Director : Lokesh Kanagaraj
Writer : Lokesh Kanagaraj
Dialogue Writer : Lokesh Kanagaraj, Rathna Kumar
Cast : Kamal Haasan, Vijay Sethupathi, Fahadh Faasil, Narain, Suriya, Kalidas Jayaram, Chemban Vinod Jose, Santhana Bharathi, Kumaravel, Vasanthi, Gayathrie, Swathista Krishnan
Cinematographer : Girish Gangadharan
Editor : Philomin Raj
Art Director : Satheesh Kumar
Music : Anirudh Ravichander
Sound Designer : Sachin Sudhakaran, Hari Haran
Language : Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam
Once Upon a Time there lived a Ghost……
Vikram is a nice action-thriller. The film is supposed to be a sequel. The film is a part of LCU, Lokesh Cinematic Universe, the director’s very own Cinematic Universe. Vikram is supposed to have started off from where the director’s last film Kaithi ended. Basically, it’s a sequel to Kaithi. Isn’t it awesome? For a director to have such a vision is commendable. This is definitely worth appreciating. This in itself is very intriguing and generates a curiosity to watch the director’s previous film as well as the upcoming films in the LCU.
The concept of Vikram is good. There is nothing new or fresh about the story. It feels like you have seen it before. It is style over substance. The only wow factor is how effortlessly it is connected to Kaithi. Another well written aspect is the relationship between Karnan and his grandson. It is one of the highlights. The screenplay is well written. It strikes a chord with the emotions. The editing is brilliant. The way the film is edited keeps you engaged. The plot is pretty predictable.
The execution and the background music gives the feel of Western cinema. It has a dark treatment. The stylized execution keeps you interested throughout. The background music is fabulous. It complements the visuals and the edit pattern really well. It has a nice, steady, chilled pace. Not an edge of the seat experience but still palpable. I like the pacing. The sound design is very good. There are two songs and both are superb. One of the entertaining moments you could say is the Pathala Pathala song where you also feel like dancing. Kamal Haasan owns it completely. It’s a fun number. The other song picturised on Karnan and his grandson is also heart touching.
A good entertainer. Decent action. The fights are well choreographed and make an impact. The Agent Tina fight scene is the highlight. Fahad Faasil shines. Kamal Haasan is fantastic. A phantom like hero. He fabulously portrays the emotions and the dualities of the character. Vijay Sethupathi is impressive. He has a nice screen presence. The direction and the storytelling is brilliant. The narrative style and the use of background music is very interesting. The film has its share of whistle and clap moments. Having watched some big action films like KGF 2, the action doesn’t feel very fresh or unique. It feels less impactful. Still the way it is put together and performed is the X factor. The cinematography, the lighting and the production design is superb.
Pro tip – Watch Kaithi before watching Vikram. You will be more invested in Vikram and watching it will become fun as you connect the dots. After watching Kaithi and after knowing the director’s style and the world of LCU, the way I watched Vikram completely changed. I have become a Lokesh Kanagaraj fan.
I had watched Vikram Hitlist the Hindi version in the theater. Then I watched it again after watching Kaithi. Finally, one last time I watched the original Tamil version on Hotstar. I would suggest you to watch the Tamil version of Vikram with subtitles to accurately get the information and the detailing. In the Hindi version the information seems to be a bit lost in translation. Some character names are also different. I enjoyed the Tamil version more. It interested me more. I found it to be more engaging. It was also more entertaining. The music was more impactful. Watching a film in its original form is a different cinematic experience I would say. Overall, it’s a film that grows on you every time you watch it. It’s in a league of its own.
About The Author
Aaditya Bagwe
Aaditya Bagwe is a filmmaker, writer, director, producer and actor. The founder of Infinite Eight Filmverse. He has been writing about films since 2015. A film school graduate in BSC in Film and Television Production with specialization in Direction. A diploma holder in Acting. He has done a short course in Film Appreciation conducted by FTII. Formerly having worked with Pop Diaries as a film review writer. He brings to you his multiverse of writings about films, web series and the entire cinematic universe.
