With Vetri Maaran's Asuran, Dhanush has once again displayed his natural and extraordinary acting prowess effortlessly. Produced by Kalaipuli S. Thanu, the film is amplified with G.V Prakash's spot-on music.
Vetri Maaran is one of few directors who presents his films and characters without polishing the roots of the plot much and Asuran too is raw and rustic as the plot requires it to be. The terrain, the dialect, and the setting is grounded with reality, like his other films.
The conflicts for Sivasami (played by Dhanush) and his family arise due to his incompetence with injustice and their rage towards the powerful who tries to oppress them. The core conflict is due to land owned by Dhanush's family and how things escalate intensely into more serious troubles between a land shark, who is trying to attain this property. Asuran's plot is based on the novel 'Vekkai' by Poomani.
The feeling that the film is an actual projection of reality is evoked once again by Vetri Maaran, through the significance and importance given to each character. To emphasize that, Sivasami's family is referred to as 'Chidambaram's family' (Chidambaram is played by Ken Karunas) by the narrator (Vetri Maaran) and Murugan (Teejay) is arguably more of an 'Asuran' than Sivasami in the film.
Dhanush's performance as the head of the family, who has become wiser and weakened with age, is truly inspiring for any actor inside you. The rusty body language and his expressive eyes are one of the major highlights of his performance.
Manju Warrier as Sivasami's wife, Pachaiyamma and Pasupathi, who dons the role of Sivasami's brother-in-law, play their parts with perfection, making us drench deeper into the life of Sivasami and his struggles. The character arc of Ken is equal to that of the protagonist of the film and Ken has shined throughout, delivering a captivating performance. Murugan's powerful character is matched by Teejay's strong and memorable performance and Ammu Abhirami hits the right chords in the flashback sequence.
GV Prakash has really treated his musical fans with this film. The outrage of Sivasami was taken to the next level through powerful and strong music support. 'Va Asura' sends chills at multiple instances, while 'Kathari Poovazhagi' and 'Yen Minukki' works well visually and gels with the scenes beautifully. Prakash Raj brilliantly portrays the role of a veteran lawyer, the wiser voice of reason between the hunter and the hunted.
Velraj's steady shots give balance to the fast-paced action scenes and the ariel shots are used properly for establishing the essential terrains of 'hunting' in the film. The action sequence is done tastefully with no 'super-human' acts which are typical in a Tamil film with lots of action. All the fights have been crafted with a strong realistic setting and the minimal use of stunts makes the fights admirable and engaging. Kudos to Peter Hein.
Overall, Asuran is an engaging watch with strong performances, interesting plot and an amazing emotional connect with the audience throughout.