Kollywood’s obsession with cops continues with Adanga Maru . Jayam Ravi might be just another sub-inspector in the force, but he gets a clichéd introductory sequence in the film. A situation has developed, and it’s up to Subhash (Jayam Ravi) to solve it. A low-angle shot of his boots. Slow-motion shots of him striding. A giant leap into the air to announce himself. Was this going to be another Singam , I thought.
Apparently not, the director announces it the following sequences where he details how a sub-inspector — one of the small cogs in the police force — cannot do anything on his own accord. He has to “obey the order”. This particular phrase is repeated thrice within minutes of each other, drilling into us their difficulties in functioning (or even thinking independently). “ Nammaluku kova pada kuda urimai illai ” (“We don’t even have the right to get angry”), a senior tells Subhash. He gradually understands how true that is.
- Genre: Action
- Cast: Jayam Ravi, Rashi Khanna, Sampath
- Storyline: A cop has to get even with his enemies even when he’s not with the force
The first half runs on predictable lines — a love angle with Rashi Khanna that serves no real purpose and the run-in with some rich kids seems routine. AdangaMaru saunters on without much of an aim, untill Subhash decides that he’s had enough of the force. The minute he takes that decision, the film picks up.
The second half might have just been an ordinary revenge drama on paper, but it’s to director Karthik Thangavel’s credit that it has some neat whistle-worthy moments. The cat-and-mouse game between Subhash and his enemies gets engaging as the film progresses. The filmmaker’s ideas in the revenge angle, especially the sequences that feature a mobile phone game, is imaginative and well constructed.
Jayam Ravi aces his role. He’s on top of his game in the action sequences, though they are too massy and almost belong to another film. The villains are all one-dimensionally written and the hero seems to conveniently be abreast of technology all the time, but the film moves at such a quick pace that it doesn’t give you time to introspect. Thanks to its speedy screenplay, Adanga Maru finishes as a fairly engaging watch.
