Viduthalai is a huge triumph of conviction. Vetri Maaran successfully brings out the hero who was hidden within Soori all this while. On the surface, Viduthalai is an unconventional tale of the underdog. There is lots of drama, emotions, and simmering tension. We wait for the hero to explode for the unfair treatment meted out to him, but he is willing to grind it out to hold onto his principles. It isn't just but the discriminatory system treats him like he's merely a pawn in a game of one upmanship. Soori is like us - A man of hope. A man looking forward with hope. But the system sucks his blood out like a leech.
Soori abstains himself from his usual antics and transforms into Vetri Maaran's faithful disciple. A restrained yet compelling performance. You root for his triumph despite knowing the obvious. And when his moment of glory arrives, you can't hold back from clapping for him. Bhavani Sre gets her big break as the leading lady. An endearing performer with a lot of promise. Chetan is the biggest surprise of the film. As the face of police brutality, he is relentless and cruel. He isn't in your face, the torture handed out to the hero is an everyday habit for Chetan. It's part of the rigidness that defines him.
At the other end of the spectrum is Gautham Vasudev Menon, who balances out the brutality by being a bit more humane when compared to the other cops in the film. He is on the good side. Or is he? Let's wait and watch in the next part. Every character in the film is neatly fleshed out. Even the smaller supporting characters do their bit in elevating the film.
The last but most important piece of this puzzle is Vijay Sethupathi as Vathiyar. Not much is revealed about him. But we are given a glimpse of what awaits us in the second part. We know that he stands for the oppressed. And the glimpse create enough hype for the Vathiyar character, giving us a terrific non-conventional cliff hanger.
Ilayaraja's background score is haunting and pulls us into the film. Velraj's cinematography and Jacki's art direction lend to the authenticity of the film. It almost feels like we are stuck within a rigid and flawed system without any redemption.
As was the case with Visaranai and Jai Bhim, Vetri Maaran doesn't hold back in showcasing the brutality of the police force. It's raw, real, and gritty. The good thing is that there is more to come in the next part. Viduthalai 1 is yet another great attempt by Vetrimaran spearheaded by a wonderful performance by Soori.