Maharaja Movie Synopsis:
Maharaja, a barber, files a puzzling police complaint about the disappearance of ‘Lakshmi.’ The police are baffled, struggling to uncover the identity of Lakshmi. Amidst the confusion, a bigger question looms: What is Maharaja’s true motive?
Maharaja Movie Review:
In Nithilan Swaminathan’s directorial, Vijay Sethupathi stars as Maharaja, a barber who files a perplexing police complaint about the disappearance of ‘Lakshmi.’ The story unfolds with quirky contradictions, such as a thief in custody named Police, setting the tone for a film filled with unexpected twists. The narrative revolves around the lives of two fathers, Maharaja (Vijay Sethupathi), who lost his wife while their daughter was young, and Anurag Kashyap, who lives happily with his family. The film’s storytelling, though peppered with disoriented moments, keeps the audience engaged, creating anticipation about what will happen next.
Maharaja could have been straightforward, but its storytelling style makes all the difference. Despite its flaws and moments that feel contrived, the film manages to maintain viewer interest. However, some comedic and dramatic elements are overstretched, making them seem forced rather than organic. The portrayal of violence, particularly against women, is a contentious aspect, used more as a tool to showcase the antagonists’ cruelty rather than being treated with sensitivity. This approach detracts from the film’s overall impact, making some scenes feel unnecessarily harsh.
Vijay Sethupathi shines in his 50th film, delivering a well-crafted performance with a character that has been thoughtfully developed. Unfortunately, the same care isn’t extended to the antagonists, including Anurag Kashyap, whose roles lack depth and fail to resonate. The film is at its best when focusing on Maharaja and the police investigation, but it loses momentum when shifting to the antagonists. Despite its imperfections, Maharaja remains an engaging watch, thanks largely to Sethupathi’s compelling portrayal and the intriguing narrative style.
Review by Baradwaj Rangan
After Kurangu Bommai and now Maharaja, I think we can say that Nithilan Saminathan is a plot-based filmmaker – as opposed to a character-based filmmaker. This is not to say that a film that depends on plot cannot have solid character arcs, or that a character-based drama does not need a plot. But Nithilan’s films are so intricately constructed that surprise is everything to him, and this “big reveal” is attained by construction and contrivance meant to shock the audience. In Kurangu Bommai, this technique of hiding information and slowly revealing just what needs to be revealed worked relatively well. And – strangely, for that plot-based movie – it was the relationship between the characters played by Bharathiraja and PL Thenappan that gave the film its soul. That big monologue by the Bharathiraja character – that was everything. It established a friendship that defined the whole movie, from the breakup of an alliance at the beginning to the villain’s plight at the end.
