On poster, Maanagaram is a two hero subject about Sundeep Kishan, who is a socially responsible rude youngster who gets into fights at will and the other Sri, a kind-hearted recent migrant to Chennai in search of work. But the film also has other characters which are equally important.
The filmmaker succeeds brilliantly in weaving multiple stories together, taking the time to explore the depth of characters and relationships. The suspense is built in such a way that the audience gets totally engrossed in what is happening on the screen. The storyline is complex yet not mystifying, and it's done with consistent technical brilliance.
Maanagaram marks the debut of a new director Lokesh Kanagaraj whose passion towards cinema is clear. His hard work is evident right through to have pulled up an exhilarating hyperlink film. He deserves a lavish praise! It is not one of those films where multiple stories forcefully converge into one. Here everything is so well-knit and coherent. And what’s more special is, it is super engaging. The screenplay looks fresh enough to hold the audience’s attention right through. It knocks you out with an astonishing blend of thrill, humor, and emotions. This is a serious crime thriller which travels in an eloquent manner overflowing with memorable acting, unforgettable images, and unexpected humor.
The film wastes no time and gets into the story right away. The second scene of the film takes place in a bar and what better place to establish all your characters; a place where you could find different kinds of people. The different perspectives of the leads start off from that scene and form a base to multiple storylines that converge into one. Scene wise you could hardly pick one and say it is not important to the script. But what could have been avoided are the melodies. Although they were short in runtime, they impact us mentally especially when the core plot is full of suspense. The Regina song in the second half may be just a one minute number, but it also helps to elevate the suspense moment that comes just after. However, you tend to get a little restless due to the song placement.
Sundeep Kishan gets a new rugged makeover here, something different from his earlier works in Tamil and Telugu. Sri’s role is more subtle, which has high scope to convey various emotions and the young actor makes no mistake in doing that. Regina might not have a big part in the film but she does a neat job. Charlie gets an intense role with enough scope to showcase his talent which he does as always with ease. But the surprise package and the show stealer would be Ramdoss who people know as Munishkanth; he gets a role that comes as a perfect foil to him.
The technical crew hardly has a notable name but the final product gives you a feel of an experienced team. With all possibility, this could be a game changer for Javed Riaz (Music Director), Selvakumar SK (Cinematographer) and Philomin (Editor).
A deftly made film which gives you a wrenching impact, nonstop drive and unpredictability, that watching it becomes an exhilarating ride.
[Reviewed after a special preview show on Monday, March 6th. Movie releases on Friday, March 10th.]