Director: Lakshman
Cast: Jayam Ravi, Arvind Swami, Hanssika Motwani, Nasser, Akshara Gowda
'Bogan' is a movie that carries the viewer on the strength of the performances alone. Directed by Lakshman and starring Jayam Ravi and Arvind Swami, the film is fast paced, relies heavily on the actors’ charisma, and strives to arrest the attention of the audience through style and flamboyance. In fact, such is the degree of importance attached to the villain Arvind Swami that it might make you want to toss any sense of morality out the window and instead enjoy the experience on a more aesthetic level.
The movie has a very two-faced (literally and metaphorically) nature to it. Adithya (Aravind Swami) is a thuggish kind of guy who just loves the hedonistic lifestyle. Through some happenstance, he has acquired a power to posses the soul of another human being. This power swaps out your character into the body of the person who is targeted and vice-versa. Adithya uses this method to steal money from businesses and places of high value, which in turn fuels his incredibly luxurious lifestyle.
One day, Adithya just happens to pick the wrong target. Vikram (Jayam Ravi) is an assistant commissioner and his dad (Aadukalam Naren), who works in a bank, falls prey to Adithya’s shenanigans. The villain’s modus operandi is such that his targets are always the ones who are portrayed in a bad light and hence get caught. With Vikram’s dad thrown into jail and in complete distress, he hatches a plan to nab Adithya and succeeds in doing so. Little was he prepared to become victim of the same powers that had possessed his dad?
With Adithya roaming loose in Vikram’s body (and the powers that come with his post) and Vikram stuck in jail in Aditya’s corporeal form, an emergency has been unleashed; can the previously powerful cop (but now powerless) race against time to save his family and his soon-to-be wife, Mahalakshmi (Hansika), from total destruction? The ensuing parts of the film are narrated in a thrilling and action-packed manner.
As already mentioned, 'Bogan' is a very actor-centric film. Both Jayam Ravi and Arvind Swami as Vikram and Adithya have given stellar performances, especially considering the swap in character and personality required in achieving the outcome. This is further magnified when Jayam Ravi’s turn to play the antagonist arrived, who was outstanding in his performance. Arvind Swami oozes style and attitude. Hansika looks ravishing and her intro scene is interesting. But she doesn’t have much to do besides appearing in designer wear costumes in songs giving Vikram a personal aspect to his story. Potential characters such as Vikram’s police buddy and the archaeologist played by Nasser have been left unfinished. This makes Bogan feel a little hasty despite the run time of nearly two and a half hours.
However, crisp editing by Anthony, Imman’s alluring background score, and glossy visuals by Sondarrajan are all in sync with the fast paced nature of the film. Some of the songs could have been done without, but 'Bogan,' with its rich production values, is an exhilarating affair that would fill you with adrenaline from time to time.
