BOTTOM LINE
Emotional but Lengthy Biopic
RATING
3/5
CENSOR
U/A, 2h 49m
What Is the Film About?
Amaran is a biopic about Major Mukund Varadarajan, portrayed by Sivakarthikeyan. The movie depicts his life from his college days to his selection in the Indian army and, finally, his martyrdom in a critical operation.
The subplot involves his personal life and romantic track with Indhu Rebecca Verghese (Sai Pallavi). How did the couple meet, what problems did they face, and how did they overcome them? The combination of professional and personal life makes for the movie’s overall story.
Performances
Sivakarthikeyan gets a role of a lifetime in Major Mukund. He gets to show romance, action and emotions in equal proportions in the movie through the character. The physical transformation, done subtly adds to the appeal.
Romance and emotion are something Sivakarthikeyan has become a natural at in his movies. His chemistry with the heroines is a major factor in his films. It is no different here and in addition to that he gets to flex his muscle via the action. The emotional scenes also hit the target and leave a positive impact.
Sai Pallavi is terrific again. She hits the right balance in portraying different emotions along with body language. As a college student and love-lorn girl, we see a different Sai Pallavi, and then after marriage, she looks different. The consistent factor in both cases is her emotional act. The climax entirely rests on her shoulders and she pulls it with aplomb.
Analysis
Rajkumar Periasamy directs Amaran. As mentioned previously, it is a biopic of Major Mukund Varadarajan. He led daring operations as chief of the 44th Rashtriya Rifles battalion.
As is with any biopic, first the world of the principal character is established and then the impossible situations he has had to overcome to become a legend. Amaran follows the formula perfectly under able direction of Rajkumar Periasamy.
Amaran focuses on the personal and professional life of an Army officer. Here we see how Mukund grows to become a legendary officer on one side and the other, we see how he deals with the love of his life on the personal side. Both get equal importance and depending on the vitality are highlighted for the same as well.
Most of the first half deals with the romance track of Mukund and Indhu Rebecca Verghese. These are very normal and predictable parts. Of course, it is a biopic and things have to stick to reality, which is understood, but sometimes these things can become boring. That is not the case with Amaran.
The casting of Sai Pallavi is a masterstroke here as she lifts even simple and predictable moments with her act. She doesn’t do anything new but manages to make the routine instantly relatable and enjoyable. She brings the depth that is essential in such parts. All the scenes of Sai Pallavi with the hero and his family are a testament to this fact. The small moments shine due to her expressions.
When there is no romance and humour, we deal with intense drama and action in the army sequences. The scenes are gripping and shot well to bring out the energy in these portions.
The pre-interval and interval deal with these two aspects elaborately. The former takes care of the personal life with a wonderful scene that leads to everyone getting convinced with the marriage. Then it is followed by a lengthy block where the main culprit presented at the start is dealt with.
Given that Amaran is a biopic, by the time the interval arrives, with two main challenges in his life (personal and professional) dealt with adequately, and having a knowledge of the ending, one gets the feeling of watching almost an entire movie by the interval itself.
The second half doesn’t have the same drama as the first. It still has many memorable moments and gripping sequences, but an air of repetitiveness sets in the screenplay. There are many brilliantly shot sequences, but eventually, it all becomes about how it ends.
The emotional build-up to the end, courtesy of the family is superbly done. The movie scores in this department and makes one most eyed when the end arrives.
Before that, there is a lot of action and drama. They are engaging making wise, but one can’t help but feel that the action could be better executed. It is satisfactory the way it is, but definitely, things could have been better.
The ending arrives as expected, and Sai Pallavi makes the difference in these portions. Her breakdown sequence during the climax portion is exemplary acting-wise. The rendition of a small poem at the end leaves one with a subtle high.
Overall, Amaran ticks all the boxes that make an engaging biopic. The emotions work and the action delivers, mostly. The repetitiveness in the second half holds things a little bit, but the climax makes up for it. Give it a try, if you like real-life dramas with emotion and action.
Performances by Others Actors
Amaran comprises a vast cast, with artists essaying bits and pieces parts. This is the case with many army backdrop movies. Many actors are part of the battalion with unique traits and if well developed they register within the small screen time. It isn’t entirely the case here, though. Rahul Bose registers, but the rest lack similar impact.
Coming to the personal side, the families of both hero and heroine make an impact. Among the two sets, the parents of the hero get a better deal. They provide a little bit of fun in the mostly serious and intense drama.
Music and Other Departments?
GV Prakash provides the music and background score for the movie. The songs aren’t particularly memorable, especially if you are hearing them for the first time on the big screen. The background score is much better. It has some recurring motifs, but generally speaking, the BGM delivers.
The cinematography is excellent throughout. The editing could have been better as one gets a lengthy feel by the end. The writing is adequate, and the production values are good.
Highlights?
Lead Pair Chemistry
Sai Pallavi’s Emotional Act
BGM
Climax
Drawbacks?
Some Repetitiveness During the Second Hour
Length
Parts of Action Could Have Been Better
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes
Amaran Telugu Movie Review by M9
