Mahaan movie review: A riveting gangster saga in which Vikram and Dhruv hit it out of the park

3.5/5

Story: A teetotaler, who is born to a Gandhian, decides to live life on his own terms on his 40th birthday when his family is away for a day. The decision changes his life forever - his wife and son leaves him and he goes on to become the ruler of liquor empire in Tamil Nadu - but he seldom regrets his decision. Years later, he meets his son at an unusual setting. They lock horns over a few indifferences which leads to the death of a few people. The irked father warns his son not to interfere unnecessarily in his business and asks him to stop targeting his friends. Will the father-son duo be able to make a pact?

Review: Many filmmakers in the past have failed in delivering a performance-oriented taut script for a powerhouse talent like Vikram. All eyes were on Karthik Subbaraj when he announced Mahaan with Vikram and Dhruv Vikram. Fans were eagerly waiting to know whether the movie would be a roller-coaster ride like the director's last successful project Petta or his previous outing, the underwhelming Jagame Thandhiram.

Mahaan is that film which fans of Vikram would have had lots of fun with, had it been released in theatres. The crime thriller, something which Karthik is good at, is the much-awaited comeback of the phenomenal actor.

The film's story begins in 1968 when Gandhi Mahaan (Vikram)'s father is actively involved in anti-liquor movements. The latter, a staunch Gandhian, wants his son to follow Gandhian principles, and hence named his son after the father of nation. Years later, Mahaan goes on to become a school teacher and leads a seemingly satisfactorily life with his wife Aatchi (Simran) and son Dadabhai Naoroji aka Dada.

Little did he know that a casual conversation with a poor man on the eve of his 40th birthday would change his life forever. He decides to celebrate his birthday like never before when he learns that his wife and son would be away for a day's time. 

Mahaan meets his erstwhile student Rocky aka Rakesh (Sananth) at a bar and befriends him. Soon the former realizes that the latter's father Sathyavan (Simha) and himself were childhood friends. After a day of massive celebration, indulging in several things he wanted to try, Mahaan returns home only to get rejected by his wife and son. 

A peeved Mahaan starts liquor business with Sathayavan and becomes successful in a short span of time. Two decades later, Mahaan, who is more powerful and does illegal activities unapologetically, meets Dada (Dhruv), his son. But Mahaan's happiness turns out to be short-lived as Dada has come to take revenge against the former and his business partners. The plot gets thicker with the involvement of Gnanam (Muthukumar), a minister and a childhood friend of Mahaan and Sathyavan.

The effective screenplay wastes no time in setting up the plot. The story spans several decades, and Karthik ensures that the change in appearance of characters over the years is quite convincing. The characters of Vikram, Simha and Sananth undergo several changes as story progresses and the character arc is beautifully created.

Mahaan becoming more ambitious, Sathyavan choosing the spiritual path and Rocky's body language and thinking becoming matured, all these happens over a certain period of time. Karthik is in no hurry, he takes adequate time in exploring the different facets of characters with compelling sequences.

The performances of the three artists complement the gripping narration. Dhruv, who makes an entry in the pre-interval sequence, too, comes up with a crackling performance. Some of his scenes with Vikram are a delight to watch. Dada's aggressive nature and Gnanam's shrewd behaviour are captivating, to say the least. Simran, too, makes her presence felt. 

Shreyaas Krishna's cinematography and Santhosh Narayanan's background score elevate the emotion in many sequences. The impressive twists and turns, including the one in the pre-climax portion, are icing on the cake. It's always a pleasure to watch Vikram having fun with his character in films which have well-written screenplays.

Vikram does it this time, too, with utmost dedication and conviction. His towering screen presence is one of the prime positives of the film, and Karthik has succeeded in providing him the required elements needed to bring out the acting monster in him. Mahaan is Vikram's best outing in several years. 

It's an engaging crime thriller with a smart screenplay and riveting performances from artists made in typical Karthik Subbaraj style. The experience would have been more enjoyable on the big screen.

Verdict: Vikram is back with a bang, thanks to his fantastic screen presence and effortless portrayal of a complex character which undergoes several emotions.

Mahaan is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.