Thadayara Thaakka is director Magizh Thirumeni’s second outing, the first one being Mun Dhinam Parthene. For his second enterprise Magizh teams up with Arun Vijay with Feather Touch Entertainment producing his venture.

The chaste Tamil title Thadayara Thaakka taken from the famous Kanda Sashti Kavacham appears to give the necessary spunk and fizz to this action centric film which has combined suspense elements in an interesting way.

The promos suggested an all new Arun Vijay and it is indeed true. Arun Vijay who makes his celluloid appearance two years after Maanjaa Velu looks definitely different and fresh. And the actor has certainly given in his 100% to his role as tourist cab owner.

Thadayara Thaakka is the story about an ordinary man who gets trapped in situations beyond his control and the dominos effect it has on his life.

The characterization of Arun Vijay appears fresh as someone who is self made, forthright, shrewd with his finances, zealous to come up in life the right way and with a mind of his own. All the same he is not a machine but still earns the respect and love of his woman. In short this young man knows perfectly what to do with his life. The scene where he seeks the hand of Mamta from her father is a fine example and stands testimony to his characterization.   

Levity runs in an unobtrusive manner in TT and surprisingly with the antagonists too. This can be perceived when Arul Das asks if Arun’s friend is the wife of Abishek Bachchan. Arun Vijay’s friend’s comment about the laddus made by Mamta in a harmless manner, Aarathi’s remarks about boyfriends and Murugadas feeling sorry about not knowing the spelling of sorry are all sequences that are replete with intelligent sparks.

While the first half is tightly packaged and renders a curious feeling of what is going to happen post interval, the second half has many events and characters which sometimes confuse the audience.  The romance between the lead couple is interestingly narrated in a matured fashion and an influence of Gautham Menon (Magizh is from Gautham’s school) can be perceived in few sequences. There is freshness in execution when suspense unravels on to the audience without any prior notice in a very casual manner when one of the henchmen admits to his deed. Towards the end, the twists and turns in the script are something that happens on astonishing grounds. The events explaining the background of Maha Gandhi’s mistress could have been in a more lucid fashion.   

An effortless Arun Vijay dominates the scene and his sincerity and earnestness definitely warrant mention. One might even wonder why success plays a spoilsport with this talented actor. As heroine, Mamta Mohandas’s chirpy, bubbly performance acts as the perfect foil. However the actors who walk away with honors are the bad men Vamsi Krishna and Maha Gandhi, the former is so handsome that it is sometimes difficult to see him as villain. Murugadas, Aruldas and other supporting cast members have done their part satisfactorily.   

On the technical side, it is a team that knows its game. Under Thaman’s music, there are just two songs, the Poondamalli and the Kelamale number, the latter’s mellifluous nature is an aural treat to an action filled film. Cinematographer Myna Sukumar’s lighting and tone travels in sync with the script. National Award winning editors Praveen and Srikanth have made their work noticeable through smart cuts. 

As TT is an action genre flick, the hard work of Anal Arasu is palpable at every stage and some of the action sequences appear very real and the blows are never over the top. And the narrative structure in some sequences points to an intelligent mind helming the affairs. The perfect example is the scene where Arun Vijay incapacitates Arul Das in a narrow alley.  

Credible characters, fairly good screen play and neat performances are the factors that work for TT.  However there are a few snag moments in the second half when the script’s journey appears a bit meandering. The downside could be the incessant fight sequences in the second half which may work well with adrenaline junkies but not for the common populace.

Verdict: Thadayara Thaakka, for all action buffs