Mandaadi may follow a familiar sports-drama rulebook, but its thrilling boat races and terrific performances make the ride well worth taking, gushes Sreeju Sudhakaran.
IMAGE: Soori in Mandaadi.
Key Points
- Mandaadi excels in portraying the sport of sailboat racing with engaging, tension-filled sequences, making it accessible even to those unfamiliar with the sport.
- Soori delivers a standout performance in a compelling dramatic lead capable of action heroics.
- The film’s narrative, while familiar with its underdog vs. powerhouse trope and redemption arc, is elevated by strong performances, neat direction, and thrilling action sequences, especially on the high seas.
Mathimaran Pugazhendhi’s second film Mandaadi is impressive when it comes to bringing the actual ‘sport’ into a sports drama.
A good film in the genre should ensure that even people who do not follow the sport understand its rules easily. It needs to create engaging sequences with goosebump-inducing moments, giving you characters to root for and genuine conflicts to overcome.
It is the ‘drama’ part where Mandaadi falters somewhat, but not exactly because Mathimaran Pugazhendhi’s screenplay feels familiar.
You have the classic underdog team pitted against a powerhouse. You have a protagonist in the dumps who sees the upcoming competition as his ultimate shot at redemption. There is always that one crucial match where they surprise their doubters with an admirable performance, but they cannot actually win it because that would dilute the final victory.
In those terms, Mandaadi follows the rulebook to a T.
I have no real complaints about Mandaadi sticking to conventions. In fact, it makes that rulebook look quite good. Backed by a decent storyline, excellent performances and neat direction, the staged sailboat races feature moments that will make you hold your breath.
Redemption In The Waves
The story goes like this: Muthukaali (Soori) leads a colourless life in Chennai, working as a lifeguard at an amusement park. He finds an opportunity to return to the village he exiled himself from years ago following a tragedy.
This chance arrives when he meets Maari (Mithun Jai Sankar), who has run away to save his own skin after clashing with Sattapuli (Suhas). Sattapuli is a powerful, influential man whose team has been winning back-to-back titles at the local sailboat races.
Maari, who is angry that Sattapuli uses outside players for his boat, wants to start his own team with local players to beat Sattapuli. Muthukaali sees this as the shot at redemption and agrees to coach them.
As it turns out, he was once a champion boat racer and a close friend of Sattapuli, who now harbours a bloody vendetta against him.
The Flashback Problem
Muthukaali’s arc firmly drives the film. Even if it leans on the cliché of a tragedy-beaten hero finding his glory, Mathimaran Pugazhendhi makes it work. It is not just about Soori’s character or his performance.
It is about the world he returns to, of the competive boat races that brings its own politics and violence, and the people he meets, including old friends who are joyous to see him and a woman he once loved. They might seem familiar, but the movie ensures they still connect with the viewer.
Where Mandaadi struggles is an issue afflicting several movies this year: the ‘flashback’ problem.
Of course, you know it is coming. You have a protagonist who fled his hometown because of a dark backstory. You see he has unresolved issues with the locals upon his return. So, naturally, a flashback was bound to happen.
The thing with flashbacks is that if they are not timed or executed well, they break the momentum of the main continuity, especially when things are already working there well. Mandaadi‘s flashback not only stalls the pacing right at the start of the second half, but is also where the commonplace nature of the plot hits its most ordinary, predictable low.
Sathyaraj is quite good as Muni, the mentor to both Muthukaali and Sattapuli, and Mathimaran Pugazhendhi’s direction holds the flashback together.
But the drama it tries to set up just does not feel engaging enough. It even feels stretched out. The friendship-turned-enmity between Muthukaali and Sattapuli needed better fleshing out.
Their bonding required more depth, particularly since it ultimately makes Muthukaali turn his back on his mentor for a brief period. This is especially crucial since that very conflict becomes the exact reason Muthukaali is forced to leave the village in the first place.
The romance between Muthukaali and Angel (Mahima Nambiar) strictly works because of their performances and natural chemistry. Otherwise, the ensuing drama and Angel’s fierce anger are not justified by the writing.
If that portion had been shortened to focus more on the team-building in the present continuity, Mandaadi could have been truly exemplary.
Thrilling Race Scenes
Because when it focuses on the present, it is good. And it is not just out on the open seas where the film shines.
There is a terrific fight sequence right before the interval where Muthukaali single-handedly takes on Sattapuli’s men. This escalates into a brutal, violent clash with Sattapuli himself, involving heavy swords and a literal harpoon.
It is a pure ‘mass’ moment done right. It also serves as Soori boldly challenging other stars, proving he can be an awesome action hero. (PS: Mandaadi is set in a world where the police seems absent no matter how many appendages are chopped or people are bashed or slashed).
And when the action shifts to the high seas, Mandaadi ensures your eyes are glued to the big screen. The mechanics are simplified for audiences who do not understand how these races work, without ever baby-talking to them.
The races are sharply cut by Editor Pradeep E Ragav to maintain maximum grip and tension, all while being magnificently shot by Cinematographer S R Kathir.
More importantly, these scenes work so well because the actors actually behave like professional racers, committing to the physicality of the parts. It also helps that these sequences were shot on actual boats in open water.
The ‘practice’ match is a clear standout sequence. The climax race cranks the masala up a couple of notches, throwing a literal whirlpool and a mid-sea fight sequence into the mix. It might go a tad overboard (no pun intended), and the VFX is not exactly impressive, but somehow it all clicks and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I also have to mention the man who elevates the quality of these sequences with an outstanding background score: G V Prakash Kumar. (Honestly, he should have also scored the movie he starred in that released just last week)
Stellar Performances
Then there are the performances, which remain solid across the board.
Leading the pack is Soori. His incredible transformation from a scene-stealing comic sidekick into a dramatic leading man capable of carrying pure mass swagger deserves a dedicated case study. It is fascinating to see how he consistently attracts such fine scripts (something a fellow comedian-turned-hero is currently struggling to pull off).
Delivering easily one of the finest lead performances in Tamil cinema this year, Soori excels both in sequences relying on pure brawn and in moments where he breaks down. The scene where he apologises to Angel hits all the right emotions.
Suhas, one of the most exciting actors in Telugu cinema making his Tamil debut here, is brilliant as the antagonist. He elevates a role that lacks strong support from the writing.
I found it rather odd that a 31-year-old Mahima Nambiar was cast as a mother to an actor in his early 20s. She was, of course, far more age-appropriate in the flashback sequence. But in both timelines, the actress is excellent as a woman who outright refuses to be a mere background player in a male-bravado showdown.
The scene where she delivers a harsh reality check to her son upon discovering a secret about her past, or when she fiercely lashes out at Muthukaali in the second half, showcases the actress at her absolute best.
As her son, Mithun Jai Shankar gives another likeable performance after good showings in Aavesham and Tourist Family.
Ravindra Vijay, Bala Saravanan, Krish Hassan, Ramachandran Durairaj, Krithika Iyer and Aadukalam Murugadoss are all fine in their respective roles.
Mandaadi proves that you do not necessarily need to reinvent the sports drama formula to make it work. Its familiar story and stretched flashback portion occasionally hold it back, but the terrific boat races, strong performances and Mathimaran Pugazhendhi’s assured direction make this an entertaining ride, especially when the action hits the high seas.
Mandaadi Review Rediff Rating:
