Ajith fans must be mighty excited to see their favourite star back on screen after 20 months. Yes, he is finally back, and it is not one of those typical commercial films that he acts time and again. Vivegam is being promoted as an international spy thriller, a new genre for Tamil cinema. So is it a costly experiment shouldering on the mass image of Thala Ajith? What would be the outcome? Will it cater to all center audiences or just Ajith fans? Let's find out.
A spy agent who goes by the name AK (Ajith Kumar), someone who is highly respected by all including his boss. Out of the blue, how a criminal plot flips his career upside down forms the plot. One side AK is concerned about the safety of his wife, who he cannot contact and on the other hand, the entire government is against him. How he fights against all the odds and thwarts the mastermind from doing further damage is what Vivegam is all about.
The plot looks quite compelling, although the story line makes you think that it is inspired from international spy thrillers like Salt. Nevertheless, one has to accept the fact that the film is perfectly in sync with Ajith's image. Probably it’s been a while since Ajith has played an intense character that requires him to push himself to greater limits. Vivegam has shown him in an entirely different dimension. Having said that, the whole execution part looks weak and diluted. That is where you tend to question the intention of the director. Siva has concentrated more on showcasing Ajith's mass rather than the core story, which is worrying.
This film is mainly to celebrate Ajith. The man has given it all; with numerous complications in his body and to have gone the extra mile is highly commendable. Surely something for his admirers to cherish about for a long time to come. It is not just the six pack scene that warrants mention, but there are plenty of scenes out there that speak of his hard work and determination. But the nagging doubt that the makers could have well done to portray his mass in the right way rather than just glorifying his character through some dramatic dialogues stays at the back of your mind.
Vivegam keeps you in a state of nervous excitement from the start of the second half till the pre-climax. It is not without its flaws though - the first half of the movie is quite ineffective saddled with pace and logical issues. In fact, logic takes a backseat throughout the movie. Vivegam is a conventional spy thriller with routine escapes and clashes and hide-and-seek gambits. Yet the way the screenplay moves, nothing that happens seems inevitable, which makes the whole movie seem a lot less natural. Albeit it could connect with a section of the audience.
Vivegam has enough in store – special effects and car chase sequences a la spy films – to appeal to die hard action and Ajith fans. But these scenes come out on screen in a contrived manner.
For a film that is visually appealing, it could have scored brownie points if only it had been made with a little more substance. The true skill of a director is when he makes a complex film seem simple but here Siva seems to have done the reverse!
Anirudh's music is a major plus for the film. Among the list of positives, Vetri's visuals make it to the list. Kajal Aggarwal lands a meaty role and makes a good job of it. So does Bollywood import Vivek Oberoi except for the lack in depth revolving his friendship scenes with Ajith. Akshara Haasan does a neat job of her cameo. On the flip side, Karunakaran's character seems to vanish abruptly. The negatives also include over the top dialogues glorifying the hero. Excessive use of Tamil dialogues in Europe also make the narrative sound a tad unnatural at times.
Siva packs enough firepower into Vivegam to please hardcore Ajith fans but by the looks of it they might be the only ones going home sans disappointment. Arbitrary twists and excessive action distractions could have been avoided.