- Date of Release: 05 September 2025
- Genre: Action, Romance, Thriller
- Language: Tamil
- Watch On: Theatres Only
Madharaasi
Introduction
There is something about suspension of disbelief in cinema that would probably divide the viewers, with some wanting to opt for logic and others happily playing to the vision of the filmmaker. But this is where a filmmaker like AR Murugadoss stands out, simply because of his ability to create the most outlandish plot with utter believability. This may not always be true during his recent debacles like Sikandar (2025), but more aligned with his earlier works in the form of Ghajini (2007) or Thuppakki (2012). The idea is always to create an environment of politics in a normal setting while amping it up with outlandish but entertaining concepts that would feel believable. The same is the case with his new Tamil film Madharaasi wherein the focus shifts to the growing guns culture in the state of Tamil Nadu, prompting the NIA to induct a character suffering from delusions, in what is typically a suicide mission. And the result remains that the film turns the clock for Murugadoss who showcases glimpses of his old self here!
Story & Screenplay
There are multiple ways to view Madharasi here – one can be a loose superhero origin story typically when you view the character of the protagonist Raghu (Sivakarthikeyan). In an early scene which is staged as a comedy, you see him on the edge of a flyover in Chennai while being ready to jump, even whilst hordes of people await the moment with bated breaths and cell-phones in their hand. But slowly as you get to know more about Raghu, you understand that he has been suffering from a delusional depression following the death of his family. This has invariably turned him with violent streaks, almost like a superpower that he would use either to save people or double up as a vigilante!
And yet, the conflict in this superpower is when he falls in love with Malathi (Rukmini Vasanth), a character who is dealing with loss of her own. So when that happens, you see Raghu’s superpower diminishing, even in a scene wherein you see him being a silent spectator on the sidelines. The motive here is to question on whether love has that one power to take away something that is unique to you. On the other hand, you are also witness to the suicidal trait of Raghu that acts as his second superpower. So when NIA employs Raghu to go on a covert operation, it is mostly because Raghu has nothing to lose in the larger scheme of things, given how he has been distanced with that one person that he has loved after his family passed away.
Like in most Murugadoss movies, the political angle is gently infused in the narrative here. It isn’t as pronounced as a commentary on power like in Ghajini (2007) or Akira (2016) but more a subtler take on the political climate of the country. In fact, the title Madharaasi is used as a metaphor for the local – someone who mustn’t be corrupted by the influence of an outside culture. Here, the driving force is a North Indian arms syndicate – a direct commentary on the politics of the north (center), and how its influence is slowly infiltrating the state of Tamil Nadu. At the helm of things are Virat (Vidyut Jammwal) and Chirag (Shabeer Kallarakkal) who run the syndicate, and are pitted against the likes of NIA officers Premnath (Biju Menon) and Sandeep (Vikranth). In a broader context, this fight is about the good versus evil that erupts, even as innocence locals are empowered with the use of arms.
One of the highlights of the film remains its terrific interval block wherein Raghu on a suicide mission remains conflicted, and almost being a middle man or a bridge to both parties. It is dipped in humour and accounts for a wonderful high that stems from an interesting twist, something that sets up things wonderfully well for the second hour. But this is also where the drama slips – not to the extent of it being unwatchable but reducing the proceedings to familiar trappings of the genre. If you look closely, the writing runs thin while overtly relying on a giant block of action set-pieces that play out one after another.
While there are moderate levels of thrill in terms of multiple expositions of moles on either sides, followed by violent deaths, the key missing ingredient for me was the emotional core. The seeds of the latter are sown alright, but the payoff isn’t there even though the writing does incorporate a revenge subplot somewhere down the line. The problem remains on how the drama dries out, not quite tapping into the initially setup ‘superpowers’ of Raghu say unlike what they did with Sathya (Sivakarthikeyan again) in Maaveeran (2023). Even the political subtext just transitions into a good versus bad template that limited the potential of the drama.
On the plus side, the action set-pieces are engaging and intriguing, although a tad too predictable. And this repetitive nature of the second hour is what keeps adding crucial minutes to a punishable runtime of almost 3 hours, wherein atleast 20 minutes could have easily been edited out. The finale face-off felt slightly underwhelming too given how the drama was setup, and it is safe to say that the glimpses of the Murugadoss magic was majorly restricted in the first half. The screenplay here is still immensely watchable in the second hour, but it definitely falls short of greatness.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues account for the different shades in the drama pretty well while also pleasantly allowing the drama to be grounded. There are two ways to look at the music and BGM of Anirudh. One being that the BGM is underwhelming while never quite matching the pulsating scale of Coolie (2025). The second being that the BGM is understated, only erupting in bouts when there is indeed a need to elevate certain action set-pieces. For me, I am somewhere in the middle here as both arguments hold true to an extent. I wouldn’t want the BGM to overpower the proceedings and the characters onscreen, but a little more fizz would not have hurt either. The cinematography is pretty good, particularly in scenes of combat and action set-pieces, that surprisingly are more superior to the bland ones in Baaghi 4 (2025). I am bringing this comparison out because both films feature two of the top action stars here – Tiger Shroff and Vidyut Jammwal.
The editing could have ensured a crisper edit, particularly in the second hour that gets a little repetitive without accounting for a strong emotional core. Director AR Murugadoss stages a mini comeback after the debacle called Sikandar (2025), wherein you truly see gimpses of his old self. There is a better thought-out plan of world building and characterization, while also keeping you engaged when the writing runs a little too thin in the second hour. If anything, he misses out on showcasing a strong emotional core that typical could have been the driving force in the second hour. But it is still quite a good outing for a director who was at his lowest, a few months back.
Performances
The performances are pretty good by the members of the cast. Vimala Raman as Sherin and Rishi Rithvik as Harsha have their moments to shine. Siddhartha Shankar as PS2 is terrific while holding his own in a couple of combat sequences. Vikranth as Sandeep is decent as well while being quite competent in a couple of sequences, early in the second hour. Shabeer Kallarakkal as Chirag is intimidating and ruthless while putting forth a solid performance. Rukmini Vasanth as Malathi has a pleasant personality onscreen while doing a wonderful job here. Biju Menon as Premnath is understated while putting forth a commendable performance with his stoic expressions and demeanor.
Vidyut Jammwal is probably the best actor star of the country, and there are only a few other sights to admire when he is in full flow. Here as Virat, he is terrific in combat sequences while managing to hold his own in scenes that required him to be intimidating. If anything, he was a tad underutilized wherein I did feel that the makers could have pushed for some more action set-pieces featuring him. I am admittedly a Sivakarthikeyan fan who has always strived to bring some freshness to his roles. Here as Raghu, there is a humourous streak to his character that he balances out very well with bouts of ruthless aggression. In dramatic scenes, he even emotes well – and this outing is sure to elevate him in the A league of massy commercial entertainers. He was brilliant as ever here while definitely packing a punch.
Conclusion
Despite being underwhelming in the second hour, Madharaasi is a decent masala entertainer backed by solid performances that showcases glimpses of the brilliance of AR Murugadoss. And while it doesn’t reach its full potential, there are ample moments of engagement that result is a satisfactory watch. Available in a theatre near you.