Vettaiyan film review: Rajinikanth-TJ Gnanavel's bullet hits the bullseye in this 'encounter' drama

Cast: Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Fahadh Faasil, Ritika Singh, Dushara Vijayan, Rana Daggubati, Manju Warrier, and Abhirami.

Director: TJ Gnanavel

Music director: Anirudh Ravichander

Rating: 3.5/5 

Great things are expected when a Rajinikanth joins hands with a TJ Gnanavel. One is a superstar who turned the tide in the last innings of his career with the commercial hit Jailer (dir: Nelson Dilipkumar; 2023), and the other, an auteur, whose grim courtroom drama Jai Bhim (2021) proved he has mettle. Do the duo manage to meet expectations with their 'encounter drama' Vettaiyan? Read on to find out.

'Vettaiyan' begins in Kanniyakumari where a government school teacher, Saranya (Dushara Vijayan), files a complaint about anti-social activities happening at educational institutions to the Superintendent of Police, Athiyan (Rajinikanth). The cop, with the help of Patrick (Fahadh Faasil), a criminal working for the police, manages to take down the bad guy. However, in a sudden turn of events, Saranya is raped and murdered on the school premises by an unknown perpetrator. Whether Athiyan and his team succeed once again in hunting down the culprit forms the rest of the plot.

It is hard not to draw parallels and spot variations between Vettaiyan and Jai Bhim. While Jai Bhim offered a critique against police brutality, Vettaiyan, meaning 'hunter', features a protagonist who is an 'encounter specialist'. Rajinikanth's Athiyan and Sathyadev (Amitabh Bachchan) in Vettaiyan have shades of Advocate Chandru (Suriya) and IG Perumalsamy (Prakash Raj) in Jai Bhim. Both cop characters justify encounters as a necessary means to deliver justice, however, it is the legal practitioners who force them to look within and correct their oversights.

Given the serious subject, perhaps, is why Rajinikanth the star, takes a back seat in Vettaiyan, allowing the script to take precedence. The initial 40 minutes of the film, however, are sluggish, as the director seems torn between two duties: building up the characters while also catering to fans' 'expectations'. Thankfully, the film gains momentum as the investigation into the central crime unfolds.

Gnanavel deserves credit for underplaying the tone of the film until the middle mark, delivering exactly what the script demands. Even the interval ends on a subdued note, a rarity in a film with such a massive star.

While the second half of Vettaiyan dips and ebbs, and employs familiar tropes, it still manages to be engaging. There are revelations too, masterfully done with the help of callbacks to earlier moments in the film.

The 'message' in the film is not too preachy and has resonance, although a lengthy fight sequence in the climax is bound to test one's patience.

Rajinikanth as 'encounter specialist' Athiyan delivers what the script requires of the actor. Subtle in some moments, the superstar also amps it up in the right ones. The other superstar Amitabh Bachchan fits effortlessly into his role as a lawyer championing the human rights cause. Fahadh Faasil shines as usual — his witty one-liners come as a relief amidst the action and drama.

The rest of the ensemble cast, Dushara Vijayan, Ritika Singh, Rana Daggubati, Manju Warrier, and Abhirami, are believable in their parts.

Cinematographer SR Kathir's superb lens work is particularly effective in two action sequences — one is shot with a Mocobot high-speed camera robot, and the other from a POV perspective. Composer Anirudh Ravichander does what he does best — complements and enhances the mood in all scenes with his BGM and score.

One thing is certainly evident from Jailer and now, Vettaiyan: Rajinikanth, at 73, although limited by superstardom, still wants to try something different, giving space for filmmakers to craft their stories, while also not straying away from his zone too much. Well, the verdict is out: Rajinikanth and TJ Gnanavel have a winner in their hands.