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Vikram Movie Review: Kamal Haasan, Vijay Sethupathi and Fahadh Faasil shine in this uneven film

Director lokesh kanagaraj’s vikram, starring kamal haasan, vijay sethupathi and fahadh faasil, has several whistle-worthy moments. but, the plot becomes too generic after a point..

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• Vikram is an action entertainer directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj.
• Kamal Haasan, Vijay Sethupathi and Fahadh Faasil play lead roles.
• Suriya appears in a cameo in the film.

After an explosive trailer, all eyes were on Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Vikram, which brings together three powerful performers - Kamal Haasan, Vijay Sethupathi and Fahadh Faasil. Vikram is a part of the Kaithi universe and Lokesh Kanagaraj made it official just hours before the film’s release. So, those who are not familiar with Kaithi (Lokesh’s second film) might feel disconnected from Vikram.

In Vikram, Karnan (Kamal Haasan), Amar (Fahadh Faasil) and Sandhanam (Vijay Sethupathi) are at loggerheads. Multiple police officers die and a masked group of men claim responsibility. While Amar carries out the investigation, we are curious to know how they all came together. It is here that the ‘ghost’ gets exposed and transports us right into the story. Who or what is this 'ghost' and whether Amar and Sandhanam succeed in their mission, forms the story.

Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Vikram has his stamp all over it. In several interviews, the filmmaker spoke about his love for Kamal Haasan. Every frame in which Haasan appears will make you sit up and take notice. Though Kamal Haasan has less screen presence in the first half, he manages to keep us intrigued. After him, it is Fahadh’s show all the way. The investigation scenes in the first half pull us together when the film gets too generic. Vijay Sethupathi as Sandhanam seems like an extension of his character from Master.

Vikram is not a film without flaws. The action entertainer takes its own sweet time to establish the story, which tests our patience. But, once it does, there’s no stopping Vikram. The film has several whistle-worthy moments which will make you hoot for the actors. Watch out for the brilliant interval block and the lead up to it. Similarly, Suriya’s cameo as Rolex stole the show even though he appeared just for five minutes.

The action sequences are tastefully done and it is brilliant to see Kamal Haasan perform them with so much ease. In fact, it was such a delight to see Ulaganayagan back in action after four years. He scores in the action sequences as well as the emotional ones.

The supporting characters played by Kalidas Jayaram, Narain and Chemban Vinod Jose work extremely well. Vikram is also a technically sound film. Be it the cinematography by Girish Gangadharan or the crisp editing by Philomin Raj, the technical department worked in tandem. Another hero of Vikram is Anirudh Ravichander’s explosive background score. There’s variety and oomph, which helps in elevating important sequences.

Vikram, however, suffers from an uneven screenplay. If only the first half were etched in a taut manner, the film’s impact could have been a notch higher. The second half makes up for the negatives, though, but is it enough?

Overall, Vikram is a film that has some terrific performances and makes you inquisitive about the Lokesh Kanagaraj universe. Some of the scenes don’t land, but there are plenty to cherish and rejoice in.

3 out of 5 stars for Vikram. ALSO READ | Kamal Haasan's Vikram trailer lights up Burj Khalifa ahead of release. Watch Published By: Nairita Mukherjee Published On: Jun 3, 2022 --- ENDS ---

Vikram Movie Review| Fulfilling action saves this ambitious multi-starrer

Clearly, Lokesh Kanagaraj isn’t one to make a film and forget about it. It’s well-known by now—especially after Lokesh himself published a statement on the eve of Vikram’s release—that the Kamal Haasan-film shares its universe with the filmmaker’s second, Kaithi. Set after the events of Kaithi, you see Bejoy (Narain) making an extended appearance, even as some other faces from Kaithi step in and out as well.

You learn that their boss is Sandhanam (Vijay Sethupathi, playing a drug-addled, quirky boss). I liked that Sethupathi experiments with his look and dialogue delivery in this film. As for the Lokesh filmography links, there’s quite a bit from Kaithi, including the protagonist being called the Ghost. I also found it hard not to think of Master given that you see Karnan (Kamal) getting hammered for much of the first half, even though Vikram doesn’t belong in the same universe.

Vikram’s first half is a fascinating exercise, marked by surprisingly swift appearances from Kamal Haasan, playing Karnan (and later, Vikram). Lokesh may have called a lot of attention to his admiration for Kamal Haasan (he called this film a ‘fanboy sambavam’), but well into an hour of the film, I was pleasantly surprised that there was no real urgency in utilising Kamal’s physical presence. I say ‘physical’ because his spiritual presence is smattered all over the film until the interval reveal.

Lokesh takes his time to introduce you to the world, to the motivations and fears of Sandhanam, to the ruthlessness and romance of Amar. It’s fair, I think, to say that his vision here isn’t as diluted as in Master. In fact, so much does Lokesh revels in these multi-starrers that for much of this film, it feels almost like Amar were the protagonist, even as he digs into the case of the police murders. Fahadh Faasil gets ample screen time to express himself, and I enjoyed that even his relationship with Gayathrie, as hurried as it is, feels fresh.

Kamal, of course, comes in with flourish, charisma, and quirk. Most importantly, he seems to be having a lot of fun in this film. In particular, his return to action territory is enjoyable and it is much credit to his energy reserves that I bought every set-piece he’s a part of. I enjoyed the attempts to create unique set-pieces in this film. One stunt sequence happens in silence, for instance. In another, there’s the beautiful idea of a man forced to kill many men in order to be able to feed a baby. The actor’s Americanised English still seems to come in the way of organic dialogue delivery, and his Chennai Thamizh, which seemed par for the course in the pre-Ranjith era, feels a tad exaggerated now. I also didn’t care for what seemed to be a passing dig at a dwarf.

In this film with as many impressive action blocks involving Kamal Haasan, my most favorite is one that doesn’t involve him. It features a woman, who gets a Tarantinoesque announcement of her identity. The violence is all tastefully shot and inventively choreographed, but after a while, it began ringing a bit hollow. For lack of it, even though Vikram stands against the idea that this could be a revenge story, it’s hard to see it as anything but that. The line about drugs affecting society rings fairly cursory too. Some other ideas too don’t affect as they should—like a toilet flush resulting in a bomb blast, like the resuscitation of a baby…

It’s perhaps the influence of The Dark Knight on a generation of filmmakers and filmgoers that it’s impossible not to think of the film when you see echoes elsewhere. In Vikram, for instance, there is a dialogue about masks being needed to do good. Characters wear a bit too much makeup to disguise themselves. And there’s even a dutiful government officer who loses his spouse and steps into the dark side. But where the English film, despite being about all the action, was a thorough dissection of humanity, of the sacrifice it takes to do good, of the interdependency of good and evil, Vikram is largely content to capture the carnage. It looks good, but I’m not sure it feels as good as a Kaithi did.

And yet, Vikram’s merits lie in how Lokesh refuses to have succumbed to the temptation of making a film that sings paeans for the superstar. Who knows, the filmmaker might well go on to realise his vision of creating a series of films connected to each other and occurring in the same universe—films that may bring into the fold more stars like Suriya and provide a platform in which they can play characters they couldn’t otherwise.

The future seems full of possibilities and that’s my most heartening takeaway from Vikram. If, however, you went all binary on me, and posed a variation of the question that was asked so famously to Velu Naicker—and in this film, to Vikram: “Vikram nalla padama ketta padama?” I’d have to take a page from their book and respond with a rather vague answer. Much like the morality of both characters, I’ll have to say it lies somewhere in between, and much like those two men, the film does tilt towards the good.

Director: Lokesh Kanagaraj Cast: Kamal Haasan, Fahadh Faasil, Vijay Sethupathi, Gayathrie Rating: 3/5

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• A special investigator discovers a case of serial killings is not what it seems to be, and leading down this path is only going to end in a war between everyone involved.
• Karnan an alcoholic enjoys a freak life but he gets brutally killed by a gang of masked men.Amar a black squad commando and is team is given the case.Amar sees that two other person were killed brutally in similar passion by the masked gang and they were government officials but is surprised why Karnan was killed as he was not connected to any government agencies.Amar's inquiry leads him to find that Karnan became an alcoholic,drug addict and womanizer after death of his son but also had another side of cold shoulder towards his grandson whose suffering from heart ailment and he lived for him.While investigating the case Amar comes across Santhanam a drug lord who has huge contacts and operates without fear on the other hand the mask gang continues to eliminate government officials.Amar finds who could be their next target and along with his team goes to save him whose under protection of Sandhanam.But the mask gang over powers them, Amar manages to chase their leader leading to an unknown identity called Vikram. — [email protected]
• Agent Vikram with his masked identity leads a masked gang, who have their own tragic story in their past because of a deadly drug mafia. Agent Vikram fights against the drug mafia headed by Santhanam with the help of an undercover agent Amar and Bejoy. How does agent Vikram successfully defeat the gang of Santhanam, forms the rest of the story. — Raju S
• After busting the consignment of Adaikalam and Anbu by Inspector Bejoy three months ago[c], Amar, the head of a black-ops team, is summoned by Police Chief Jose to bring justice to a group of masked vigilantes, who have killed Stephen Raj (following his arrest and subsequent release after being busted for helping Adaikalam and Anbu), ACP Prabhanjan and his foster father, Karnan. Amar leads the investigation by digging into Karnan's life, as his murder seems out of place, since Karnan was a common man and the other two were higher officials in the Narcotics division. Amar learns about Karnan's recent addictions to alcohol, drugs and prostitutes, while at the same time being very protective of his infant foster grandson. While investigating, Amar acknowledged about two missing containers of drugs being hunted by Sandhanam, who runs a much bigger drug syndicate than Adaikalam, named Vetti Vagaiyara. The two containers had to be delivered to his cold-blooded smuggler boss 'Rolex', whose identity is unknown. If the drugs are delivered, Rolex will help Sandhanam form his own government; if not, Sandhanam and his family will be killed. He slowly figures that all of Karnan's addictions were a ruse to cover up a highly covert operation being run by him. Meanwhile, Veerapandian, a PWD officer, assigns a meeting with other gangsters at a theatre, where he reveals that he, along with a contractor named Rudra Prathap, know the location of the drug containers as they want to bring the containers to Rolex, bypassing Sandhanam in the process. However, the masked vigilantes arrive and kill Veerapandian by slitting is throat. Amar and his team arrive at the scene through a tracking chip left behind by Karnan and successfully capture one of them, revealed to be Bejoy. Amar interrogates Bejoy, who reveals that his family was killed for his role in leading the earlier drug bust, leading him to don the mask and join the vigilantes. Realising that Rudra Prathap is also a target of the members, Amar and his team sneak into Rudra Pratap's daughter's wedding ceremony, where Rudra Prathap has also invited Sandhanam for protection, fearing for his life and family. The masked men, along with their leader, arrive at Rudra Prathap's daughter's wedding, where the leader threatens Rudra Prathap by holding his daughter at knifepoint. The leader drags Rudra Prathap, and escapes from the wedding on a bike, leaving the other members to deal with Sandhanam. However, Sandhanam manages to defeat all of them. Amar chases the leader and finally confronts him. The leader makes a video call to Sandhanam and reveals himself to be Karnan, who is actually alive and had faked his death. Karnan kills Rudra Prathap by slitting his throat and escapes from the police. Amar reveals that Karnan is actually Vikram, who was the former commander of the black-ops squad's pilot batch. Vikram's team, consisting of 12 members, was disbanded after a botched mission in 1991 and its members were declared as terrorists. Subsequently, the members and their families were hunted down and brutally murdered but Vikram and three other members of the team managed to survive. Amar meets up with Jose and figures out that Jose himself is Sandhanam's mole in the department and also involved in Prabhanjan's death. It is revealed that Prabhanjan was captured by Sandhanam with Jose's help. Sandhanam had interrogated Prabhanjan about the containers and upon Prabhanjan's refusal to divulge any information, the enraged Sandhanam murders him. This forces Jose, Veerapandian and Rudra Prathap to cover up the murder by making it look like a terrorist attack. Amar orchestrates a bomb blast at Sandhanam's house, which destroys his bungalow and his drug lab in the basement. Jose informs Sandhanam in the nick of time and everyone but Sandhanam's brother Elango manage to escape the blast. Jose reveals Vikram's and Amar's identity to Sandhanam. Later, Vikram arrives at the prison and frees Bejoy and his team. Sandhanam brutally kills Amar's wife Gayathri by decapitating her and sends his men to attack and kill Vikram's daughter-in-law and grandson at Prabhanjan's house. Having deduced this, Vikram rushes to save them, where a team member of Vikram's Pilot Black squad and associate, Agent Tina, who was undercover as the domestic help of the house under the name Valliamma, is killed whilst protecting Vikram's daughter-in-law and grandson. Vikram finally manages to save them. Distraught at Gayathri's death, Amar joins Vikram's gang to take down Sandhanam and his syndicate. He leaves for Jose's house and kills him after learning about his involvement in Gayathri's murder. It is revealed that the reason for Vikram's actions is not vengeance, but a drive to bust the drug syndicate in the city, which manifested in him through Prabhanjan's death. He also admits that Prabhanjan was his own biological son. Vikram and his grandson reach Chennai Port where the containers are hidden. Sandhanam learns about the location of the containers and attacks Vikram. Vikram mows down Sandhanam's men with a cannon and M2 Browning but the remaining members of his Pilot Black squad, Agents Uppiliappan and Lawrence are also killed in the action whilst trying to protect Vikram's grandson. Vikram blows up Sandhanam's containers and Sandhanam is killed in the ensuing blast. Amar mourns Gayathri's death and with the syndicate destroyed, he dons the grease paint to continue Vikram's mission, by joining his team, along with Bejoy. In Sassoon Docks, Mumbai, Anbu and Adaikalam, arrive with their men. They meet up with the gangsters affiliated with Sandhanam and hold a meeting with their boss, Rolex. Adaikalam and Anbu reveal Dilli's involvement in the Trichy drug ambush, and Sandhanam's men reveal Vikram and Amar's involvement in destroying their drug syndicate and killing their leader. Rolex announces a huge sum as a reward for the execution of Amar, Dilli, and Vikram's team. They also reveal the current location of Dilli, in Bundelkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Vikram's family in San Francisco. However, unknown to Rolex and everybody else at the meeting, Vikram is hiding amongst the gangsters and learns about the bounty placed on his team, Amar and Dilli.

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Vikram review: Kamal Haasan’s glorious comeback lays the groundwork for Tamil cinema’s most ambitious franchise

Vikram review: kamal haasan’s film marks the beginning of tamil cinema’s biggest franchise. fahadh faasil and vijay sethupathi make their presence felt with strong performances..

Lokesh Kanagaraj , with films like Kaithi and Master, is evolving into a filmmaker Tamil cinema needs to take seriously and celebrate. What he’s attempted and achieved with his latest film Vikram , which marks the glorious comeback of Kamal Haasan after a lull, is something that not many filmmakers can even envision, let alone execute. Read more: Kamal Haasan says he is glad audience is awaiting his comeback

A self-confessed Kamal Haasan fan, Lokesh not only paid a heartfelt tribute to his ‘guru’, with Vikram – a sequel of sorts to Kamal’s 1986 film of the same name – he teased the beginning of a franchise; one that could keep Kamal active for years to come. Vikram allows Kamal to have fun, and he’s helped by Fahadh Faasil and Vijay Sethupathi , who make their presence felt with strong performances

Vikram begins where Lokesh’s Kaithi left off. Months after the biggest drug bust Tamil Nadu police ever pulled, two containers full of drugs went missing in Chennai, and local gangs have to retrieve it at any cost before the crime lord and the leader of the drug mafia Rolex – played by Suriya – makes everybody pay. Meanwhile, a group of masked men are on a killing spree, taking the lives of some high-ranking officers, which includes a young official in the narcotics control bureau, played by Kalidas.

Kamal plays Karnan in the film. When his son becomes a victim of the gang, he sets out on a mission to take revenge. What feels like just another tale of revenge soon turns into a mission orchestrated by Karnan, who is introduced much later as agent Vikram – the original character essayed by Kamal in the 1986 film.

You’ve got to hand it to Lokesh Kanagaraj for bringing back Kamal’s highly-underrated agent Vikram character, three decades later; and using it so effectively in a story that couldn’t have been told better.

However, the film does falter at places and isn’t consistently engaging, but it manages to merge key characters from Lokesh’s earlier film Kaithi and sets the stage for what could be Tamil cinema’s biggest franchise in the making. What Lokesh manages to achieve with Vikram, which feels slightly long with nearly a three-hour running time, is to give a new generation of audiences a glimpse of Kamal Haasan’s versatility. It was rewarding to see the veteran shine after a long time.

If you can look at Vikram beyond some of its rough edges, this is easily the most satisfying love letter to Kamal Haasan from Lokesh Kanagaraj, who is his big fan. It is amazing to see Kamal warm up to a young filmmaker’s sensibilities and be willing to not hog all the limelight in the movie. For most of the first half, Kamal is nowhere to be seen, but he makes a solid impact in the scenes he’s present.

Fahadh Faasil gets the second most meaty part among the ensemble cast; and he’s terrific. Vijay Sethupathi continues to shine in peculiar roles that are best suited for his personality, and it’s refreshing to see Lokesh use him efficiently after Master.

Anirudh Ravichander’s music, especially the background score, plays a pivotal role in amplifying the overall experience of watching Vikram on the big screen, apart from the terrific action sequences. Suriya’s brief but powerful cameo is just the high one needs as you step out of Vikram.

Film: Vikram

Director: Lokesh Kanagaraj

Cast: Kamal Haasan, Fahadh Faasil, Vijay Sethupathi, Narain, Suriya and Kalidas Jayaram

• Kamal Haasan
• Vijay Sethupathi
• Fahadh Faasil

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‘Vikram’ review: Kamal Haasan’s comeback is an adrenaline rush

Lokesh kanagaraj’s crime thriller also stars fahadh faasil and vijay sethupathi..

This is just the beginning, Vikram (Kamal Haasan) says at the point at which the interval card flashes on the screen.

Right he is. Vikram, a former undercover agent who leads a vigilante group that targets drug traffickers, is used to issuing commands and having them obeyed. The 173-minute Tamil film named after him obeys, being almost entirely prologue for its pre-interval section. Well over an hour is devoted to the mystery of just who Vikram is.

Hot on his trail are government investigator Amar (Fahadh Faasil) and druglord Sandhanam (Vijay Sethupathi), who is missing a vital consignment and is being harassed by his boss Rolex.

Writer-director Lokesh Kanagaraj brings to a routine crime thriller both the flourish he displayed in his 2019 Tamil hit Kaithi and his skill with moulding movie stars to his vision (apart from the three A-listers, there’s an electric cameo by a fourth). Kanagaraj’s Vikram , which has also been dubbed in Hindi, is part of a “Kaithi universe”. Some plot points and characters are derived from that film, while the climax suggests more spin-offs.

Vikram is spilling over with gruesome violence, elaborately choreographed action scenes, dark humour, plot twists, and at least one cute child. Amar has a girlfriend too, but it’s another female character who is likely to draw the cheers.

Fittingly for a film involving drugs, there’s a narcotic quality to many moments. From the substance that gives Sandhanam the ability to channel his inner kung fu master to Anirudh Ravichander’s pulsating Tamil-English soundtrack, Vikram is always big on the adrenaline rush.

The delirium increases in the post-interval section, which is essentially a massive stand-off between Sandhanam, Vikram and Amar. The weaponry get more elaborate, the blood flows, and the action is dialled up as Kanagaraj aims for a literal blast-off.

Not all of the 173 minutes is earned, especially since the plot can be dashed off on a paper napkin. (For all his intelligence, Amar conveniently misses a vital clue into Vikram’s past.) Kanagaraj is sometimes a bit too busy mounting his Kaithiverse to make Vikram a satisfying standalone film in itself.

Although designed as a comeback vehicle for Kamal Haasan, who is also the producer, Vikram keeps its fandom in check. Haasan plays the veteran vigilante with panache and authority. He also gets to deliver soliloquies (some of them in English, of course), and the film does come to a halt when he is declaiming, but it also moves on to the other stars in the blood-splattered sky.

Fahadh Faasil brings to Amar an alert, chameleon-like quality and a ruthless edge. Vijay Sethupathi’s Sandhanam has two gold teeth, a generous midriff and a colourful wardrobe. But Sethupathi’s proven ability to deliver dashed-odd lines and convey deeply felt malice make his character an object of fear rather than parody.

The notable actors in the extended cast include Chemban Vinod Jose as Amar’s boss. The master of ceremonies in the ensemble piece is undeniably the director himself. In a film about the levels of deception, the biggest con job involves Kanagaraj’s ability to retain attention during an overlong and often brutal film.

• Vikram movie review
• Lokesh Kanagaraj
• Kamal Haasan

Vikram Movie Review: Fulfilling action saves this ambitious multi-starrer

Rating: ( 3 / 5).

Clearly, Lokesh Kanagaraj isn’t one to make a film and forget about it. It’s well-known by now—especially after Lokesh himself published a statement on the eve of Vikram ’s release—that the Kamal Haasan-film shares its universe with the filmmaker’s second, Kaithi . In that film, we saw Dilli (Karthi) join hands with Bejoy (Narain) to stop a battalion of gangsters from reclaiming their drug stash. In Vikram , set after the events of Kaithi , you see Bejoy making an extended appearance, even as some other faces from Kaithi step in and out as well. You learn that their boss is Sandhanam (Vijay Sethupathi, playing a drug-addled, quirky boss). I liked that Sethupathi experiments with his look and dialogue delivery in this film. As for the Lokesh filmography links, there’s quite a bit from Kaithi, including the protagonist being called the Ghost. I also found it hard not to think of Master given that you see Karnan (Kamal) getting hammered for much of the first half, even though Vikram doesn’t belong in the same universe. Lokesh also tips his hat off to the original Vikram (1986) by using some photos and information for a backstory. None of these is crucial connections necessarily; it’s just Lokesh having a bit of fun. It’s a bit like his tendency to use old songs as background score. In this film, you get ‘ Chakku Chakku Vathikuchi ’ ( Asuran ) and later, ‘ Kalviya Selvama Veerama ’ ( Saraswathi Sabatham ), but here, the filmmaker doesn’t do it with too much conviction, and so, you too are not as entertained by the use of old songs as you were, say, in previous films of his.

Director: Lokesh Kanagaraj

Cast: Kamal Haasan, Fahadh Faasil, Vijay Sethupathi, Gayathri

Vikram ’s first half is a fascinating exercise, marked by surprisingly swift appearances from Kamal Haasan, playing Karnan (and later, Vikram). Lokesh may have called a lot of attention to his admiration for Kamal Haasan (he called this film a ‘ fanboy sambavam ’), but well into an hour of the film, I was pleasantly surprised that there was no real urgency in utilising Kamal’s physical presence. I say ‘physical’ because his spiritual presence—or specifically, his character’s—is smattered all over the film until the interval reveal. It’s a bit like how the characters of Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged go, “Who is John Galt?” for the longest time. Here, the big question in the first half—especially from Fahadh Faasil’s Amar—is, “Who is Karnan?” Lokesh betrays no restlessness in answering this question. He takes his time to introduce you to the world, to the motivations and fears of Sandhanam, to the ruthlessness and romance of Amar. It’s fair, I think, to say that his vision here isn’t as diluted as in Master . In fact, so much does Lokesh revel in these multi-starrers that for much of this film, it feels almost like Amar were the protagonist, even as he digs into the case of the police murders. Fahadh Faasil gets ample screen-time to express himself, and I enjoyed that even his relationship with Gayathrie, as hurried as it is, feels fresh.

Kamal, of course, comes in with flourish, charisma, and quirk. Most importantly, he seems to be having a lot of fun in this film. You can see this in small arches of his eyebrows, in energetic steps to ‘ Pathala Pathala ’, in even some self-admonishing dialogue… In particular, his return to action territory is enjoyable and it is much credit to his energy reserves that I bought every set-piece he’s a part of. When not involved in close combat, he’s shown to use much fancy weaponry, including a cannon. I enjoyed the attempts to create unique set-pieces in this film. One stunt sequence happens in silence, for instance. In another, there's the beautiful idea of a man forced to kill many men in order to be able to feed a baby. The actor's American-ised English still seems to come in the way of organic dialogue delivery, and his Chennai Thamizh, which seemed par for the course in the pre-Ranjith era, feels a tad exaggerated now—especially when you see Vikram switching to the dialect almost in a condescending fashion. I also didn’t care for what seemed to be a passing dig at a dwarf.

In this film with as many impressive action blocks involving Kamal Haasan, my most favourite is one that doesn’t involve him--and this again is credit to the star's willingness to let Lokesh do his thing. It features a woman, who gets a Tarantinoesque announcement of her identity. The violence is all tastefully shot and inventively choreographed, but after a while, it began ringing a bit hollow. There’s some justification offered for all the vigilantism when Vikram speaks of how the label ‘terrorism’ is conveniently applied and how one man’s revolution is another man’s terrorism, and while there may be some truth to these attractive one-liners, there isn’t too much exploration of such ideas in this film. For lack of it, even though Vikram stands against the idea that this could be a revenge story (and perhaps this is Lokesh speaking about it as well), it’s hard to see it as anything but that. The line about drugs affecting society rings fairly cursory too (whilst reminding you of a similar idea in Master). Some other ideas too don’t affect as they should—like a toilet flush resulting in a bomb blast, like the resuscitation of a baby…

It's perhaps the influence of The Dark Knight on a generation of filmmakers and filmgoers that it’s impossible not to think of the film when you see echoes elsewhere. In Vikram , for instance, vigilantes are out and about. They are climbing into buildings; they are hanging from ropes. Vikram says something about masks being needed to do good. Characters wear a bit too much makeup to disguise themselves. And there’s even a dutiful government officer who loses his spouse and steps into the dark side. But where the English film, despite being about all the action, was a thorough dissection of humanity, of the sacrifice it takes to do good, of the interdependency of good and evil, Vikram is largely content to capture the carnage. It looks good, but I’m not sure it feels as good as a Kaithi did.

And yet, Vikram ’s merits lie in how Lokesh refuses to have succumbed to the temptation of making a film that sings paeans for the superstar. Who knows, the filmmaker might well go on to realise his vision of creating a series of films connected to each other and occurring in the same universe—films that may bring into the fold more stars like Suriya and provide a platform in which they can play characters they couldn't otherwise. The future seems full of possibilities and that’s my most heartening takeaway from Vikram. If, however, you went all binary on me, and posed a variation of the question that was asked so famously to Velu Naicker—and in this film, to Vikram: “ Vikram nalla padama ketta padama?” I’d have to take a page from their book and respond with a rather vague answer. Much like the morality of both characters, I’ll have to say it lies somewhere in between, and much like those two men, the film does tilt towards the good.

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Lokesh Kanagaraj's Kamal Haasan-starrer 'Vikram' is explosively charming | Movie Review

What happens in a face-off between a bunch of bad guys and the not-so-bad guys? You got it right if you thought "guns, action, and more action" was the probable answer.

But that's just glossing through the periphery of 'Vikram', starring Kamal Haasan, Fahadh Faasil and Vijay Sethupathy. 'Vikram' is driven strongly by emotion and bonds between individuals but elevated greatly by the use of guns and action that can only be pulled off so magnificently by an uncompromising filmmaker like Lokesh Kanagaraj.

The theme is cocaine and the underworld running its cartel. A dangerous gang is on the loose after a bunch of consignments carrying their substance is seized. So is a masked man whose identity remains a mystery till the interval.

Kamal Haasan thanks fans as 'Vikram' completes 100-day run in theatres

Multiple-record breaking film 'Vikram' to begin streaming on OTT on this date

The director had mentioned in several interviews that he is a fan of Kamal Haasan's works and this movie is a perfect tribute to the superstar, who is back on screen after a hiatus. Kamal has once again proved there is nothing he cannot do. He looks dapper than ever, handling guns (like a cowboy air rifle or a Hellboy M4) and does action with the ease of a man who has never shied away from experimenting on looks, stories and style throughout his career.

It's very evident that Lokesh's confidence in attempting some path-breaking techniques in the movie, has been derived from the presence of the actor, who has been credited for introducing global-style elements in his movies.

Fahadh Faasil is a delight to watch as he essays the role of a black squad agent, who is on an important mission. He owns the first half of the movie, making a huge impact throughout the movie as he shifts between playing the tough, reckless guy and a lover, who does not reveal his profession to the person that means the world to him.

It wouldn't be wrong to say he is the driving force of the film.

You don't see Vijay Sethupathi doing many villain roles these days, but when he does, he means business. Of course, his character is poles apart from the lover he played in the recently released movie 'Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal' and Vijay looks very comfortable in his role. Malayalee actor Chemban Vinod does not disappoint either in his role as a tainted cop.

Many movies are made as sequels, but Lokesh has never claimed that 'Vikram' would be a sequel to 'Kaithi' starring Karthik and Narain, which released in 2019. But, what else can one expect it to be when several references made in the movie, remind you of the scenes from the previous blockbuster. Narain's arrival on screen and the mention of a ghost, uttered by Fahadh Faasil in 'Vikram', confirms there is a lot of connection between the two movies. Whatever universe Lokesh has made us enter, it's overwhelming, but enticing, to say the least and you can expect either a sequel to Kaithi or Vikram in Lokesh's next.

The music by Anirudh, who is an established name in Tamil cinema, and cinematography by Girish Gangadharan are simply brilliant, blending so well with the movie and taking it to an altogether different realm. The stunts are also exceptional. For those who fancy watching guns do all the talking in action movies, 'Vikram' will blow your mind. It's not everyday that you see a canon or other olden-age ammunition part of a modern-day action movie.

Kamal's movies are incomplete, if there is no mention of politics or an ideology and in 'Vikram', ideology takes centre stage.

Overall, the makers have to be applauded for introducing a global-style of storytelling. The story ends, not with a bang, but with a promise that there is more to come.

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• Tamil Cinema
• Kamal Haasan
• Vijay Sethupathi
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Vikram Movie Review : An ambitious, but somewhat underwhelming action film

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Users' Reviews

Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive . Let's work together to keep the conversation civil.

Almaruf Rahaman 1 121 days ago

User 475 days ago.

A must watch movie. Gonna be a most sensible cinema for decades

Sakthivel Sridharan 625 478 days ago

I have been asking about my opinion a lot of times, why don't you just reply please

Somnath Chakravarty 11 490 days ago

Well, much contrary to this review I and multitude of others think Vikram to be one of the most electrifying action movies of this year and the performances of all the three leads were quite powerful. Also, the cameo of Suriya as Rolex was easily the best cameo of the year in any movies of 2022.

Sakthivel Sridharan 625 503 days ago

this movie is not just worth 3 stars, if you please watch the movie again, you will feel the same. So watch the film again and you will definitely like it. So please watch the film and please rate it higher than before.

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Common sense media reviewers.

Gory Indian action thriller about revenge on drug cartels.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Given the degree of blood and violence, there aren

Vikram is motivated by revenge. He and most of the

All characters are Indian and the film is set in I

People are choked, shot with rifles, beheaded, sla

References to sex work. A character fakes moaning.

"Dimwit," "wretched," "damn," "son of a gun," "psy

Songs and a scene from the 1995 movie Asuran shown

Centers around a drug cartel. Extreme drinking, sm

Parents need to know that Vikram is an extremely violent Indian action thriller with drugs and some strong language. When Agent Amar (Fahadh Faasil), a commander of a black-ops team, is tasked with putting a stop to a series of killings, his quest leads him to Vikram (Kamal Haasan), a man determined to seek…

Positive Messages

Given the degree of blood and violence, there aren't really any positive messages, despite attempts to condemn crime and drug cartels. Toxic masculinity is celebrated.

Positive Role Models

Vikram is motivated by revenge. He and most of the other male characters engage in incessant brutality and violence.

Diverse Representations

All characters are Indian and the film is set in India. Nearly all the male characters are portrayed as hypermacho alpha males displaying toxic masculinity traits. The female characters are either killed off or are reduced to damsels in distress.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

People are choked, shot with rifles, beheaded, slapped, kicked, stabbed, sliced with blades and knives, chased, and violently beaten with hammers. Significant blood, wounds, scars, and gore. Weapons include military-grade machinery, fire canons, and machine guns. Dangerous driving leads to cars colliding, accidents, explosions. Characters are held hostage, bound in chains, forcefully injected with substances, and grotesquely tortured in interrogation scenes. Grenades and blasts severely injure people and damage property. Broken limbs, chopped off heads, and beheaded corpses are gorily displayed. In one scene, sexual harassment is implied. A child has a heart condition; they pass out and have to be resuscitated. Someone's fingers and ears are twisted. Discussion about suicide. A character is tied up, drenched with gasoline, and set on fire.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

References to sex work. A character fakes moaning. It is implied that people have sex under a blanket; no nudity. A character has a polygamous relationship.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

"Dimwit," "wretched," "damn," "son of a gun," "psycho," "bloody," "dogs," "shut up," "rogue," "pr--k," "scumbag," "hell," and "f--k."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Songs and a scene from the 1995 movie Asuran shown. The film features the Alsa Mall Shopping Complex in Chennai. Labels of Apple, Zomato, and Marshall are visible.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Centers around a drug cartel. Extreme drinking, smoking, and drug use. A character drinks excessively, gets violent afterward, and passes out later. Drugs are heavily discussed, particularly cocaine. Elaborate scenes where drugs are shown being made. One character is repeatedly seen consuming pills, which make him aggressive.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Vikram is an extremely violent Indian action thriller with drugs and some strong language. When Agent Amar (Fahadh Faasil), a commander of a black-ops team, is tasked with putting a stop to a series of killings, his quest leads him to Vikram (Kamal Haasan), a man determined to seek revenge on a malicious drug cartel. The violence is severe and constant. It includes chokings, beheadings, stabbings, beatings with hammers, and people being set on fire. Significant injury, gore, and blood is on display. Torture, blasts, and military-grade weapons are an active component of the film. Sexual harassment is implied in one scene. The film has extreme drinking, smoking, and drug consumption. Cocaine is excessively talked about and shown being made. People consume pills and alcohol, following which they become violent. There are references to polygamy and sex work. In one scene, sex is implied, but it's not graphic and there's no nudity. Language includes some use of "f--k" and "pr--k," along with some less severe insults, such as "dimwit" and "scumbag." The film is in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi with English subtitles available. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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What's the Story?

In VIKRAM, Amar (Fahadh Faasil), a special agent, is tasked with the investigation into a spate of serial killings. Crossing paths with Vikram (Kamal Haasan), he soon realizes that things are not what they seem. Will the chaotic mishaps caused by a malicious drug cartel be put to an end with the endeavors of a revenge-fueled Vikram?

Is It Any Good?

This Indian action thriller, directed and co-written by Lokesh Kanagaraj, is gory, dark, and extremely violent. Vikram , with its almost three-hour duration, painfully drags a non-mysterious mystery that blares out random spurts of relentless violence. Belonging to the array of films where the undefeatable, bullet-proof hypermacho hero is obsessively revered, the movie does nothing to stand apart from its peers. Predictable, exhausting, and often hard to sit through, the movie disappoints in its inability to compel the viewer. There is no interesting tale to tell. Characters remain hollow, and there is barely any focus on any other individual apart from the film's titular hero.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the violence in Vikram . Did you find it shocking or did it add to the story? What's the impact of media violence on kids?

How were drinking, smoking, and drugs portrayed? Were there consequences? Did it glamorize them? Why does that matter?

Nearly all the male characters are defined by their aggression and machismo. Did you find it problematic? What do you understand "toxic masculinity" to mean? How can you find positive gender representations in movies and on TV?

Discuss the language used in the movie. Did it seem necessary, or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?

Movie Details

• In theaters : June 3, 2022
• On DVD or streaming : July 8, 2022
• Cast : Kamal Haasan , Fahadh Faasil , Vijay Sethupathi
• Director : Lokesh Kanagaraj
• Inclusion Information : Indian/South Asian actors
• Studio : Prime Media
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Run time : 175 minutes
• MPAA rating : NR
• Last updated : August 14, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Vikram movie review: Kamal Haasan, Fahadh Faasil, Vijay Sethupathi serve up an entertaining action-thriller

One glimpse of Kamal Haasan in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Vikram and you just know he is the G.O.A.T

Language: Tamil

In one of his pre-release interviews, director Lokesh Kanagaraj used a parable to describe the mood of Vikram – a story of a lion who was captured by circus people. In his absence, the other animals of the forest have taken over. His captors release the lion back into the wild, after using his prime years in the circus. The lion is now subdued, more hungry for applause than the hunt. The other animals try to use this opportunity to attack the lion. But the lion shows that he had stayed away by choice, not inability. He was, is, and will be the king of the jungle.

This story definitely sets the mood for Agent Vikram, but in a way can be used for Kamal Haasan as well. Vikram is the veteran actor’s first theatrical release in four long years. He has been absent in the feeding frenzy of box office collections. Several people had written him off. But all you need is one glimpse of the man to know why he is the king. (or should we say GOAT). In Vikram, Kamal Haasan is all swag. It’s not a role that demands a lot from the actor. But it is still a delight to see him in this all-guns-blazing (quite literally) action avatar.

Vikram is a multi-starrer in the truest sense of the word. Multiple narratives and ensemble casts have been a part of Lokesh Kanagaraj’s films. Kamal Haasan is no stranger to this space as well. The actor has a long line of ensemble films where he has been happy to make room for his fellow actors – whether it’s an intense drama like Virumandi or a comedy like Panchathanthiram. He does it again in Vikram. And this time it’s Fahadh Faasil sharing the glory. Both Fahadh Faasil and Vijay Sethupathi share the narrative and dramatic load. VJS is in his comfort zone with eccentricity but the stilted delivery, however, doesn’t hit the right note all the time. The film uses all its actors well, giving them all memorable moments.

The writing exploits Vikram and Kaithi ’s shared universe. The film has enough callback moments to Kaithi – not by plot, but by treatment. We have a similar moment to the ‘Jumbalakka’ one in Kaithi. The ‘lifetime’ settlement dialogue makes an appearance as well. Then, there are the meta moments. Vikram (Kamal Haasan) hands over his grandson to Amar (Fahadh), almost like handing over the mantle to carry the legacy forward. (In an earlier interview, Kamal had said that Fahadh was one of his favourite actors from the current generations.) The film’s emotional core struggles to breathe under the weight of building a franchise. But the surprises keep the curiosity alive. And thankfully, for once, we have female characters who are of actual relevance and significance to the story.

Vikram is not without flaws. There are loopholes and logical discrepancies – some more glaring than the others. But cinema is all about how a film creates a suspension of disbelief and sustains it. It is pacy – there’s a lovely rhythm in the shots and cuts. The camera dances around its characters so fluidly. (Cinematography by Girish Gangadharan and edited by Philomin Raj) This pace dips a bit in the second half, but Anirudh’s ridiculously electric score fills in to hold the fort.

Vikram is best experienced when seen with fresh eyes. But, unfortunately, it is a film that has been plagued with spoilers.

Vikram’s climax sets the stage for a sequel – which would be another casting coup for Lokesh if the film happens. It hints at one of Tamil cinema’s most exciting actor face-offs. Vikram’s charm lies in such novelties – both minor and major. Tamil cinema has not had great luck with franchises, but here is to hoping that we see Agent Vikram back in action soon.

Vikram is playing in cinemas

Rating: * * * 1/2

Ashameera Aiyappan is a film journalist who writes about Indian cinema with a focus on South Indian films.

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