Does Maamannan Herald Act II For Vadivelu?

AFTER his refusal to engage in a brawl with his cousin (played by Nassar) is met with brutishness, Sakthi (Kamal Haasan) begins to fight back in the climactic sequence of Thevar Magan (1992). Even though the manic conflict comes to an end with the beheading of the former, the protagonist himself breaks down as if he’s lost the battle because he’s unhappy with his deed. And, so, while walking away from the scene of the murder, Sakthi calls for peace rather than retribution.

Non-violence, therefore, seems to be the message of the movie. But, as far as the takeaway is concerned, something else has elbowed its way in — a tool of pride for the people of dominant castes. In Thevar Magan, several supporting characters fold their hands in a gesture of subservience in front of Sakthi, as he occupies a place of reverence. Isakki (Vadivelu) is one of those men whose life revolves around the leader. He even loses an arm for obeying Sakthi’s orders. But does he have any complaints about it? No.

In the run-up to the release of his film Maamannan, writer-director Mari Selvaraj had said that this reinterpretation of Thevar Magan places Isakki as the principal character. As a result, the camera’s gaze shifts towards the needs and aspirations of people of his ilk. Selvaraj hasn’t merely turned Thevar Magan upside down, he also draws attention to the ills that perpetuate casteism. This casts Vadivelu in a full-fledged role where he flexes more than the comedic chops that have been required of his previous roles.

While Maamannan is being pitched as his Act II, Vadivelu’s adeptness at pulling off a spectacular range of emotions is well-known. But his rise to superstardom has only been possible in comedy. Being stereotyped has been both a blessing and a curse. Take a look at how Nagesh managed to squeeze in dramatic performances from time to time, but Goundamani, who later followed in his footsteps, was never recognised for his other talents. Of course, the latter has had some turns as an antagonist, but he’s mostly known for his witty comebacks and tormenting his sidekicks.

Comedy is not everybody’s cup of tea. And it’s certainly not an easy task to be at its apex for more than two decades. Although Vadivelu’s filmography dipped in the 2010s, he’s never been completely forgotten. The thing about comic timing is that even the crème de la crème of comedians, such as him, come apart like damp paper under the wrong circumstances. 

Related: Vadivelu Is Maamannan, & Maamannan Is Vadivelu 

In Naai Sekar Returns (2022), for instance, in which Vadivelu stars as a bumbling kidnapper who targets dogs, his jokes don’t land and his companions too do not come to his rescue. Contrast this with Imsai Arasan 23rd Pulikecei (2006), which is an absolute firecracker. Almost every scene is a riot there since the way Vadivelu revels in tomfoolery is on full display. These two extremes are obviously from the same genre. He has also headlined a few other movies in the previous decade, but they are neither reviled nor celebrated.

Another actor we should have seen more of, especially in movies that didn’t have much space for comedy, was Vivek. His unexpected passing two years ago ended those hopes. Like Robin Williams, Vivek too had that quality of effortlessly switching between hilarity and earnestness. At least there was Vellai Pookal (2019), a thriller where Vivek set aside his urge to come up with puns (for the most part) and chased after a criminal instead.

In recent times, Soori and Yogi Babu have also taken giant leaps out of their comfort zones through Viduthalai (2023) and Mandela (2021), respectively. Although Soori’s skills aren’t on par with those of his comedic forebears, he’s terrific as a dramatic actor. And since there’s also the sequel to Viduthalai to take into account, I’m sure his performances will help to widen his playing field. It will also put an end to him being pigeonholed as the friend of the hero in future projects.

With Maamannan, Vadivelu has been brought out of his mould. Going ahead, it will be interesting to see how he continues to reinvent himself as an actor. One sincerely hopes Maamannan doesn’t turn out to be just a stray experiment. He has given us enough funny material to look back on. He’ll never cease to surprise us in well-made comedies from here on out, either. But he should also be challenged on-screen. If Haasan can utter just a single word in the first hour and a half of an action thriller and still earn unanimous praise, any able filmmaker can imagine Vadivelu as the driving force behind future feature films.