Director: Vignesh Shivan
Cast: Suriya, Ramya Krishnan, Keerthy Suresh, Suresh Menon, Karthik
Thaanaa Serndha Koottam is a fast paced heist that barely wastes a minute in portraying its intent as a comedic entertainer. Directed by Vignesh Shivan and starring veteran actors Suriya and Ramya Krishnan, TSK is loosely based on Neeraj Pandey’s Special 26 (2013) but Vignesh Shivan brings his own unique flavours.
The setting is the late 1980s, and Suriya is a smart lad who has a plan in mind. Him along with his entourage impersonate CBI raid teams in order to commit robbery. His intentions are fueled by revenge: when his dad (Thambi Ramaiah) is mistreated by CBI officer Uthaman (Suresh Menon), he immediately hires a team of tricksters (consisting of Ramya Krishnan, Senthil, Keerthy Suresh and co) to go after the rich and corrupt who have a lot of unaccounted money.
The businessmen and politicians in turn more or less accept the raids as ‘cost of doing business’ and take it in their stride without much complaints. The successes embolden them until they eventually have to face off a straight-shooting CBI officer Kurunji Vendhan (Karthik). Things take a really interesting turn now, and the movie speeds up.
Suriya is back in form! Having seen corruption and unethical behavior first hand, he doesn’t have any problems himself using the same methods of the rich and powerful. He looks handsome and steals the show with his effortless and natural feat. Ramya Krishnan plays an equally substantive role and together with Suriya’s show, these two form the backbone of the onscreen presence. Keethy Suresh, Suresh Menon and Karthik too play their parts well. Senthil and Sathyan bring in the comedy. Anirudh on the soundtrack is given an appropriate film to match his style and he is a true rockstar.
TSK is an enjoyable affair. Clocking at more than 130 minutes, the length could have used a bit of trimming, especially towards the climax. Also, the audience could have been left to judge the merits of the protagonist’s actions rather than to serve it to them on a plate. These shortcomings aside, there’s plenty of witticisms and advanced chess maneuvers to keep you glued to the screen. A perfect family entertainer not to be missed this festive season.
