Maareesan – My Flash Review!

For the first few minutes, you could easily mistake Maareesan for a Malayalam film where characters speak in Tamil, as is common in Malayalam movies. This is not only because of the presence of Fahadh Faasil in those scenes but also due to the overall look and feel. The entire first half of the film goes unhurriedly, like a typical Malayalam film, but in a very engaging way. Maareesan is a refreshing change from the usual template of mass hero films in Tamil, such as the recent film Tourist Family.

Fahadh Faasil plays a small-town thief, quickly reminding us of his role in the brilliant film Thondimudalum Driksakshiyum. Soon, Vadivelu joins him, suffering from dementia and trying to escape from his son. Vadivelu’s memory condition sometimes makes him see Fahadh as a thief and, at other times, as his own son. These moments create interesting scenes in the first hour, and both actors excel in them. Just as we wonder if the film is just slowly moving from one scene to another, we reach the interval, where there is a tonal shift not only in Vadivelu’s character but in the film itself.

The writing credited to V. Krishnamurthy is brilliant, and its impact is evident in the way the two halves of the film unfold. In fact, we first see the transformation in Vadivelu’s character through a seemingly harmless dialogue. The post-interval scenes include many elements like flashbacks, which slow down the pacing a bit, but the director and writer keep these parts brief and sharp, quickly refocusing on the present. Director Sudeesh Shankar is well supported by his cinematographer, Kalaiselvan Sivaji, in capturing the frames very naturally.

In terms of casting, Fahadh is an interesting choice for this character, and he easily pulls it off. However, one cannot miss the tinge of Malayalam accent in his pronunciation, which should have been addressed during dubbing, as the character is rooted in Tamil Nadu. Vadivelu, after Maamannan, plays a serious role and again demonstrates what a versatile actor he is. Yesteryear actors like Koval Sarala and Livingston are back, but they are pale shadows of their past.

With the entire story revolving around just two male characters with their motives, Maareesan reminds us of the Malayalam film Adios Amigos, starring Asif Ali and Suraj Vencharamoodu. However, Maareesan is better written because it doesn’t meander into a long-winded road trip. Maareesan is a very interesting title for the film, likely inspired by the character Maaricha from Ramayana. There is only one reference to the name in the whole movie, which appears towards the end, and it felt somewhat forced. The motives of the Vadivelu character seem contrived, but they don’t do too much damage to the film, I must say.

For a Tamil film with no mass Tamil hero, no lead woman character, no love interest or story, no item songs, no mass action set pieces, and no guns and gore, and just to have a simple storyline woven into a good screenplay, Maareesan is refreshing to watch. The throwback to Ilaiyaraaja’s hit song “Nethu oruthara..” from the film Puthu Paattu is an interesting touch. Maareesan is a good watch. It is streaming on Netflix.