The Venkat Prabhu directed S.T.R and SJ Suryah starrer is an absolute blast to watch. One of the most entertaining experiences I have had with a 2021 release. And the best thing about it is that the story manages to achieve that without resorting to dumbing down the plot.
S.T.R. plays the lead as an NRI, Abdul Khaliq who has come to attend the wedding of his friend Zarina. But the real motive is in assisting her to elope with her lover.
An act in which his flight co-passenger Seetha Lakshmi unknowingly gets involved. And although successful in pulling it off, they cross paths with DCP Dhanushkodi and get entangled in a plot aimed at the life of the Chief Minister, leading Abdul to realize that he is stuck in a time loop.
The concept of the time loop has been explored prior in international cinema. A story where the lead is stuck in a series of repeating events over a given time period, and Maanaadu itself talks about some of such movies while referencing the loop. But for Indian cinema, such a concept is quite unique and the movie does a brilliant job of adapting this piece of Sci-fi with a distinctly Indian flavor such that Sci-Fi aspects of the story remain intact while still rooted in the Indian setting.
It does have a wobbly first act, where it might seem like we are settling for a conventional commercial flick where the star takes precedence over the story, but after the Meherezylaa song, the movie settles into its true skin and then just takes off with no looking back, assisted by some absolute masterclass of editing work by Praveen K.L. and a sound design that propels this increased sense of urgency as the movie goes on. The best showcase of the perfect mix of these two aspects of the movie comes into play during a long action sequence for which stunt coordinator Stunt Silva deserves equal praise, where just in a few minutes you see the growth of a character into someone who can do the requisite action utilizing the time loop concept.
Yuvan Shakar Raja provides a score that perfectly suits the movie and the screenplay successfully walks a fine line giving the requisite information while still respecting the intelligence of the audience and still managing to weave in effectively socio-political and religious aspects of Indian society. And just when it seems like the story might have walked itself into a corner, it brings in an unexpected narrative thread that sets up a second-half which dials it up even higher. There are certain sequences where the CGI isn’t satisfactory but considering the budgetary constraints, I can look past that.
S.T.R. is really good in capturing the growth of the character from the confusion initially to being comfortable in his own skin and learning to exploit his situation for his own benefit. SJ Suryah is the scene-stealer as Dhanushkodi.
From the moment he walks in, he commands it, playing a character who will make you roll with laughter while still retaining the menacing presence showing that this is someone you just don’t mess with. Overall Maanaadu despite the hiccups in the first act, manages to rise up to be one of the most genuinely fun experiences I have had in a movie with a screenplay appreciative of the intelligence of its audience led by a magnetic turn from SJ Suryah.
VERDICT- 9/10
