Mahaan Movie Review: Vikram's Excellent Performance Makes Gandhiwadi Crime-Thriller A Good Watch Despite Of Excess Violence

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Sameer Ahire
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Exactly a decade ago, Karthik Subbaraj debuted with the fantastic thriller Pizza (2012). He continued making watchable films, but two of his films caught more attention – Jigarthanda (2014) and Petta (2019). None of his previous works in the crime genre, including his most recent film, Jagame Thandiram (2021), have impressed me as much as Pizza (which is more of a horror). Now, he is back again with another crime thriller, and this time it's somewhat good. Mahaan is a film that wants to be unique as it attempts to explore the violent world of crime, politics, and liquor syndicates while its main character is influenced by Gandhi-The Mahaan. The film takes too long to get to the point, but once it reaches the point, it starts getting more and more interesting. publive-imageThe film is about a school teacher, Gandhi Mahaan, who gets dumped by his wife for drinking liquor one night. Then he decides to leave his sophisticated life behind and enters into the liquor syndicate with the ambition of having his kingdom over there. Eventually, he becomes a big thing but is interrupted by a freaking violent cop who happens to be his own son, Dadabhai Naoroji. The face off between father and son sets out to kill many people around them, and whose plans work at the end is the only big suspense for you there.publive-imageThe film heavily relies on Chiyaan Vikram's performance, and he does not disappoint. His transformation from a decent school teacher to a bootlegger is the best thing you'll see in the film. Dhruv Vikram surprises us, and in a big way! He appears at the intermission point and yet has made his presence noticed. His confidence is boosted in every single scene with Vikram. That intermission point, his evil laugh, attitude, dancing, everything, he just nailed it. Bobby Simha, Sanath, and Vettai Muthukumar provide enough support, whereas Simran does fine with regular scenes, except for one superb scene in the beginning. publive-imageMahaan lacks the pacing in the first half, but that's still okay. However, I doubt whether anyone will be interested in the repeat viewing or not. All thanks to the boring first half. Wait, we have a contrary case here. The second half is just explosive enough to make you forget the past boredom. The ending has enough thrills and twists to keep you interested. Even the dialogues help in the conclusive part, and you are going to love it when Vikram says it.publive-imageKarthik Subbaraj takes long enough to conclude his points, but was it really necessary? One can argue about that. Rest assured, he has made a better film than Jagame Thandiram. However, it is not overly impressive. Mahaan makes a perfect one-time watch, and if you have moderate expectations, then you're going to enjoy it for sure. Overall, it's a little nasty and slow, but it never loses its tempo. The momentum is not constant there, but it remains steady. The Gandhi theory may work for you or it may not, but other things such as Vikram and Dhruv's performances and the exciting finish definitely make it worth watching.

Mahaan Dhruv Vikram Karthik Subbaraj SS Lalit Kumar Bobby Simha Chiyaan Vikram Simran
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Single Review: A Pop Culture Parody Blast for Single Boys

Single is a Telugu romantic comedy film directed by Caarthick Raju. It stars Sree Vishnu, Ketika Sharma, Ivana in the lead roles. Read our review below (Movie Talkies).

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Sameer Ahire
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Single Review

RATING - ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5*

Single Review Movie Talkies:

Single, also referred to as #Single, is silly on many occasions, but never loses its grip on the comedic platter. The film, however illogical it may be in its storytelling, gains momentum through numerous pop culture moments that every cinema lover would enjoy. From Pushpa 2, Geetanjali, Premalu, Prema song, Prabhas, Salman Khan, Adhi Da Surprisu (yes, when Ketika Sharma is there), and whatnot—it serves maximum pop culture references for cine buffs. It’s a dated story elevated by highly clever parodic moments.

Single

Single Story:

Single follows the story of a single guy, Vijay (Sree Vishnu), who is desperate to mingle. He spots Purva (Ketika Sharma) and instantly falls in love. To get her attention, he poses as a customer at her showroom. During one of his stunts to impress Purva, he accidentally saves Harini (Ivana), who instantly falls for him. In short, Vijay is chasing Purva, who barely notices him, while Harini is chasing Vijay, who is oblivious to her affection. Who will end up with whom?

Sister Midnight Review: Feminine Absurdity Hits Rock Bottom

Single

Single is a love triangle, and naturally, it’s messy. Love triangles are always messy—unless you go the intellectual route like Casablanca (1942) or Thoovanathumbikal (1987). Single falls into the usual trap and becomes illogical at times. Why would a guy go to such lengths for a girl who clearly doesn't care for him? And why would another girl chase a guy who's chasing someone else? That’s not mature—and ironically, Vijay, behaving immaturely and foolishly, keeps calling himself a mature man. That’s terrible writing. Thankfully, there's so much fun and comedy that you overlook these flaws. The screenplay keeps things moving, nailing the comic elements—from parody and modern jokes to double meanings and social media memes about single boys. The wedding scene at the end is an absolute blast. The guy chasing one girl ends up surrounded by exes and then walks off to Prema song. You're going to love that.

Single

Single Cast:

Sree Vishnu is solid in the lead role, and Vennela Kishore aces his typical comic timing in every scene. Ketika Sharma looks simple and beautiful—nothing like her steamy avatar from Adhi Da Surprisu. Ivana is adorable and charming; her temple scene is going viral on social media, and it’s easy to see why. VTV Ganesh gets a few low-brow gags and does okay, and the rest of the supporting cast is decent.

Single

Single Movie Review:

Caarthick Raju's direction isn’t top-tier, but his vision as a screenplay writer delivers. The story falters at times, but he quickly picks up the scattered pieces to regain momentum. The film packs genuinely funny moments and is made specifically for single boys and girls who are familiar with pop culture riffs from the film industry. Watch it with a group of friends—it’s more fun that way because someone (or everyone) will relate to at least one scene. The cinematography is decent, the music is average, and the editing keeps the narrative engaging. Watch it with your gang if you’re okay with spoofy comedy without a solid script.

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Sree Vishnu Vennela Kishore Ivana Ketika Sharma Caarthick Raju Single