Universal Hero Kamal Haasan once saw a short film and remarked, “I hope one day this director will give hope to the entire Tamil cinema.” A decade later, Nithilan Swaminathan makes something remarkable – “Maharaja,” starring Vijay Sethupathi. Tamil cinema today no longer requires hope however, it is now providing hope to the entire country’s filmmaking. Kamal Haasan must be incredibly proud of Nithilan Swaminathan, who is now on everyone’s watchlist. “Maharaja” features an engaging story with proper drama, good humor, violence, and the emotional angle of a single parent, father. The film’s non-linear story structure is well-engineered and executed to perfection.
The film exceeded its budget by an unbelievable amount, making everyone involved in the making happy also satisfying the audience on the way. “Maharaja” stars Vijay Sethupathi as a barber who goes off to register a complaint at the police station to find Laxmi, a metal trash bin that saved his daughters during an accident in their childhood. Maharaja desperately offers 7 lakh rupees to the officers, who were shown as corrupt in previous scenes. This adds interest to the first 40 minutes of the film, but the story makes its way to its thrilling end. The film’s appeal lies in its powerful and well-utilized filmmaking techniques, character development, and storytelling.
Some characters, like the thief named Police, seem unnecessary at first, but they help build the story of Maharaja, who repeatedly narrates a robbery incident to make the non-linearly told ending more interesting. However, the character of Natarajan Subramaniam required more development; it’s difficult to predict his intentions and his role in the story. Despite this, the film employs many well-executed storytelling techniques, such as the snake scenes, which are brilliantly written. The snake in the police station and the snake in Maharaja’s house depict Nallasivam and contribute to the story’s gradual progression.
Characterization is done quite well, particularly for Nallasivam. Anurag Kashyap’s introduction scene, where he eats something at every house he’s robbing with minimal dialogue, adds tension and makes his character more horrifying. However, while Vijay Sethupathi’s character is fully explored, other characters receive minimal exploration, like the teacher, who seemed important but wasn’t fully developed.
Both halves of the story are technically strong. The film’s cinematography by Dinesh Purushothaman is exceptional, providing what was required. Philomin Raj’s editing is appropriate, though the sound design could be improved. For a second-time feature director, Nithilan Swaminathan has presented outstanding work. It will be exciting to see what he presents next and with whom. “Maharaja” is an experience that reflects the prower of Tamil cinema. It reaffirms the industry’s ability to produce world-class films that resonate with audiences both locally and globally, getting it to the top on Netflix in many countries. Kamal Haasan’s early hope for Tamil cinema has not only been realized but has also set a new benchmark for the future.
