Tamilrockerz review: A fascinating premise derailed by bad lip sync and a vague screenplay

2/5

Plot: When piracy websites threaten to leak an actor’s film, what happens? (He’s no ordinary guy, but a superstar.) As the film's release date approaches, its producers are in for a shocker and the movie industry predicts heavy losses. This is the premise of Tamilrockerz, a SonyLIV original, directed by Arivazhagan (Eeram, Kutram 23). Arun Vijay plays a cop who investigates the case and tracks down the piracy group.

Review: Half the battle in creating a compelling thriller is building anticipation and keeping the audience guessing until the climax. Nevertheless, much of it is dependent on how powerful the final reveal is. Tamilrockerz achieves the former and fails in the latter. It is no secret that Tamil Rockers and Prime Rockers engage in uploading and distributing pirated content, as soon as a film releases. Such websites cause huge losses to the producers, content owners and creators through their illegal acts. The Arun Vijay-starrer, set against the same backdrop, is a combination of both facts and fiction.

A star's brand-new movie opens in the early morning. There are a lot of fans gathered outside the theatre to watch the First Day First Show (FDFS). However, before it ends, the film gets leaked online by fans of a rival actor. In response to this and hounding calls from distributors demanding their money back, the producer kills himself.

Tamilrockerz publicly announced that Adithya’s Garuda, made on a budget of Rs 300 crore, would be released online a day before the theatrical release. This puts immense pressure on the Producers' Council.

The case goes to ACP Rudra (Arun Vijay), who leads a team to track the creators of Tamilrockerz and stop the leak. 

The story is treated generically. Despite some solid moments, the writing is so predictable that the suspense never builds in the way you expected. After watching the first episode, the buildup to the leaked threat and the big reveal no longer keep you on the edge of your seat. There is a lot of time spent explaining Rudra's backstory, which involves the death of his wife. In contrast to the main plot about locating the people behind Tamilrockerz, this subplot about the cop makes little sense. Is it true that coping with loss makes someone more efficient at his job? I doubt it. In a real situation, the person concerned will take a break or go to a therapist. But, Rudra gets into the action, quite literally!

We learn about the various methods by which films are pirated before reaching their intended crowd. The origins of digital piracy can be traced back to Burma Bazaar in Chennai, where rip-offs of nearly every movie ever made can be purchased quite easily.

Arun Vijay looks sophisticated as the suave cop. Iswarya Menon looks pretty. And, that's about it. The ever dependable Azhagam Perumal, Vani Bhojan, MS Bhaskar and Vinodhini Vaidyanathan deliver credible performances. No matter what they try, you don't see yourself investing in their characters.

Tamilrockerz, which is told in a non-linear style, is at its best when it focuses on the investigation. Getting into the universe of a piracy gang looks great on paper and something goes amiss in the translation to screen—the big reveal is weakened with an overdose of dialogue (a general problem with the series). The director weaves a plot thick with subplots and ties up all the loose ends in the second half leading it to its weak climax. The viewer has much to chew on. And, the final reveal appears as somewhat of a whimper. The bad lip-sync makes the verboseness harder to bear—there’s the slightly disorienting sense of watching a dubbed drama.

Tamilrockerz does not delve deeper into the myths surrounding the Tamil Rockers group, instead, it presents what we knew of them in the public domain. The series, produced by the legendary AVM Studios, has an interesting premise, but the makers had done a poor job of turning those plot points into engaging scenes.

Verdict: The next time you download or stream a movie illegally, think about the damage you are causing to the filmmakers and artistes you admire and care about. I hear you yell at me, “Could you stop, please? I know what I’m doing!” I’ll get to the point: The intention of team Tamilrockerz is laudable; yes. Wish I could say the same about the execution, as well.

(Catch Tamilrockerz on SonyLIV)