Name: Master (2021)
Genre: Action, Thriller
Released: 2021-01-13
Rating: 6.7
Cast: Vijay, Vijay Sethupathi, Malavika Mohanan, Andrea Jeremiah, Nassar

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A troubled professor, battling his own demons, lands at a juvenile school, only to lock horns with a ruthless gangster exploiting the kids for his illicit gains.

Master (2021)

IMDB

Times of India

India Today

Like any good filmmaker, Lokesh Kanagaraj knows that it takes a fearsome antagonist to turn a protagonist into a hero. This is why he begins Master by establishing the myth of his antagonist Bhavani (Vijay Sethupathi). A teenager who is sent to an observation home by the powerful men who had killed his family, Bhavani becomes the very thing that the system doesn't want juveniles to become - a ruthless monster. In one scene, Lokesh even see shows him sporting horns! And he exploits the very system that has made him so, by using juveniles as pawns to establish his criminal enterprise.
This sets up the stage nicely for his protagonist JD (Vijay) to make his entrance. In fact, in classic masala movie fashion, JD's introduction comes right after a character wonders if they would be able to get a brave man to fix things and save the boys from a life of crime.
JD is a professor in a college in Chennai... the kind of professor who has a hip flask ready in his pocket, an advice ready on his lips and a kada ready in his arm for a punch! Naturally, the students adore him, and the management wants to get rid of him. And circumstances lead him to sign up for a teaching role at the observation home, where Bhavani runs the show.
Can this man, who has managed to create a following among youngsters through love, overcome the ghosts of his past and find it in himself to take on the criminal, who has built an army of youngsters through fear?
Just like Petta, Master sees a new-age filmmaker trying his hand at commercial cinema with a mass hero. Lokesh Kanagaraj manages to pass the test, even if Master is more a Vijay film than a Lokesh Kanagaraj film. What Lokesh brings to the film is filmmaking flair. The scenes featuring the hero and the villain have distinct visual tones - cool blues for JD and fiery red for Bhavani. There are some cool shots, like an overhead shot that shows the correctional facility divided by sunlight and darkness, with JD in the sunlit area. He succeeds in building up the aura around his star with effective references from Vijay's previous hits. A kabaddi scene set inside the juvenile home is a great throwback to Ghilli (Anirudh's use of the Ghilli theme recalls a similar approach from Darbar). The pre-intermission portion is a callback to the famous Thuppakki scene.
But for some reason, the film feels less punchy that it sounds on paper. The plot points are at times too familiar - like the pre-intermission scenes, where you know the punch that is going to bring up the intermission (a nod to Thuppakki), or the familiar trope of the villain going after the hero's loved ones after being rattled (another sequence that harks back to Thuppakki). The action sequences, which have been a highlight in Lokesh's previous films, are kind of overlong here. One particular sequence, involving JD and his former classmate Vanathi (Andrea) weilding bow and arrows, hardly offers any thrill. For contrast, you only have to look at a similar night-time chase in the director's previous film, Kaithi.
The film is also overlong with the college portions involving JD hardly offering emotional highs. While not giving a flashback for JD seems clever (especially given the already lengthy running time), given the song and dance the film makes about his drinking, the reason behind JD's alcoholism needed to be established strongly. We get a whole bunch of supporting characters in this segment (actors like Andrea, Shanthnu, Gouri Kishan and Sriman make just more than fleeting appearances), but they are hardly significant. Even the female lead, Malavika Mohanan's Charulatha isn't a strong presence.
In the end, it is the charismatic performances of Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi that keeps us rooting. Vijay dances like a dream, and puts his coolth to good effect in the college scenes. He also manages to sell the moments when he has to offer advice. With many heroes, these portions might have come across as preachy, but here, they just feel right. And Vijay Sethupathi manages to steal the show. His casual acting style only elevates Bhavani's cruelty - even though it is tonally removed from the fabulous intensity with which Mahendran plays the character's teenaged self. The final confrontation between the two actors has a couple of rousing moments, helping end the film on a high note.

Vijay’s Master is the first big commercial film to hit the theatres after the novel coronavirus pandemic. Since it marks the collaboration of Vijay, Vijay Sethupathi and young director Lokesh Kanagaraj, the hype surrounding Master skyrocketed. As the film released in theatres today (January 13), Master seems to have impressed the audience.
JD (Vijay) is an alcoholic professor at a college, who is loved by the students. Bhavani (Vijay Sethupathi) has a dark past. As a teenager, he was sent to an observation home after his family was killed by powerful men. Bhavani takes the same route as the powerful men and becomes a ruthless monster. When JD signs up for a teaching role at an observation home, he comes to know about the crimes that Bhavani commits by using the children who live there.

Master’s story has nothing new to offer. It’s a trope that many commercial films follow. Hence, the onus falls on the screenplay, which manages to grab the attention for the most part. In an interview, Lokesh said that Master will have his stamp as much as Vijay’s trademark elements. And he was right.

The audience, who had watched Maanagaram and Kaithi, can easily make out which portion completely belongs to Lokesh Kanagaraj. From using classic 90s songs in serious moments and belting out film references, Lokesh has made Master enjoyable. But, when Master treads down the path that celebrates the hero, Thalapathy Vijay, it is a letdown.

When Vijay, the star, takes over the film, the story becomes predictable. Be it the intermission sequence or the climax, one can easily predict the proceedings as the audience have been conditioned that way. But, Vijay’s character JD is refreshing to see as he is not a perfect man. He is an alcoholic and life makes him give up the habit. In Master, Vijay’s character shows how people falter, but also that they will always have a chance to change and redeem themselves. That is probably the most refreshing change to see in a star-vehicle film. Vijay dances like a dream and looks uber stylish in Master.
After Vijay, it’s Vijay Sethupathi’s show all the way. For Sethupathi, playing Bhavani is like taking a walk in the park with his eyes closed. It is right up in his alley. His trademark wit, casual jibes and effortless acting make Bhavani an enjoyable character.

Master suffers because of its runtime and lack of impactful scenes. For a film that runs close to three hours, there is little going on. For example, the election sequence in the first half doesn’t have any relevance to the story. Many characters such as Shanthanu Bhagyaraj and Andrea Jeremiah seemed to be introduced only to either be killed in the climax or suffer a loss towards the end. With a shorter runtime, Master could have been much more effective.

The stunt sequences in Master, however, look extremely good, especially the kabaddi fight that Vijay has with Arjun Das and his men in the observation home. One of the best aspects of Master is Anirudh Ravichander’s music. It makes you sit up whenever you feel bogged down by the runtime.

Malavika Mohanan’s role as Charulatha aims to make women matter in films, even though Master belongs more to Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi. Special mention to Arjun Das and Poovaiyar for shining in the film despite having two big stars.

On the whole, Vijay’s Master is an enjoyable commercial entertainer if not for its long runtime.

Master - Official Teaser | Thalapathy Vijay | Anirudh Ravichander | Lokesh Kanagaraj

Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar, known mononymously as Vijay, is an Indian actor, dancer, playback singer and philanthropist who works predominantly in Tamil cinema and also appeared in other Indian languages films. Vijay is the highest paid actor in South India.

Vijay

Vijaya Gurunatha Sethupathi Kalimuthu, known professionally as Vijay Sethupathi, is an Indian actor and producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema, in addition to few Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi films

Vijay Sethupathi

Malavika Mohanan is an actress best known for her works in Malayalam cinema. However, she has also made appearances in Bollywood and Kannada films. She made her debut with the Malayalam romance Pattam Pole in 2013 and went on to star in TV commercials. The year 2018 marked a major turning point in her career after she got the lead role in acclaimed Iranian director Majid Majidi’s first Indian film Beyond the Clouds.

Malavika Mohanan

Andrea Jeremiah is a musician, dancer and actress who works in Tamil and Malayalam cinema. She started a career in acting with stage performances and made her film debut with Pachaikili Muthucharam. She has also worked as a voice actor and appeared in films like Uttama Villain, The House Next Door, London Bridge, Vishwaroopam and Vishwaroopam II.

Andrea Jeremiah

Nassar is a popular actor, producer, writer, director, lyricist and singer. He appears in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi cinema. Nassar made his acting debut with Kalyana Agathigal in 1985. He rose to fame with his performance as a police officer in the movie Nayakan. He appeared in movies like Roja, Thevar Magan, Bombay and Kuruthipunai. In 1995, the actor turned director with the movie Avatharam.

Nassar

Ramesh Thilak

Gouri Kishan is an Indian actress who works in Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films. She is known for her role of the younger version of Trisha's character Jaanu in the film '96.

Gouri G. Kishan

Arjun Das

Snippet - Tamil

Master (2021)

Master (2021)(2021)

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