How Viduthalai broke the shackles and freed the actor in Soori

Trying to box actors into templates of heroes, heroines, villains, comedians, and so on could be a fortunate or unfortunate trend in Indian cinema. While none of these define an actor's potential, it all boils down to who headlines the show. In a scenario where the leading man's cutouts and banners are raised, with even anointments for them, it is only natural for performers to want to be lead actors. After comedians like Nagesh, Vadivelu, and Santhanam have played protagonists in films, comes Soori, like a breath of fresh air. Known for his comic supporting roles, he has managed to impress by being a lead man in hard-hitting films.

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Soori, who famously started out as Parotta Soori, is awaiting the release of his second outing as a leading man, Garudan. It all began when Vetrimaran took a chance with Soori and cast him as the protagonist in Viduthalai. Soori was shown as more than just a sidekick or a foodie who can gobble several parottas.

A Viduthalai

In Viduthalai Part 1, Soori played a rookie cop, Kumaresan, who is caught between the bureaucracy, the people’s revolutionary movement, and the brutality of power of his higher official. Kumaresan was not only a witness to the oppression of other police folk but was also left bereft of power and could do little apart from wielding a rifle. And with this, Soori not only beautifully captured the apprehensions of a man who gets thrown into a whirlwind of revelations, but also the maturity to realise where the real power lies. 

One has to wait for the release of Viduthalai Part 2 to find out how it all ties up. It will also tell us about Kumaresan’s changing relationship with the people of the land, if he is a part of the people’s movement, and if the bullets he fired are aimed at authorised brutality or criminalised humanity. But one thing is certain: it will showcase Soori's acting prowess, which may come as a revelation to the industry. And with Viduthalai 2 promising to be bigger and with a talented cast coming together, Soori is an actor to look out for. All it takes is one Vetrimaaran for every Soori to tap into real talent and break the shackles of being typecast.

Also read: Vetrimaaran says he is not a good role model to aspiring directors – ‘I tell them not to learn from the way I work' 

No looking back 

In Garudan, Soori plays a fierce loyalist to his masters, played by Sasikumar and Unni Mukundan. Garudan promises to be an action film rooted in rural aesthetics. Soori has affirmed that going forward, he will only play versatile characters instead of being restrained to offering quips as a sidekick of the protagonist. And with a versatile and promising line-up of projects like Kottukkaali (co-starring Anna Ben) and director Ram’s Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai, there is no looking back for Soori. 

Also read: Soori reveals that he had to do THIS to play his character Pandi correctly in Kottukkaali 

Viduthalai Part 1 is available for streaming on ZEE5 and OTTplay Premium.