‘Mersal’ boasts three times the Vijay, captivating plot
MERSAL is the first movie that sees Vijay in a triple role. Director Atlee has already carved a niche for himself in the industry, so when he signed up Vijay for his latest directorial and coupled this with three leading heroines, Nithya Menon, Kajal Agarwal and Samantha Ruth, fans and critics alike believed he had a winner.
Double academy winner AR Rahman only heightened expectations. So does Mersal do justice? The kidnapping and murder of certain individuals leads investigating officer Rathnavel (Sathyaraj) to believe that the much-loved and charitable Dr Maaran (Vijay) is behind these crimes.
Further investigations reveal the mastermind is Dr Maaran’s look-alike younger brother Vettri, a magician.
There are many movies that address medical scams in Tamil cinema, but director Atlee’s clever handling of a script that reveals the Indian government’s failure to provide cost-effective medical facilities to the poor, the growing trend to view the field of medicine as a lucrative business and Atlee’s impressive packaging are what sets Mersal apart.
One would not be wrong to think that Atlee had South Africa at the back of his mind when he directed this movie.
A mature-looking Vijay plays his roles with aplomb and ease. Even if one is not a fan of Vijay’s, it will be difficult not to appreciate his performance.
Mersal is Vijay’s fifth movie to enter the 100 crore (about R21. 8 million) club, after Thupakki, Kathi, Theri and Bhairava. He is the only South Indian actor to claim fame to this, hence adding to the commercial box-office success of the movie.
While Kajal Agarwal and Samantha Ruth excel in their limited roles, it is Nitya Menon who steals the show. Vadivelu’s comedic timing runs parallel with the storyline. He is ably assisted by Kovai Sarala, Satyan and Rajendran. SJ Surya as Daniel Arokiaraj, the suave and sinister antagonist, impresses with an awardwinning performance, but it’s sad to see that his talent is not utilised fully in the industry.