2023’s ‘Chiththa’ was a step up for writer/director SU Arun Kumar – a film with heightened sensitivity which treated its subject matter with sincerity and employed a predominantly realistic aesthetic, which had its emotional core centred on interpersonal relationships. Arun Kumar returns with his new film ‘Veera Dheera Sooran: Part 2,’ an action thriller with shades of neo-noir featuring a star cast of Vikram, SJ Suryah and Dushara Vijayan. Unfortunately, the attempt at ‘mass’ action sees Arun Kumar take a slight step back in his artistic sensibilities.
The film follows Kaali (Vikram), a small family-run grocery store owner, who is connected to the local don Periyavar Ravi (Prudhvi Raj) but has left his life of crime behind. He is lured back into the crime scene when word gets out that police officer SP Arunagiri (SJ Suryah) intends to kill Ravi and his son Kannan by the end of the night.
The main issue for ‘Veera Dheera Sooran: Part 2’ begins with its plot. Firstly, we go into the film aware that it is the second part of the story, with an undetermined prequel yet to be released. This is an interesting method of storytelling, however it does not feel as if it has lived up to its potential. The characters feel underwritten, with a poor use of flashback which fails at fleshing out the dynamics between the central characters and their respective conflicts. The film is filled with double crosses, questionable loyalties and untrustworthy characters, which should be a recipe for a great thriller. However, unconvincing artistic choices leave the film floundering to its finale, despite some great technical aspects. In particular, a scene featuring a character fainting and having a fit felt extremely contrived, reducing what could have otherwise been a very tense sequence.
The lead pair play their roles well. Vikram as Kaali plays the father and husband who will do anything for his family with conviction. The role is also physically demanding, which Vikram commits to adeptly. Dushara Vijayan, although given the usual role of the concerned wife who wants her husband to stay at home, adds her own flair to the tired stock character. SJ Suryah tones down his histrionics for a more rooted performance with only a few instances of his comedic turns, which leaves the audience wanting. Suraj Venjaramoodu performs in Tamil debut, however the role is barely enough for him to properly sink his teeth into.
The saving grace of the film is the technical team. Theni Eshwar is in fantastic form here as cinematographer. The lighting department and Eshwar collaborate to bring life to the film shot mostly at night with ample use of whip pans and long shots. The lighting in the festival sequence is particularly noteworthy. Another notable sequence comes at the end of the second act where an approximately fifteen minute one take action block is filmed.
A major let-down for the film is in the form of composer GV Prakash Kumar. The soundtrack features singles ‘Kalloorum’ and ‘Aathi Adi Aathi’ which both feel like recycled tracks from previous Prakash Kumar projects. The background score does not fit the atmosphere of the film. Not only is it not rousing enough to build hype for the main character, but it clashes with the film’s tone.
Overall, ‘Veera Dheera Sooran: Part 2’ is an ambitious feature but fails to engage the audience with its story. SU Arun Kumar has yet to prove himself as a fully commercial filmmaker, although his attempt to produce a more rustic and realistic gangster film should be appreciated. If you enjoyed ‘Veera Dheera Sooran: Part 2,’ I would highly recommend Thiagarajan Kumararaja’s feature film debut, 2011’s ‘Aaranya Kaandam.’
Krishna's rating: 2.5 stars
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Official trailer for film below.
