Viruman movie review

2022 - 8 - 12

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Image courtesy of "The News Minute"

Viruman review: Karthi's rural entertainer is tepid and formulaic (The News Minute)

In his previous film 'Devarattam', Muthaiah used sexual violence as a prop to further the hero's arc. In 'Viruman', it is domestic violence.

GM Sundar is wasted in the role of a corrupt MLA. The film is resolutely about Viruman vs Muniyandi, with each trying to get the better of the two. This is a small town where a young woman can have no aspirations other than marriage; but this is also a small town where a young woman can kiss a man on the lips in front of the panchayat because it makes for a good interval block. The bad men use ‘pombala’ (woman) as an insult; the good men think a ‘pombala’ is a ‘pokkisham’ (treasure). None of them think a ‘pombala’ is human, and can do more in life than stand around witnessing their endless clashes. For the rest of the film, she is a photograph. Cut to the present, and Viruman makes his entry in a wrestling competition.

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Image courtesy of "Hindustan Times"

Viruman movie review: Karthi leads a predictable but engaging drama (Hindustan Times)

Viruman movie review: Karthi's film is a predictable but engaging rural drama. While Viruman is no Komban, it works. Mostly because of the performances and ...

Viruman grows up into a fine young man but his hatred towards his father remains intact and he looks forward to opportunities to teach his father a lesson. Viruman is no Komban, the last outing from the Muthaiya-Karthi combo, but it’s definitely one of the better rural-based stories to come out of Tamil cinema in recent years. Filmmaker Muthaiya is probably the lone Tamil filmmaker – even after close to a decade since his debut – who still continues to make rural-based stories.

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Image courtesy of "The Hindu"

'Viruman' movie review: Karthi and Prakash Raj are endearing in ... (The Hindu)

'Viruman' starring Karthi and Aditi Shankar is definitely an upgrade from Muthaiya's previous films. At best, it is watchable and to some extent, ...

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Image courtesy of "India Today"

Viruman Movie Review: Karthi's flavourless film is full of stale ideas (India Today)

Director Muthaiah's Viruman starring Karthi, Aditi Shankar and Prakash Raj is a redundant film with a predictable screenplay. Karthi and Prakash Raj's ...

He is the kind of person who thinks a woman in his house is predominantly a baby-making machine and should heed to a man's pleasure. Viruman is a showreel for Aditi Shankar, daughter of legendary director Shankar. She has displayed her acting, dancing and dialogue delivery skills. For example, Thaenu (Aditi Shankar) is the only woman who likes Muthupandi and is willing to fight anyone for him. And he is a father of four sons. RK Suresh, who plays one of the villains, says 'I'll kill the father before I kill the son. Muniyaandi (Prakash Raj) is a tahsildar who is misogynistic and sexist.

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Image courtesy of "The Indian Express"

Viruman movie review: Karthi's film is passable (The Indian Express)

Karthi in Viruman. Director Muthaiya has developed a reputation as being one of the few Tamil directors, who can pull off films about rural Tamil Nadu. Yet, his ...

At the end of the day, the problems notwithstanding, Viruman is a safe film for both the makers and the audience. In Viruman, there is a scene where Thaen’s face reflects on Viruman’s dead mother’s photo – it was one of many instances where I laughed at the film. Not just the old ideas, the film also harps on the outdated formula of Tamil cinema, where everything ends on a happy note. Viruman is conflictless from the start. However, Viruman is uncontrollable, and he is moments away from going for the kill. Like all his previous films, Viruman is another straightforward film with moralistic stands and conservative ideas that are welcomed by the masses.

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Image courtesy of "Cinema Express"

Viruman Movie Review: Many bad guys get beaten up, but we hurt ... (Cinema Express)

Who else is going to be as devotional, as chaste and pure? The role is played by Aditi Shankar, for whom this film functions as a quick exhibition of her ...

Once the heroine gets established in a temple, it’s time for a villain scene, and then, a fight scene, and then, a comedy scene, and then, a duet… At some point in the first half, Viruman comments, “Elaam palasaa irukke…” I doubt I could come up with anything more straightforward to summarise this film with. In one serious scene, a bad guy—with intentions of causing trouble—asks the restaurant owner to bring him eggs, and the latter shows his resistance by bringing back a slate on which he’s drawn five circles. The film also stresses on the importance of ‘maanam’ (and as one song goes, ‘Viruman maanam mattum peru soththu, adha seendi paatha vizhum kuththu’). Several dozens of guys, in this film, are at the receiving end of these kuththus. A new scene shows someone lighting a vilakku in a temple and instantly, you can sense that the heroine arrival is imminent. Director Muthaiya's latest template exercise is that sort of film—it allows you time for plenty of casual musing, while it goes about checking the usual boxes.

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Image courtesy of "News18"

Viruman Movie Review: Karthi, Prakash Raj Starrer is a ... (News18)

Tamil film Viruman is about a good-hearted son played by Karthi trying to get his arrogantly brutish father, Muthupandi (Prakash Raj), to mend his ways.

Karthi was interesting in his 2007 debut, Paruthiveeran, but has somehow never managed to wean himself away from the same kind of portrayals, infused with rage and rancour, in his later outings. The dialogues, especially those between the father and son, are remorseless, bordering on the cruel. In brief, Muthaiah’s film is all about a good-hearted son (Viruman/Karthi) trying to get his arrogantly brutish father, Muthupandi (Prakash Raj), to mend his ways.

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Image courtesy of "Firstpost"

Viruman movie review: Karthi's film almost fools you into believing ... (Firstpost)

I see Viruman as a victim of cycle of abuse, not as a hero who managed to bring a change in his father because I didn't see this change.

One is of Viruman coming up with a plan to get his brother’s choice of partner get accepted by their devil of a father. I see Viruman as a victim of cycle of abuse, not as a hero who managed to bring a change in his father because I didn’t see this change. So is that all it takes for a woman to fall in love with a man, especially one that she had been hating on even a moment ago? It is so strong that Viruman goes to the extent of gifting a ring to the man who whacked his father. I realized that the humorous moments were not intended as such, but I had seen it through a prism of hope. What makes this film a tad bit interest is the hatred that Viruman holds in his heart for his father.

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