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.

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.

Here's the trailer of Vikram:

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.