeeding his mission. Then there’s the Love character in which he showcases his acting prowess, something that he’s known for, with finesse and grace. The character which has an effeminate nature blended in him gives Vikram the space to deliver a stupendous performance. Though the expressions look repetitive after a while, he steals a couple of scenes with his stellar acting. Akilan character is something that most of the action heroes can pull off with ease but filling the shoes of Love looks like a herculean task and it’s something that looks custom made for Vikram and Vikram alone.

Nayanthara looks stylish as ever and her character which has to look both crude in serious scenes and angelic in the romantic sequences, is something that she carries off with ease. The sizzling chemistry between the lead roles is so perfect that it makes us wonder why they haven’t done a film together before. Nithya Menen too has a good role but her character lacks essence. Apart from the trio, Thambi Ramiah, as a Malaysian cop gets a good share of screen space. Though his role provides the comic relief, his acting reminds of his previous flicks. Karunakaran does a neat job even though his role is minuscule. Riythvika and Nasser’s roles could’ve been better.

R.D. Rajasekhar’s cinematography is outstanding and the close up shots of the leads in songs accentuates the chemistry between them. The stunts looks impressive and so does the chase sequences. Art direction and Costumes designer needs special mention too. Harris Jayaraj’s music have already turned out to be chart-busters. ‘Halena’ song looks spectacular while the rest of the songs break the flow of the film. The BGM though, looks jarred. Editing could’ve been finer as the second half looks draggy. Producer Shibu Thameens has left no stones unturned in making the film look grand.

Director Anand Shankar of Arima Nambi fame has once again given a shot in the action thriller genre and it’s obvious on the amount of research he has done for the sci-fi part of the story. He does leave us wishing that he has concentrated more on the story and screenpaly though. The twists aren’t unpredictable and the obvious ending doesn’t do justice to the first half that moves agile and interesting and not to mention the logical loopholes. The run time could’ve been cut short, especially in the second half, which would’ve made the film more racy.

Overall, Iru Mugan is the result of amazing performances and technical mastery with its fair share of flaws.