- Date of Release: 27 March 2025
- Genre: Action
- Language: Tamil
- Watch On: Theatres Only
Veera Dheera Sooran: Part 2
Introduction
The idea of releasing the second part of a film before its first, is an exciting proposition in itself. It is almost like telling a viewer to directly skip to the slog overs of a one day international cricket match, without having to worry about the tedious middle overs. It is like playing a trial version of a video game that does just enough to pique your interests while taking the game to its conclusion. It is also like a guaranteed high-octane highlights package that reserves the best parts of the game without having to worry about the nuances leading up to the particular event. And it is literally dropping the viewers in the middle of an action sequence without giving any context to the proceedings. This is exactly what transpires in the new Tamil film Veera Dheera Sooran – Part 2, which is the second part of the two part film, with Part 1 scheduled to release later on. As a result, the entire drama acts as a puzzle that you tend to formulate while witnessing the characters and the equations that they share. It is experimental in almost hood-winking the viewers about the character arcs and the character motivations while just about teasing them with the subsequent actions of the characters.
Story & Screenplay
The opening act of Veera Dheera Sooran – Part 2 does its bit in acquainting the viewers with the characters while lacing it with a revenge plot at the heart of things. This includes the father and son duo of Ravi (Prudhviraj) and Kannan (Suraj Venjaramoodu) who are supposed gangsters and wanted for the disappearance of a couple of members of a family. The revenge angle is triggered through a local inspector Arunagiri (SJ Suryah) who hatches a plan to bump off the father-son ‘mafia’ duo. And then enters the third wheel and the most important cog in the drama, Kaali (Chiyaan Vikram), a retired gangster himself who is hired by Ravi to counter the cops. And this is the brief premise of the drama that acts as a piece of the puzzle. Again, there is no context provided about the characters and their motivations while solely relying on its layered and gritty writing to navigate the viewers towards a conclusion. And this in-turn, makes for a thoroughly engaging watch, through and through.
I liked how the writing provided factions of the moralities of the various characters while demarcating the lines between them. For instance, you can instantly make out the kind of threat Ravi and Kannan pose for the people around them through a potential allegation at the start. Ravi is the calm and scheming one, and Kannan remains the intimidating and impulsive one. This matter of fact remains true also for Arunagiri who doesn’t necessarily come across as noble but has his own set of vested interests to get even with the mafia. On the other hand, Kaali is shown to be a family man, seemingly retired from his previous traumatic life, and spending quiet little time with his children and wife. And so, the entry of Ravi in his life is the trigger point for both Kaali and the viewers, given how the drama picks up pace from that point.
Some of the most tense sequences are staged in the most brilliant manner in the screenplay. For instance, Kaali and his loyal ally Venkat (Baalaji S U) are shown to be planting a bomb to apparently eliminate Arunagiri on the command of Ravi. But as fate would have it, a certain mishap ensues that the duo not only narrowly miss the cops but also are narrowly saved from blowing up themselves. The tension in that scene could be cut through a knife, even as you are unsure about the loyalties towards a particular character. This was the beauty of the cold open given that the drama is designed to disallow any sort of an emotional core towards its characters, thereby keeping you guessing about the character dynamics that lie ahead, as well as the past that shaped up the motivations of the characters. This is particularly true for the unexpected interval block that seemingly changes the course of the drama with the character dynamics in play!
Almost immediately in the second hour, the writing does provide a brief backstory of the protagonist related to “A” particular incident that is designed to be ambiguous. There is definitely a tease with respect to the death of a character that is neither shown nor showcased to be related to the protagonist, even as you witness a terrifically staged police station sequence resulting in a murder. The proceedings are designed to be convoluted and vague while just hinting at a motive, without really circling around it. However, this little context is enough to justify the ‘switch’ of faith at the halfway mark, that seemingly pushes the drama towards an intense conclusion.
One of the highlights of the drama has got to be the 10-minute one-take sequences that starts off from a small room only to end with an ambuish. Phases like these are enough to keep you distracted from a bloated runtime of 160 minutes, particularly when the written material felt like a short story. This is because the entire final act of the larger film was supposedly edited to create the drama here, that focused on the layered character dynamics and the ultimate conclusion. The simpler revenge vibes here make way for a simmering narrative that remains layered without breaking grammer with respect to the protagonist who was destined to be a larger-than-life hero while being showcased as a grounded character. This would exactly make the viewers feel that the final act isn’t as grand or larger-than-life with its design, but more grounded and rooted with respect to its understated approach. Yes, the argument partly holds true with respect to the staging (briefly) wherein the final face-off could have bern even more fleshed out. But it is the journey that ensures that the screenplay is fascinating while also leaving you with enough questions to make you curious, the answers to which will most probably lie in the first part.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are conversational and grounded even as you witness the characters conveying the underlying emotions without much shouting. The music and the BGM may not be memorable but in the context of the unfolding proceedings, there is sufficient amount of urgency added through the notes, while creating an ambience of intrigue and mystery. The cinematography comprises of frames that are excellent. Not only do they compliment the mysterious setup, you can make out that a lot of thought has gone into the frames. Other than a couple of long-takes, the frames are also successful in provided massy grounded moments with respect to the characters. In a scene, you see a character asking for Kaali over a phone call only for him to later exclaim that things aren’t as bad for him to return. This tells us so much about Kaali whose presence is only required when things are at their absolute worst! The frames comprise of wide-shots in this phase while slowly getting you closer to the protagonist! Very well thought out, I must say! The editing (barring a few lags) is equally competent while attempting a non-linear narrative style with minimal context to boast of. Hence, the cuts needed to be swift enough to hold your attention (outside the brilliant one-take sequence), which is exactly what is provided here. Director S U Arunkumar who had previously directed Chithha (2023), is in top form here. You can make out his gigantic ambitions with this film that solely hinged on character dynamics without providing any context with respect to the proceedings. And he does show tremendous control with respect to the proceedings while maintaining a firm grip on the drama. He also manages to create layers in the drama that he peels off steadily despite a dense narrative that packs in a lot of information. This is a sign of a director that boasts of some amazing skills while serving a top-notch drama in the form of a near perfect experimentation.
Performances
The performances are pretty solid here. Baalaji S U as Venkat is sincere and earnest and probably the only character that has some sort of an emotional core to boast of. Dushara Vijayan as Kalaivaani has a lovely screen presence and she does a superb job while emoting for her character. Prudhviraj as Ravi is understated with his scheming approach and does a superb job with the grey shades of his character. Suraj Venjaramoodu as Kannan is intimidating with his wide-eyed approach and his impulsive nature that makes his actions largely unpredictable. SJ Suryah as Arunagiri is such a layered character whose shifting motivations would keep you guessing till the end. He is silently menacing and does such an incredible job. Chiyaan Vikram is absolutely stunning as Kaali and it was so heartening to witness an actor completely surrendering to the vision of the filmmaker. There is a silent yet simmering energy to his character that explodes in bits and pieces, while having a minimalistic approach for most parts of the runtime. This itself was refreshing to witness wherein the actor never attempted to play for the galleries, while organically performing in the most understated manner possible. He was simply amazing to witness!
Conclusion
Veera Dheera Sooran: Part 2 is a layered, gritty and experimental action entertainer that doesn’t provide you any context with respect to character arcs and motivations. Yet, its immaculate setting, outstanding filmmaking and measured performances ensure that this experimentation is nearly perfect, thereby making it a gripping watch. Available in a theatre near you and Highly Recommended.
