Visaranai Review: Dark & disturbingdrama
Director: Vetrimaran
Cast: Dinesh, Murugadass, Samuthirakani, Kishore
Vetrimaran is back after a brief hiatus as director with Visaranai, a lock up drama on how innocent people are forced to admit crimes by torturing them physically.
The dirty power politics inside the police department and the corrupt system is also brought into light in a realistic manner and the film is meant strictly for viewers who aren’t turned off by violence. Yet in the end, Visaaranai is compelling and draws you into its drama.
The first half is set in a shady Andhra police station while the latter part in Tamil Nadu. Like how Ram Gopal Varma said before Rakta Charitra release, Vetrimaran should also emphatically declare that "Visaranai is not for women".
This film is dark and violence begets more violence until you reach a point where you become numb. The disturbing interrogation techniques inside lock-up is not something recommended for women and family audiences.
The movie is about four guys from Tamil Nadu who is settled in Nellore doing odd jobs. Pandi ( Dinesh) works in a small provision store and along with his three friends, to save money they sleep in a park nearby. On a fateful morning, they are picked up by police and taken to the station and brutally beaten up for a crime which they are not aware of!
As the senior officials want to close the particular case, these four guys are subjected to extreme torture and made to admit the crime only to be produced in court. But to their luck (or call it bad luck), a special team from Chennai headed by Murugavel (Samuthirakani) comes to their help. Murugavel a sincere officer is in Andhra to arrest a high profile auditor (Kishore). Now with the help of these guys the team drives down to Chennai.
The second half is set in a Tamil Nadu police station where the guys (only three now, as one of them is lucky to get home) fall into the hands of few scheming, corrupt policemen who are bigger criminals than comman man. Rest of the film focus on the power politics, nexes between politicians and police and how innocent lives are lost in the bargain.
There are some powerful moments and strong performances here. The performances, especially by Attakathi Dinesh as Pandi and Aadukalam Murugadass are strong. Samuthirakani as the upright officer with guilt is superb while Ajay Ghosh as the Telugu Inspector looks menacing. Kishore as the sauve auditor is top class. GV Prakash's BGM elevates the film to a different level.
It takes the Tamil cinema one step further and kindles hope that perhaps someday, different genres of movies will happily coexist here. But how much you relish Visaranai is directly connected to your threshold for dark & disturbing movies. If like me, it’s low, I suggest you sit at home.
