Blast
Introduction
There is something about saree and salwar-clad women kicking some a*s with their moves, in what would often go down as one of the most pulsating action sequences on celluloid. It happened recently with the Samantha starrer Maa Inte Bangaram (2026), and it has happened again with the Tamil film Blast. In that sense, the subtext employed at the start of the narrative is that of a superhero film. While you are introduced to the ‘action star’ protagonist Rajaraman (Arjun Sarja) who happens to be a Karate teacher, the household features two distinct action superstars in their own rights, Neelaveni (Abhirami) – a housewife who is a trained fighter in karate, and their daughter Nila (Preity Mukhundhan) who has learnt the art of fighting too. In fact, the template remains similar to the English film The Incredibles (2004) – which comprises of an entire family of superheroes. The thumb rule being taught to Nila is that one must rise up against the wrong, even when strangers are affected – a trait that would define the chaos that the family has to deal with somewhere in the narrative. And at this point I must admit that I am a fan of simple action movies that don’t try and dabble a lot with the genre, while sticking to the basics of the genre.
Story & Screenplay
Written by Subash K Raj, Blast nicely mounts itself around the character of Nila to kickstart the narrative. In an early scene, you see her crying and complaining of a blow that she received from a boy, only for her father to encourage her to learn karate – a sport that would soon become her weapon. There are two instances that define her character – one involving her combative interferance with a local goon in order to help out an old woman, and the other involving her lecherous boss at a call center, who becomes the latest victim of her combative karate skills. In that sense, the tone of the drama felt inspired by the umpteen Kung Fu movies from Hong Kong that revolved around similar characters.
The writing isn’t devoid of its detailing, willingly unfolding as a hyperlink – something that you would associate with films like Maanagaram (2017). So whilst you are familiar with the family of Nila, there are parallel tracks involving a businessman who wishes to mine specific areas in a village with perilous effects, a corrupt politician who wishes to gain his ‘cut’ from the profits of the businessman, a local gangster aiding the deal involving a hefty sum of money, a repulsive pickpocketer who often tries to dominate but is nagged by his wife – seeking an opportunity to join a gang for greener pastures, an honest cop who invariably finds himself in a mess, and a Chekhov’s gun in the form of a Rs 100 note that would form a key thread in the narrative, and a twisted passage of chaos that would invariably link the events to the family of Nila.
The proceedings are infused with dark humour given how Neelaveni wants her daughter to get married, whilst not wanting her participate in her frequent fist fights. This particular thought-process results in a magnificent sequence at a chemist shop, wherein the protagonist Nila resists her urge to counter a bossing character, only until she reaches her breaking point. Another positive with the writing remains on how it purely focuses on the action – not deviating into sub-genres of a comedy or a family drama, even while touching upon a similar plotpoint like the one in Drishyam (2013). The difference remains on how it doesn’t wish to beat around the bush, while unleashing a forray of action set-pieces that are palpably exciting and pulsating to witness here.
On the downside, I did feel at times that the events did get slightly repetitive (like the villain’s intentions being hammered in the minds of the viewers), an indicator that the writing invariably did spread itself too thin. While the kinetic synergy of the drama is a primary driving point, the events in phases get too simplistic with their staging and execution – pivotal moments that needed a little more layers in the narrative.
This is particularly true during the multiple face-offs between Rajaraman, Nila, Neelaveni and Ilango (Vivek Prasanna), given that each of them are pitted against notorious criminals or seasoned epitomes of power. The underlying layer of politics in the narrative is negligible, only being used as a trope to establish the conflict rather than contributing in the dynamics of the world. This in particular, lowers the impact of the third act that otherwise could have been much better with higher stakes.
Also, it perhaps would have been a good idea to centre most of the action at a single location with all characters in the mix that would have not only been a nod to The Furious (2026), but also elevating the drama ten folds. But thankfully, the kineticism does supersede some of the flaws in the narrative, while accounting for a fun and entertaining watch.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are laced with dry humour while definitely creating a stir in the narrative. Having said that, the lines are a little guilty of repetition in terms of the motives of the characters that minutely lowers the impact of the narrative. The BGM is pretty solid with the use of sonic sounds during action set-pieces that definitely add a layer of style to the proceedings.
Likewise, the cinematography comprises of frames that not only effectively capture the nicely choreographed action set-pieces effectively, but also use its dim and neon lighting to such good effect in creating an ambience of intensity and kineticism onscreen with a dash of style. The editing pattern is pretty crisp, featuring finely cut action set-pieces. A small improvement could probably have been to allow pure and unadulterated action set-pieces to flow (atleast to the count of 8) without injecting any cuts.
Director Subash K Raj makes an impressive feature film debut by being not only focused on the action, but also injecting the narrative with some nice detailing. And that automatically adds layers of intrigue to the proceedings, as opposed to say something like Maa Inte Bangaram (2026) that after a point felt one-dimensional (despite marginally better choreographed action set-pieces). Yes, the direction isn’t perfect – often being rough around the edges with its staging in a few scenes like the entire final act that came across as too simplistic. But overall, the direction makes a splash with some unhinged sequences that contribute to the fun and entertainment of the drama.
Performances
The performances are wonderful by the members of the cast. The likes of Bala Hasan as Siva and Ramesh Narayanan as Eli have their moments to shine. Dhileban as Arunagiri is sincere and earnest while putting forth a nicely grounded performance. Pawan as Kirupakaran is subtly menacing in a limited capacity (due to the writing), and he does a swell job here. Vinod Sagar as Toby is outstanding to witness here, often accounting for a fiery and intimidating presence – wherein he definitely manages to impress.
Arjun Chidambaram as Abraham is wonderful to witness in multiple hand-to-hand combat sequences, even as his dead-pan expressions instill a sense of fear within you. John Kokken as Varun is intimidating to the core with his antics, almost allowing his superior performance to paper over the stereotypes of his character. He is phenomenal to witness. Vivek Prasanna as Ilango is superb in a couple of hand-to-hand combat sequences towards the end, one of which will go down as a money shot too. Even otherwise, he delivers a well measured act.
Abhirami as Neelaveni infuses humour at the start, but then unleashes her form of kineticism that absolutely breaks the stereotypes of her character. Preity Mukhundhan as Nila can definitely kick some b*tt with a riveting performance that is phenomenal to witness. Her character gets the same treatment as many alpha ‘action’ superstars, and she makes good use of this opportunity. Even her body language and expressions are on point, while putting forth a solid act. Arjun Sarja as Rajaraman is in top form too, almost playing a perfect foil to Nila at the start before unleashing his fury, later on in the narrative. The intensity that he brings to his character is palpable, even while infusing his antics with a lot of energy. He was an absolute treat to witness here.
Conclusion
Despite its flaws with the third act in terms of its simplicity and predictability, Blast is a homemade martial arts fiesta that mostly lives up to its explosive name. The inventive, Hong Kong-style stunt choreography and slick pacing ensure it never loses its fun factor, making it a chaotic, whistle-worthy entertainer. Available on Netflix.