Movie: Madharaasi
Rating: 2.25/5
Banner: Sri Lakshmi Movies
Cast: Sivakarthikeyan, Rukmini Vasanth, Vidyut Jamwal, Biju Menon, Shabeer Kallarakkal, Vikranth, and others
Music: Anirudh Ravichander
DOP: Sudeep Elamon
Editor: Sreekar Prasad
Action: Kevin Kumar
Produced by: N. Lakshmi Prasad
Written and Directed by: A.R. Murugadoss
Release Date: September 5, 2025
Director A.R. Murugadoss, known for blockbusters such as Ghajini, Stalin and Thuppakki, may not be in his best form of late. Yet, his collaboration with Sivakarthikeyan, one of the fastest-rising stars of Tamil cinema, has created considerable buzz.
Let us examine its merits.
Story:
After receiving intelligence that five containers filled with guns are being smuggled into Tamil Nadu, NIA officer Prem Kumar (Biju Mohan) initiates a covert mission to seize them and apprehend the men behind the operation, Virat and Chirag (Vidyut Jamwal and Shabeer Kallarakkal).
His motive is to prevent the rise of gun culture in the state, and he chooses to carry out the operation off the record.
Meanwhile, Raghu (Sivakarthikeyan), a young man struggling with delusion, attempts suicide after his lover Malathi (Rukmini Vasanth) breaks up with him.
Spotting an opportunity, the officer identifies Raghu — who is desperate for death — as the right candidate to send into a gas factory where the containers are hidden.
Raghu manages to eliminate Virat, but in retaliation Chirag swears to kill Malathi. This forces Raghu to fight with all his strength to protect her.
Artistes’ Performances:
Sivakarthikeyan, who impressed audiences as a military officer in the recent blockbuster Amaran, takes on a role modeled on the lines of Ghajini and Thuppaki. He delivers well in the early portions, especially in the track with Rukmini Vasanth, but his character gradually turns monotonous. Rukmini Vasanth looks graceful and performs neatly, though her role is limited.
Vidyut Jamwal appears in a substantial way only towards the climax, while Shabeer Kallarakkal makes a strong impression as the other villain. Biju Mohan lends believability to his part.
Technical Excellence:
Anirudh Ravichander continues to struggle in breaking away from his usual template. Most of his songs sound alike, making it hard to distinguish which track belongs to which film.
Only “Varadhalle” stands out, both musically and visually on screen. On the technical front, the cinematography leaves a strong impression.
Highlights:
Sivakarthikeyan
First hour
Interval bang
Drawback:
Dragged on sequences in second half
Prolonged climax portion
Lack of believability
Analysis
Director AR Murugadoss has been struggling to deliver a solid action film for quite some time. After misfires like Spyder, Darbar, Sarkar, and Sikandar, it is somewhat refreshing to see him handle the first half of this film with reasonable conviction. The premise of curbing gun culture is promising, and the way he introduces Sivakarthikeyan’s character and ties him into the NIA officer’s mission is handled smoothly.
The initial sequences, including Sivakarthikeyan’s track with Rukmini Vasanth, carry Murugadoss’s familiar stamp. The protagonist suffering from delusion is yet another trademark element, reminiscent of Ghajini, while the interval block has shades of Vijay’s Thuppaki. In fact, the first half works because Murugadoss cleverly blends highlights from his past hits.
However, the film loses steam entirely post-interval. Even in the first half, too many songs are a problem. But the latter half has many issues.
The villain gang storming the NIA office with bombs in a city like Chennai borders on the absurd, stripping the narrative of believability. Logical inconsistencies creep in, such as the officer insisting he is conducting the mission off the record while freely deploying paramilitary forces.
The mole-hunt within the police force is formulaic and generates no real tension. From then on, the second half turns monotonous, dragging into a loud action drama with very little emotional resonance.
The final fight sequence goes on and on. It needed better editing.
On the whole, “Madharaasi: stands as a relatively better effort from director Murugadoss compared to his recent outings. The first hour holds promise with engaging episodes, but the stretched second half, repetitive sequences, and predictable screenplay weaken the film’s overall impact.
Bottom-line: Weak Execution
