Irumugan Review
Cast: Vikram, Nayanthara, Nithya, Thambi Ramaiah
First things first! Iru Mugan delivers bang for your buck, no questions asked, and Vikram is exceptional in two characters. He is riveting both while flexing his action and acting chops. Vikram, once again proves that he is still easily one of the most convincing action stars of Tamil cinema. It is impossible not to cheer for the man as he makes his characters Akilan the indefatigable RAW agent and Love the baddie look so easy and convincing.
Although the plot of the film isn't exactly path-breaking in any way, it's got that nail-biting edge-of-the-seat quality that gives it such an advantage when compared to most other films in the same genre. Iru Mugan written and directed by Anand Shankar has one of those plots that you needn't think too hard about. Suspend logic and enjoy the action sequences and slick packaging instead.
The film basically tries to portray the clash between a ruthless RAW agent Akilan (Vikram) and a deadly-effeminate drug lord Love (Vikram). We are told that four years back, Akilan had destructed the underworld drug mafia of Love and finished him off, paying a huge price of losing his techie wife Meera (Nayanthara). Cut to the present, Love who is still alive, gains back momentum and uses a drug called Speed in the form of an inhaler through which one's energy gets multiplied that they almost become strong and uncontrollable for five minutes!
Love begins his first attack at the Indian embassy in Malaysia and the intelligence team seeks the help of Akilan who is on a sabbatical to take control of the situation. As Akilan has an unsettled business with Love, he accepts to take up the mission and flies to Malaysia with his fellow RAW agent Ayushi (Nithya Menon). Can they stop Love and his catastrophic plan to bring the world down?
The first half of the film is a killer with well etched out action sequences and a brilliant twist in the interval. In the second half, Anand Shankar completely relies on Vikram's acting as the actor carries the film to the winning post through his effeminate body language and dialogue delivery. On the down side, though the Speed inhaler concept is interesting, after a point the director uses it too much in the proceedings that it slowly becomes a joke.
Vikram is outstanding and he actually makes you care for the characters he play on screen. Though the film is dominated by two Vikrams, Nayanthara has a substantially good role and is not just there for glamour or songs. She is a big plus for the movie and we cannot imagine any other actress carry that role with so much style, elan and attitude. Among the rest of the cast Nithya Menon and Thambi Ramaiah are okay while Karunakaran and Rithvika have nothing much to do.
Technically, Iru Mugan is truly a film on par with international standards, especially RD Rajasekar's crystal clear cinematography and Harris Jayaraj's adrenaline rushing background score. All the songs are hummable especially the Halena and Maya songs. Locations like Malaysia, Kashmir and Bangkok are well-established and adds richness to the film.
Iru Mugan is a fast-paced action thriller that will satisfy fans of popcorn movies and those seeking entertainment alike. It's a great weekend watch.Go for it!
