It has been a while since I have watched or reviewed a proper commercial potboiler. As mentioned earlier, I do enjoy my share of the ‘masala’ provided it is done well and provided there are no mindless acts put up. So, I decided to watch the Tamil flick, Bigil, starring superstar Vijay. This film incidently also has a theme of football, and I was excited to see the amalgamation of sport in a proper commercial masala entertainer. Does it entertain us….lets find out.

Bigil is the story of Michael, a local goon who is forced to get back to his first love football, by coaching an underdog women’s team, a sport that he had left after his father was brutally murdered. The story has all the ingredients of a commercial potboiler. The screenplay, though over the top, is surprisingly well written. With the twists and turns, the story does keep you invested. Ofcourse, the antics are moulded for the masses but you did sign up for this didn’t you? At no point could I say that I was bored which means the writers have done their job well. Another plus being, it touches a few social issues in its narrative that definitely give meaning to this film. The dialogues are ‘Bigil'(whistle) worthy and aimed for the front brenchers. Music is vibrant and adds a flavour to the mood of the film. A word on the action that is entertaining as well! Director Atlee does show a lot of flair in his department, one of the strongest aspects of this film is the direction that keeps the boat sailing.

Kathir playing his namesake is good in a cameo. Jackie Shroff, apne Jaggu Dada, as Sharma plays his role with a certain style and definitely adds star power here. Arjan Bajwa as Samar shines in a cameo. Amongst the girls of the team, Varsha Bollamma as Gayathri, Reba Monica John as Anitha and Amritha Aiyar as Thendral shine. Daniel Balaji as Daniel is pretty good. Nayanthara as Angel(yes that is her name) looks so pretty and has done an outstanding job. The star of the show though is the superstar Joseph Vijay in a dual role(father and son). His swag, his mannerisms definitely are whistle worthy and his acting impresses too. From delivering an emotional speech to unleashing his swag, the man does it all! This is his first work that I have witnessed and wish to see more of him.

Bigil is a good commercial entertainer and definitely manages to entertain. It just shows that if a little emotion is added to mindless action, the results are productive. Available on Amazon Prime!