There’s something quite underwhelming about chase sequences. Especially the ones that open a movie – without context. Just a blur of bodies, cars and some really insane acrobatics. Whom do you root for? The one chasing or the ones being chased? Not that it matters really, for Tamil cinema is fairly transparent that way – villains are quickly distinguishable – and so are heroes – but I’d still like a preamble to all the action.
Bogan opens with Arvind Swamy as Adithya; a flashy car, a robbery, a bevy of women (most of them white) – he has it all, says a voice-over. Cut to Jayam Ravi (as Vikram) who chases a bunch of goons through the town, getting fisty at a construction site. He’s a cop – quite unlike the one I loved in Adhe Kangal – someone who would jump over the railing than take the stairs; he roughs them up, earns praise from boss, dances a celebratory number. Or was the dance before all the roughing-up? It wouldn’t quite matter anyway. For, there’s something more underwhelming than a non-contextual chase scene and the perfunctory dance number. And, that’s seeing a suitcase / duffel bag / car boot / sack of thousand-rupee notes on screen. Framed to impress, of course – but really, haha.
Anyhow, Vikram seems to have it all too – and his parents match him up with a girl (Hansika Motwani as Mahalakshmi) – who immediately becomes his wallpaper. Mahalakshmi is buying alcohol when she’s being introduced – and obviously, that is made much of. The director laughs at his own little joke, so does the audience. Mahalakshmi gets sloshed, drives, is caught by the police – and mother of all surprises, the cop is Vikram. Some sickly sweet romance right there; girl swears – baby-talks – that she got drunk only to ward off potential groom – Vikram smiles. Mahalakshmis don’t drink without a really good reason, no?
Another song follows, the third in an hour.
There’s a whiff of director Hari about Bogan – though not as …flamboyant. Cars don’t fly, but the loud, thumping score and the explosion of khakhi are enough to give you pause. Arvind Swamy and Jayam Ravi have done this before in Thani Oruvan, and that perhaps would explain the distinct sense of déjà vu. This time though, it’s old hat – and not even Swamy’s grey-tinted lenses could do anything but make his eyes look grey – the crazy-murderous villain grey which I’m really partial to. The rest is pure question-me-not fantasy.
*****
The Bogan review is a Silverscreen original article. It was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the movie. Silverscreen.in and its writers do not have any commercial relationship with movies that are reviewed on the site.
