Agilan Review: Jayam Ravi’s latest film, Agilan, attempts to be a unique thriller that focuses solely on crimes along the coast but ultimately falls short due to its own urge to pack in a message. While the film is interesting in parts, it is uneven on the whole.
In the movie Ravi plays Agilan, a crane operator in the cargo loading section of the harbour who is involved in a lot of illegal activities. He’s a flawed hero, self-centered with no morals, but he’s also planning something on the side. Chirag Jani plays a port security officer who is determined to catch Agilan.
The movie could have tapped into a side of Ravi that hasn’t been explored before, but it falls into the trap of Tamil cinema’s obsession with delivering messages. The sudden tonal shift in the second half, where the villainous deeds of the hero are justified via a sub-plot about world hunger issues, feels forced and lets the film down. Ravi’s efforts are earnest, but the character transformation doesn’t work in his favor, and the hero-villain conflict hardly adds any value to the story.
On the bright side, Agilan effectively immerses the audience into the world of the harbour with its detailed visuals, predominantly shot inside a port. The film presents a flawed hero, but the need to transform him into a messiah feels unnecessary. Tamil cinema needs to break away from the obsession with delivering messages and allow for interesting characters, regardless of their moral compass.
Agilan Review: Jayam Ravi Shines in a lackluster movie
Despite the flaws in Agilan, Ravi’s efforts in portraying the flawed hero, Agilan, are commendable. He convincingly portrays the negative aspects of the character, but the sudden transformation in the second half of the film doesn’t work in his favor.
The movie constantly teases the audience with intriguing tidbits and subplots, only to let them fizzle out into nothingness like salt dissolved in water. Agilan, the protagonist, remarks on how sea traffic determines the price of onions and stock prices, hinting at a larger connection, but it never materializes. The film tries to touch upon serious crimes like human trafficking, drugs, maritime piracy, and arms smuggling, but they all remain surface-level, much like the bootlegged ships. One of the film’s weaknesses is its lipsync, and the background score is overwhelmingly loud.
Jayam Ravi’s filmography shows a curious pattern: films where the title is also his character’s name tend to be either resounding hits or colossal failures. While he has starred in successful films like M. Kumaran Son of Mahalakshmi, Santhosh Subramaniyam, and Ponniyin Selvan, he has also been part of flops like Aadhi Bhagavan, Bhooloham, and Bhoomi. Unfortunately, Agilan falls into the latter category. Despite Ravi’s commendable performance carrying the film, Agilan fails to deliver, and its storyline is as aimless as a ship anchored at port.
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Nevertheless, Ravi’s performance showcases his range as an actor and highlights his potential for exploring new roles. While Agilan falls short of expectations, Ravi’s talent as an actor remains undeniable, and audiences can look forward to seeing him in more challenging and dynamic roles in the future.
Agilan is a Tamil movie directed by N. Kalyana Krishnan and starring Jayam Ravi, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Tanya Ravichandran, Chirag Jani, and Hareesh Peradi. The movie runs for 135 minutes and follows the story of a smuggler who works as a port worker and conducts his illegal activities in broad daylight. The reason for his boldness lies in his virtuous flashback that motivates him to do what he does. However, the execution of the story is flawed, leaving the audience wanting more. Despite Jayam Ravi’s commendable performance, the film fails to deliver a compelling narrative, making it a forgettable addition to his filmography.