Taanakkaran Movie Review

Potential Studios is illustrious for churning out content-driven movies made at a shoestring budget, yet experiencing a commendable and convincing results. The production house is back with Taanakkaran starring Vikram Prabhu, Lal, and Madhusudhan Rao in the lead roles. Tamizh has written and directed this movie, which is streaming on Disney Plus Hotstar.

Set in the year 1997 against the backdrops of a Police Recruits School, we come across a young sturdy man Arivazhagan (Vikram Prabhu) as a new entrant. He is filled with aspirations to become a police officer. However, what he is about to witness and experience inside PRS is gruesome than he would have imaged. The school is controlled by Inspector Muthupandi (Madhusudhan Rao) and his personal assistant Eeshwaramoorthy (Lal), who unceasingly torture the newcomers in the name of training. After a certain extent of unbearable scenario, Arivazhagan rises to the situation to confront those officers, but the outcomes are going to be more shocking.

The movie holds lots of salient features that definitely need appreciation. The art department, and cinematography. Both these departments have made the setting of this movie so real. You’re given the experience of being commuted to the dry barren lands of PRS, and the duo has done uncompromising work. Vikram Prabhu’s performance is yet another embellishment to the movie. If he continues to be a part of such movies consistently, then he is sure to scale good heights in the industry. Anjali Nair has nothing special to perform here. It looks like director Tamizh had some inputs from outside to include the romantic track that looks totally unfit for this premise. Lal steals the show with his antagonistic peaks. Madhusudhan, MS Bhaskar, and others have given soul to their characterizations.

When it comes to writing, the initial moments are really gripping, but after a certain extent, the scenes look repeated. The torturous gesture of the higher officials inside the recruitment school upon the new entrants looks repeated. After a few minutes, we tend to lose interest. Although the reason behind such practice as imparted during the British regime looks convincing, the director could have avoided spinning the same acts over and again. However, the writing sticks to genuineness in the climax, which is pretty unexpected. Special appreciation to director Tamizh for not succumbing to a commercial ending.

As on whole, Taanakkaran is a good attempt with decent teamwork. If those gruesome scenes were slightly trimmed, thereby replacing them with some more intense and emotional moments, it would have been a wholesome experience.