Garudan review: Well-written rural drama on friendship and betrayal

Recently, Tamil films set in the rural milieu mostly delve into caste-based conflicts in Tamil cinema. There is nothing wrong with such films, but when the filmmakers try to exploit the theme beyond any redemption, audiences get bored with the tried and tested formula.

Amid this plethora of rural dramas, director Durai Senthilkumar's (Ethir Neechal and Kodi) Garudan comes as a breath of fresh air. What is impressive about the film is that the entire script is built around the core characters and the conflicts they face. The director powerfully establishes prominent characters at the beginning of the film and builds the story around them.

Aadhi (Sasikumar) and Karuna (Unnimukundan) are childhood friends, both orphans brought up by an old lady Appatha (Vadivukkarasi) in the village. When Karuna is in danger, a nameless boy helps him and they become friends. Appatha names him Chokkan (Soori), and he becomes loyal to Karuna and stands like a rock beside him.

The beauty of Senthilkumar's writing is evident in one of the dialogues in which Appatha explains to Aadhi about her shocking dream where she witnesses a gory battlefield like Kurukshetra in which Chokkan is standing still and doesn't take any sides. This dialogue is a cue to what is going to happen to the three central characters subsequently in the film.

Brilliantly-written rural drama

Garudan is a brilliantly written rural drama about friendship and betrayal, with an underlying Mahabharata reference. Chokkan is more like Karna, who stands with Karuna (consider him Duryodhana). However, unlike what happens in the Mahabharata, there comes a situation when the loyal Chokkan wants to take the side of what is right. 

Aadhi's family treats him like one of their own, whereas Karuna only regards him as a loyal dog.

As pointed out earlier, the characterisation of Chokkan is exemplary. Whenever Karuna seeks the truth, Chokkan gives a lengthy explanation about what really happened although others in the house don't want him to tell the truth. Chokkan’s bluntness plays is repeated several times in the film. The interesting point is that the same scenes provide lighter moments in the first half but turn out to be heroic elevations in the second half.

Soori's excellent performance

Performance-wise, Soori is excellent in Garudan. His transformation after the intermission reminds us of Kantara. After Viduthalai, Soori once again proves that he is a brilliant performer. The scene where he emotionally breaks down in the second half of the film is one of his towering moments besides the intermission and climax portions. It's a delight to see a well-known comedy actor pulling off all the heroic action sequences with ease. Of course, the well-written character and screenplay also helps Soori to chip away at his stereotypical comedian image.

Sasikumar has acted in several films based in a rural setting, but he never looked as powerful as he appears in Garudan. Sasikumar as Aadhi is an upright angry middle-aged man. He owns many scenes with his screen presence in the first half of the film. Unnimukundan fits the bill as the cunning and ambitious Karuna in the movie, though his Malayalam accent fails to suit the rural milieu.

Vital role of women characters

Though the film has three strong men, actress Shivada makes a mark in the second half as her loud cry shakes our hearts. Whenever she gets a solid role, Sshivada shines and her performance in Garudan is no exception.

The director also strongly registers how women characters can play a vital role in men's lives. For example, Sshivada helps Sasikumar reach a compromise with his friend Unnimukundan, while the ambitious Roshini creates enmity between them. Such small gems in the writing are what convert a good film into a great one!

Samuthirakani, the film's narrator, has a grey shade to his character. His presence and characterisation are valuable additions to the film. The veteran Vadivukkarasi, Roshini Haripriyan, and RV Udhayakumar have carried out their parts well.

Visuals and music score

Senior cinematographer Arthur A Wilson has used all his experience to beautifully convey emotions through visuals. The raw and rusty war-like climax visual is one of the finest visual metaphors in the film. Another silent hero of the film is Yuvan Shankar Raja's background score. He has given space to emotions by not having any background music in many scenes and elevated the mood of the film with his stunning score wherever required.

Overall, Garudan is one of the finest Tamil films of this year. Don't miss it!