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Acharya
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'Acharya' - Compels attention

By P. Sreekumaran
Film critic, ApunKaChoice.Com

‘Acharya’ is yet another gangster-genre movie to come out of Kollywood this year. In fact, it would be no exaggeration to say that the dominant feature of Tamil cinema this year has been movies on gangsters.

Like all other gangster flicks, the mood of ‘Acharya’ is also dark and foreboding with a sense of doom permeating the frames right from the word go!

Negatives

apart, Ravi deserves kudos for making an impressive directorial debut, albeit imbued with dark hues. It is clear that Ravi has learnt a lot from his mentor Bala. The disciple has put the skills imparted by the guru to excellent use in ‘Acharya’.

‘Acharya’ tells the tale of how a poor Brahmin youth, buffeted by the vagaries of life, turns a gangster.

Yadhunandhan (Vignesh), an orphan, finds himself in a big city (Madurai in Tamil Nadu in this case). His mission is simple : to eke out a decent living. But fate throws him into the gang of Mayakka (Vadivukarasi), a no-nonsense woman vegetable vendor. Mayakka's word is law in her area of domination.

Yadu has his baptism by fire in this grim setting. And in no time, Yadhu morphs into a full-fledged gangster who is pally with all fellow roughnecks including gang leader Annavi Thevar (brilliantly etched out by Nasser).

The twist in the tale comes with the killing of Mayakka, who falls victim to gang feud. The battle for survival forces Yadhu to be on the run. Many of his fellow gangsters get killed in police encounters.

But Thevar settles for a compromise to save his life. Now Yadhu has only a one-point mission to accomplish : bring Thevar to book. He pulls it off with the help of his girl friend (Divya), who is a cop, and the local SP (Charanraj).

The frames are dark and gloomy. Perhaps it is inevitable, given the demands of the gangster movie's format.

However, the director leaves many questions hanging in the air, as it were. For instance, why does Yadhu become a gangster? There are many others queries that cry for an answer. Likewise, the love affair between Yadhu and his girlfriend has not been etched out properly.

A world on Srikant Deva's music. It heightens the sense of foreboding that animates Acharya.

In the acting department, it is Vadivukarasi who walks away with the trophy. Vadivu has infused immense energy and verve into the role of the tough vegetable vendor Mayakka. Charanraj is a highly impressive Superintendent of Police.

‘Acharya’ is, in a manner of speaking, a comeback flick for hero Vignesh. And what a spectacular comeback it is! Nasser as Thevar is impressively menacing.

All in all, Ravi's directorial debut is impressive. You can expect greater contributions from the young disciple of Bala.

Verdict : Compels attention.

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