Etharkkum Thunindhavan movie review: Suriya goes all out in a less restrained follow-up to Jai Bhim

Suriya, whose last two films released directly on OTT platforms, makes a strong comeback to commercial cinema space with his latest outing Etharkkum Thunindhavan. It takes the star back to his glory days when he made strong impact with films like Singam and Ayan. Pandiraj’s film is a very formulaic entertainer that throws the spotlight on the infamous Pollachi sexual-assault case and manages to deliver a strong message. However, what the film lacks is a little sensitivity. Also read: Etharkkum Thunindhavan trailer: Suriya goes from life-saving lawyer in Jai Bhim to avenging hero, Watch

Suriya plays Kannabiran, a doting son to his parents, a law-abiding citizen, a fearless lawyer and above all, a brother to a lot of women in his village. Kannabiran is the go-to guy for any problem in the village and nobody can deal with a situation like he does. All’s well in Kannabiran’s life until the arrival of Inba (Vinay Rai), a corrupt businessman who preys on young women. When some women find themselves caught in a sexual-assault racket, they seek Kannabiran’s help to handle the situation.

Based on the real-life Pollachi sexual-assault case, Suriya’s Etharkkum Thunindhavan is a well-intentioned tale and it gets a lot of things right by commercial cinema standards. However, it misses out on being more sensible towards handling the subject of sexual assault apart from just being overtly emotional. For a film that talks about how we treat women and their safety, it could’ve avoided having Vinay’s character glorify sexual assault like it’s some achievement. At the same time, the film also talks about how victims of rape should bravely come forward and speak up, which is strongly conveyed through a crucial scene featuring Priyanka Arul Mohan. Therefore, it's not that the entire film is problematic but it definitely could’ve done a better job at handling such a sensitive subject.

From a life-saving lawyer in Jai Bhim to an avenging hero in Etharkkum Thunindhavan; Suriya proves once again that there isn’t a role in which he can’t shine. It was refreshing to see him as a dhoti-clad hero against a rural backdrop after many years and he effortlessly pulls off the character of Kannabiran. Vinay Rai is starting to get repetitive in roles that only require him to look good and mouth dialogues that are written just for the sake of it. He will go down as one of the most problematic characters of the year in Tamil cinema.

Suriya holds the film together with a very strong performance. If Jai Bhim saw Suriya deliver a restrained performance, he goes all out to in Etharkkum Thunindhavan to pander to the masses.

Etharkkum Thunindhavan

Director: Pandiraj

Cast: Suriya, Priyanka Arul Mohan, Sathyaraj and Vinay Rai

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