Pokkiri – The Pongal Gift of Vijay

The disappointment from Aadhi on his back... Huge expectations of one year from his fans… Heavy responsibility to silence the critics… And the new found responsibility of the Next superstar title conferred on him. Vijay hits a huge sixer crossing all boundaries with Pokkiri, handling all the above said issues with ease.

Comparisons with previous Vijay films and the Telugu original are inevitable, but enjoying Pokkiri as Pokkiri with an open mind will give you tremendous pleasure of watching it.

Vijay works as henchman for various underworld groups in the city and does anything for money. Meanwhile, he falls in love with Asin who tires to mend his ways and take him to the right path, but fails to do so. The continuous killings done by Vijay leave Asin in a fix whether to love him or not. The film takes an intermission saying “Still I Love You”

The second half is all about why Vijay is involved in these underworld activities and what is the reason behind all the killings in the first half. The suspense and the “what next?” curiosity maintained from the beginning till the end of the film is a major advantage for this film. The on-screen chemistry between Vijay and Asin is really amazing and is a pleasure to watch.

The songs are the best moments in the film. The picturisation, choreography, sets were all very appeasing. Each song had a different flavor. Special mentions to the historic getup and concept of Vasantha Mullai, the Prabhudeva-Vijay dance piece in Aadungada, costumes in Thamizh song, choreography and editing in Dole Dole and the marvelous sets in Maambazham.

The Thumbs Up!!!

• Vijay – He is the life of the film. Without Vijay, Pokkiri would have been yet another gangster movie. He lives throughout the film, and stands out in acting, dance, emotions, dialogue delivery, action and everything.
• PrabhuDeva – He has proved that he is a great director too. His touch is evident in many scenes, especially the romantic ones (Lift scene in particular).
• Asin – She makes her presence deeply felt throughout the movie and her role has an important share in the screenplay.
• Supporting Cast –Napolean, Nasser, Prakashraj, Sriman... Each and everyone did their roles in the best way.
• Cinematography by Nirav shah – Best in a Vijay film till date
• Stunts by Fepsi Vijayan – Very natural and realistic.
• Editing by Kola Bhaskar – An important factor in keeping the audience engaged
• Music by Manisharma – Great songs and a decent background score
• Comedy – By Vijay, great timing. And by Vadivelu in parts, though not 100%
• Art direction – In Maambazham song and in many stunt scenes.

The Thumbs Down :(

These do not affect the movie’s brilliance in any way, but still they are the downsides:

• Over make-up of Asin in some scenes.
• Comedy in parts (especially the water lorry and nature’s call scenes)
• Few Graphics, especially the glass breakage in climax fight

Slick and crisp presentation, racy script and excellent performances take the film to great heights. It is a landmark movie in Vijay’s career in terms of performance and he does a role different from his usual ones, which the film audience expects from him.

Vijay fans will cherish this film for a long time while everyone else will just love this film for its fresh feel and the entertainment factor it provides… It’s Pokkiri Pongal all the way!!!