Irudhi Suttru Review
Put your hands together for Madhavan's Irudhi Suttru, which may be predictable but compels you to root for the underdog genre.
While filmmakers in West have made several simon-pure boxing based films and Irudhi Suttru (Final round) is actually Tamil cinema’s first step towards this genre. It’s got a predictable premise and you know exactly which way the story is heading, but when the characters win over your heart and you start rooting for them, that’s all what really matters.
While filmmakers in West have made several simon-pure boxing based films and Irudhi Suttru (Final round) is actually Tamil cinema’s first step towards this genre. It’s got a predictable premise and you know exactly which way the story is heading, but when the characters win over your heart and you start rooting for them, that’s all what really matters.
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Written and directed by Sudha Kongura, this inspirational effort is not jaw-dropping, but what it has is a superb screenplay with all the typical elements of a good sports film in place. Over to Prabhu (Madhavan) an audacious boxing coach, who does not have a good name at Indian Boxing Federation. He shares an undying animosity with chairman Dev (Zakir Hussain), a typical politician dabbling in sports administration. When a baseless sexual harassment complaint comes under discussion, the committee transfers Prabhu to Chennai.
Least impressed by the existing boxers in Chennai, an intrepid fisher-woman Madhie (Ritika Singh), who accompanies her boxer sister Lux (Mumtaz Sorcar) for training grabs the attention of Prabhu. He feels that she is a naturally gifted boxer and even pays 500 bucks a day so that she undergoes training.
At one point of time, Madhie falls in love with Prabhu and loses a qualifier, which in turn irks the latter and he sends her back to home. The rest of the film is an emotional roller-coaster ride on how the underdog Madhie ultimately triumphs against all odds to make Prabhu and our country proud.
There’s a perfect milieu, a build-up and a fantastic climax and as all these elements come together so well, for the film to work perfectly. The biggest strength of Irudhi Suttru is the brilliant performances of Ritika and Madhavan, who breathes through their roles. Madhavan is outstanding as Prabhu a real flesh-and-blood human being. He carries the proverbial burden of the project on his shoulder. Intense and steel-like, he stays in character throughout, shunning any traces of glamour or commercial trappings.
Ritika Singh the little stick of dynamite, the anger-spewing fisher woman is a marvelous discovery. Her lip sync, body language and gait is a major highlight for the film. Rest of the cast in supporting roles like Nassar, Mumtaz, Zakir and others are all good.Another interesting aspect of Irudhi Suttru is Sudha Kongura’s raw dialogues and takings. Santhosh Narayanan’s music is undeniably another hero of the film. All the songs and background scores gel with the narration and also elevate emotions to a different level.
On the downside, the pace is sluggish in the first half but keeps you glued to your seat in the latter half especially the climax which is terrific.
Overall, Irudhi Suttru is a perfect sports drama, which should not be missed! Go for it!
